Nearshore Beaufort Sea under wave project characterization

ACEP’s Alaska Hydrokinetic Energy Research Center (AHERC) team is gearing up to undertake oceanographic work on the Alaska North Slope as part of a government-backed multiyear project to evaluate wave and tidal energy potential in the area.

During their 18-day project – research engineers Nick Konefal and Paul Duvoy, along with AHERC director Jeremy Kasper, will deploy moorings and conduct oceanographic surveys from aboard the research vessel Ukpik, according to Alaska Center for Energy and Power (ACEP).

Moorings will be equipped with oceanographic instruments to measure water velocity, current, temperature, conductivity, salinity and depth.

The team will also cast instrument rosettes along the ship’s route and perform a multibeam bathymetric survey to gather information that will be used to characterize ocean conditions around the nearshore Beaufort Sea, ACEP said.

Funding for the research is provided by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), and Sandia National Labs.