Side-scan sonar survey in the Pechora Sea, Russian Arctic

Abstract

As a study of Arctic marine survey project, Side-scan sonar survey was carried out in the Pechora Seabelonging to the southeaster part of Barents Sea. The study area is a shalow sea 11 m-16 m deep with recent sediments of rich organic carbon. Side-scan sonar profiles show large-scale marine plant communities 2-3 m wide covering the southeastern area. A lot of lineaments are traced on the seafloorWNW-ESE). This trends is thought to be a main path of icebergs. Pockmarks on the seaflor are localydistributed in the area, which are formed by fluid and/or gas discharge. These would be related with petroleum/gas system wel developed around the study area. Dut to weak appearances and limited dis-tribution of the pockmarks, more detailed studies are necessary to examine their nature and structure.Key words Side-scan sonar, Pechora Sea, Arctic, pockmarks