Mapping sea ice overflood using remote sensing: Alaskan Beaufort Sea

The U.S. Department of Interior, Minerals Management Service (MMS), Alaska Outer Continental Shelf Region commissioned a study designed to map the extent of peak river overflooding onto the fast ice in the nearshore region of the Alaskan Beaufort Sea (Hearon et al., 2009). This phenomenon occurs annually during a brief period in the spring when the river stage increases rapidly as the snow pack melts, while the sea ice of the Delta front is still intact. 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. The overall goal of the study was to improve the knowledge of the spatial and temporal variability of overflooding and related pipeline and facility siting concerns. Historical overflood boundaries were mapped for the 13-year period from 1995 to 2007, using a combination of helicopter surveys and satellite imagery. Hazards associated with strudel scouring were assessed with strudel drain and scour databases developed for several industry projects.