Cooperative Mapping of the Arctic Ocean for Science and for Sovereignty University of the Arctic Rectors’ Forum 28 February 2008 Dr Bernard Coakley Associate Professor University of Alaska Geophysical Institute

The 1st Bathymetric Map of the Arctic Ocean

Drifting Stations Fram, T-3, North Pole 1-45, Alpha Ice Breakers Polar Sea, Polar Star, Polarstern, Oden, Healy Planes Naval Research Laboratory’s P-3 Submarines Nautilus, Skate and SCICEX Satellites Logistics Dictates Arctic Opportunities no single platform is adequate

International Bathymetric Chart of the Arctic Ocean (IBCAO)

Lomonosov Ridge

Gakkel Ridge Comparison Bathymetry

Arctic Gravity Project Submarine, airborne, ice island and satellite data are included in this map.

Geologic Survey of Canada Magnetic Anomaly Compilation

Arctic Science Cooperation opportunity and necessity 1998 SHEBA - Surface Heat Budget of the Arctic Canadian icebreaker Louis St Laurent used as an ice camp 2001 AMORE - Arctic Mid-ocean Ridge Experiment USCG Healy and Polarstern on Gakkel Ridge 2003 CATS - Canadian Arctic Throughflow Study USCG Healy transit of the NW passage 2004 ACEX - Arctic Coring Expedition Vidar Viking, Swedish Icebreaker Oden and Sovetskiy Soyuz 2005 HOTRAX - Healy-Oden Trans-Arctic Experiment USCG Healy and the Swedish Icebreaker Oden 2007 AGAVE - Arctic Gakkel Vents Expedition US researchers on Oden 2007 LOMROG - Lomonosov Ridge off Greenland Joint Danish-Swedish Program with the “50 Years of Victory”

Icebreakers are good for some things. The ice makes it hard to see the seafloor or beneath it. 15 km

Law of the Sea Distinguishes the deep sea from Extended Continental Shelves (ECS). based on “natural prolongation” The “area” belongs to humanity. Ownership creates incentives for management Applies to the seabed and resources below it Claims established by mapping Observing these features; 2500 m; FOS, sediment thickness Evaluated and validated by the Technical Commission Distinguishes the juridical from the physiographic shelf

UNCLOS12 Continental Shelves are constrained by the most seaward of a line 350M from the Baselines or a line 100M seawards of the 2500m depth contour.

UNCLOS13 Outer limit drawn from the Foot of the Slope, either a distance of 60M, or to a point where “the thickness of sedimentary rocks...” The new limit is maximum extent of the limits formed by the three methods.

Swath Bathymetry meter isobath - Foot of Slope Swath Backscatter - Seafloor texture/composition Gravity Anomaly - Sediment Thickness/Crustal Structure Multi-Channel Seismic Reflection (MCS) - Sediment Thickness and Crustal Structure - Scaled in Two-way Time (thickness/sound velocity) Wide Angle Seismic Refraction - Sound Velocity as a function of depth - Needed to re-scale MCS data into depth (for 1% rule) Geophysical Data Sets for ECS Determination

US Arctic ECS Program Began with Desktop study of potential US claim Outlined areas where data was needed. US ratification is regarded as likely Plans and Discussions underway in the Inter- agency Working Group Funds for 1st USGS-GSC multi-channel seismic reflection program in the Canada Basin Scheduled for 6 September to 1 October Continued NOAA funded multi-beam mapping 2004, 2005, 2007 and 2008 First meeting of the Arctic Experts Group 31 January - 1 February 2008

Estimate of US Arctic Survey Needs from Mayer et al. Report. ~1794 km of deep Multi-Channel Seismic Reflection Data (green lines). ~50,000 km 2 of continuous multi- beam coverage (cross-hatched area north of Chukchi).

Canyons on the Beaufort Slope credit Larry Mayer UNH/NOAA SeaBeam 2112 data collected from USCG Healy October 2004 This data used for this image were collected in ice-free waters from USCG Healy.

Larry Mayer’s 2008 Cruise Plan in yellow

DRAFT SURVEY PLAN for planning purposes only Canadian ECS Data Acquisition Plan Courtesy Ruth Jackson, Bedford Institute of Oceanography Joint GSC - USGS Program in 2008

Canadian-Danish ECS Program Despite conflict over Hans Island Cooperation is ongoing Lomonosov Ridge Test of Appurtenance (LORITA) Established Ice Camps Collected seismic reflection and refraction data

Russian Claim This claim, 1st submission to the technical commission, was returned due to a lack of supporting data.

Cooperation? Arctic Cooperation is driven by necessity and opportunity Plan together and work together - Complementary US and German programs - Aurora Borealis; an Arctic capable drill ship - Arctic Drilling Workshop; joint NSF - ESF funding Bremerhaven, November 2008 Self Interest could lead to joint submission - Sidestep boundary disputes - Collect and share data sets - Maximize claimed area Possible Submarine program - Discussions with the Canadians and Danes Complete circum-Arctic cooperation?

New Arctic Ocean Data Article 76 data will support science - where we would not go - is not science, exactly, but useful - some data sets are already available

Estimated Remaining International Waters

Bathymetric Data Sources Ice Islands Icebreakers Submarines

Joint USGS - GSC Cooperative Program Summer 2008 on USCG Healy and on the St Laurent

Cooperation with the Swedish Polar Research Secretariat USCG Healy supported Geology and Geophysics Programs Swedish Icebreaker Oden Supported Oceanography Programs Repeating the 1994 Ocean Section Ships worked in Tandem through the Multi-Year Ice Alpha Ridge to Lomonosov Ridge Healy sailed with all science berths occupied. 48 on board Healy; 21 United States 9Norway (partial Norwegian funding) 7Sweden 3Japan, Canada 2Russia 1UK, Argentina and Venezeula

USCG Healy across the Arctic Ocean - Summer 2005 Building on Successful ACEX Drilling on Lomonosov Ridge Summer 2004 Collect a Geophysical Transect High Resolution Seismic Reflection Data Swath Bathymetric Data Gravity Anomaly Data Chirp Sub-bottom Profiler Seismic Refraction Data –Study Internal Structure and Basin History Collect a Series of Sediment Cores –Study Sedimentation, Paleo-climate and Oceanography Prepare for more Arctic Scientific Drilling