Geological Survey of Canada Offshore Geophysical Survey Tracks, Beaufort Shelf and Slope - Shapefiles

• Main Authors: Blasco, Steve, King, Edward
• Format: Dataset
• Language: English
• Published: Canadian Cryospheric Information Network 2015
• Subjects: Acoustic; Amundsen Gulf; Arctic; Arctic Ocean; Banks Island; Beaufort Sea; Geophysical surveys; Oceans; Remote sensing data; Seabed; ArcticNet Network of Centres of Excellence of Canada; Beaufort Regional Environmental Assessment; Canada; Knudsen; Beaufort Shelf; ArcticNet; glacier*; Ice; permafrost; Sea ice
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.5443/12069; https://www.polardata.ca/pdcsearch/?doi_id=12069

This dataset includes track locations of geophysical data collected as part of research cruises conducted by, or for, the Geological Survey of Canada (Atlantic). Geophysical data types collected on AANDC (Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada) supported BREA (Beaufort Regional Environmental Assessment) cruises include "light" reflection pinger-type seismics (Knudsen 3.5 kHz), and multibeam sonar bathymetry. Track locations were taken at anywhere from 30 to 5 second intervals. The supplied shapefile includes all BREA - related Expeditions (cruises). BREA - specific expeditions are limited to numbers 2009804, 2010804, 2011804 and 2014804. : Purpose: Research cruise ship navigation data are collected and archived in order to show where the Geological Survey of Canada (Atlantic) have conducted seabed surveys and to provide a reference location as well as the kinds of geophysical data collected during those surveys. This data is available on an expedition by expedition basis via a similar PDC GSC entry but also provided in a generic GIS format (shapefile) here. Generally, 3.5 kHz sub-bottom sounder and multibeam bathymetric soundings were conducted along these expedition tracks. : Summary: This dataset includes ship's locations for several offshore surveys conducted from the ArcticNet research vessel "Amundsen". This corresponds to where "light" sonar data were collected over several years. Related GSC data themes in the Polar Data Catalogue include information on seabed samples, images of seabed topography (shape and water depth) from multibeam sonar and sub-seabed sonar data capable of imaging geological information at and up to 50m below the seabed. These data are used to evaluate the nature of the seabed in terms of the various past and present processes which lead to the present environment and its dynamics. Some of the relevant concerns are the nature of the seabed in terms of stability for life-forms, its strength for possible engineering installations, and the likelihood of change in the seabed with natural environmental influences. These influences can include past climate effects such as glacier cover and its ancient shaping of the seabed landscape and its mud and sand deposits, storms, currents, sea-ice impact on the seabed, possible presence and change related to shallow natural gas below the seabed, permafrost at and below the seabed and its natural changes, possible effects of earthquakes on the stability of that sediment, including marine landslides.