Abstract
Vertical electrical sounding (VES) surveys were performed on the Chukchi
Sea ice near Utqiagvik (ne’ Barrow), AK in March, 2018, using a
capacitively coupled resistivity array. The purpose of this study was to
determine the effectiveness of the VES method in determining the
thickness of the sea ice and potentially the depth to the sea floor. The
array was deployed in an atypical set-up, with the transmitter and a
single receiver being moved incrementally further from a central point.
The results of three trials from 2018 are presented, along with the
re-analysis of data from two trials from March, 2016. The VES data were
analyzed using “cumulative resistivity” plots, from which ice
thicknesses were determined. Ice depths were measured by drilling
through the ice at the central point of the array. The VES and drill
thicknesses agree to within a few percent for the ≲1m-thick ice. The VES
plots may also indicate differences in ice composition as it transitions
from the solid uppermost ice down to seawater.