Case Study: NOAA Office of Coast Survey improves hazard planning and nautical charting with Woolpert hydrographic surveying

NOAA Office of Coast Survey maps Port Valdez with Woolpert using 1- to 8-meter bathymetric grids

The NOAA Office of Coast Survey required modern hydrographic data for Port Valdez and Valdez Glacier Lake to support tsunami hazard planning, update nautical charts, and enhance maritime safety. Woolpert was engaged to conduct a comprehensive hydrographic survey to map these complex, changing underwater landscapes and identify potential hazards.

Woolpert conducted the survey using multibeam sonar deployed from a survey vessel and an uncrewed surface vessel, adapting methods for challenging conditions like icebergs and turbid water. The solution provided a modern baseline for earthquake and tsunami modeling, supplied updated data for NOAA charting products to improve navigation safety, and contributed findings to the global Seabed 2030 initiative. Woolpert's work directly aids emergency preparedness for the City of Valdez and supports ongoing scientific research into tsunamigenic landslides.

NOAA Office of Coast Survey