Mapping Sea Ice Overflood Along the Alaskan North Coast

Abstract

The U.S. Department of Interior, Minerals Management Service (MMS), Alaska OCS Region commissioned a study to map the extent of peak river overflooding onto the fast ice in the nearshore region of the Alaskan Beaufort Sea. River overflood constitutes a potential hazard to offshore oil and gas development, as it relates to facilities access, oil spill spreading, and the associated phenomenon of strudel drainage and potential seabed scouring. A primary goal of the study was to improve the knowledge of the spatial and temporal variability of overflooding and related hazards by mapping overflood boundaries for a 13-year period from 1995 to 2007, using a combination of helicopter surveys and satellite imagery.