Echo Sounding for Remote Estimation of Seabed Temperatures on the Arctic Shelf

The East Siberian Arctic Shelf (ESAS) is a key area of CH4 venting in the Ocean. ESAS region stores more than 80% world’s predicted subsea permafrost and associated permafrost-related gas hydrates. Gas emissions from are controlled by its current thermal state, which, turn, depends on environmental factors. aim manuscript to show that state phase transitions pore moisture can be estimated remotely echo soundings, which resolve structure shallow bottom sediments. It has been found duration seabed acoustic response (echo duration, Δ) at frequencies 50 200 kHz correlates with sediment temperatures generally increases cooling below 0.5 °C. This correlation, explained assuming layered sediments, establishes basis for high-frequency thermometry. technique an advantageous tool many applications: fast contouring low-temperature zones, remote measurements surface temperature, estimation thickness frozen sediments near bottom. latter estimates have implications distribution stability hydrates shelf.