Subsea Permafrost: Probing, Thermal Regime and Data Analyses 1975-1981

摘要

This is the summary report of a program to study the distribution and properties of subsea permafrost in Alaskan waters. More specifically, the objectives have been-- to obtain reconnaissance level information on subsea permafrost conditions over a wide geographic area, to investigate conditions at the sea bed relevant to the evolution of the underlying permafrost regime, and to study the heat and salt transport processes in subsea permafrost with the eventual goal of predicting its response to natural or man-induced conditions. The field measurements have included soil type, temperature, electrical conductivity of the soil pore water, thermal and hydraulic conductivity, in-situ ice detection, and pore water pressure. In the last few years, subsea permafrost data have been obtained by the petroleum industry as part of geotechnical investigations for offshore pipelines and structures. Most of the information is proprietary, and the data obtained by the OCSEAP and USGS programs still comprise the bulk of what is in the public domain.