Expedition log by MBARI Senior Scientist Aaron Micallef

We arrived in Utqiagvik on August 19, 2025, and were transferred to the Korean ice-breaking research vessel Araon by helicopter on August 20, 2025. We spent the first day setting up equipment on board, coordinating logistics, and carrying out a safety drill outdoors (in the rain). Unfortunately, our Canadian colleagues were delayed by tornado warnings in Chicago.

On August 21, with the full team assembled (including scientists from Korean institutions, the Geological Survey of Canada, and the US Naval Research Laboratory), we began our transit eastward to the Canadian Beaufort Sea. This region hosts a striking array of seafloor features—including pingos (conical mounds associated with ground ice formation), craters, slide scars, and mud volcanoes—linked to processes such as relict permafrost thaw, rapid sedimentation, freshwater expulsion, and near-seafloor ice formation. Many of these features lie within recent, shallow sediments, highlighting active submarine processes with significant geohazard implications. By collecting new high-resolution data and comparing it with past surveys, we hope to measure seafloor changes over time and better understand the extent, dynamics, and origin of sub-seafloor ice.

Conditions in the study area are expected to be challenging. Satellite images show less sea ice than usual for this time of year in the Arctic overall. However, sea ice is more extensive than the long-term historical average within our working area, which may complicate survey operations. Our team is prepared to adapt the work plan to ensure that we meet the key objectives of the expedition.

This marine geoscience research program takes place in the Inuvialuit Settlement Region. The program was reviewed by the Inuvialuit Environmental Impact Screening Committee (EISC Registry File: 03/25-11), the Government of Northwest Territories (Licence No. 17745), the Government of Yukon (License No. 25-21S&E), and the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada (Permit No. IGR-1670).