ARCTIC OCEAN DATA COLLECTION
Clients: Various Members of the Petroleum Industry
Ice-infested waters and heavily travelled maritime routes present unique challenges to oceanographic data collection. Coastal Frontiers has obtained oceanographic data in the Beaufort Sea to support the design, construction, and maintenance of various projects. The parameters studied include the following:
Wave height, period
Current speed and direction
Water level
Storm and ice movement conditions
Time lapse photos of storms and ice events
Data analysis correlates the wind, wave, storm surge, and current data to better predict extreme ocean events.
Specific deployment and recovery techniques developed to ensure the long-term safety of data collection systems include:
Ocean instrument deployments using both boats and helicopters
Bottom-founded tripods to minimize the potential for damage or loss from deep-keeled ice floe or ship impacts
Instrument recovery through the Arctic ice cover in November- December following stabilization of the winter ice sheet. Recovery after freeze-up ensures complete data collection during severe storms of September-October.