Redoubt Bay Resurgence

REDOUBT BAY RESURGENCE

EXPERIMENTAL LAB SITE

This site is set off the coast of Southern Alaska, Mt. Redoubt. Southern Alaska’s coast aligns with the Northern section of the Ring of Fire, a tectonic belt in the Pacific Ocean which is characterized by active volcanoes and earthquakes. The active volcano, Mt. Redoubt, occasionally erupts and produces volcanic plumes which contain volcanic ash and rock. This volcanic ash settles into the surrounding bay affecting the marine life that resides in the area. 

RESEARCH FACILITY

The Lab will be used for furthering the research on how the volcanic ash affects the surrounding marine life of Redoubt Bay and then developing ways to combat the pollution of the volcano as well as actually filtering the water. The facility features tectonic systems that hold within each other. There is an exterior skeleton cage that protects the ‘guts’ of the structure. The cage provides a hydrodynamic concept that influences the currents to weave in and out of the skeleton as a ‘breathing’ object. Within the exterior cage, there is a ventilation system placed strategically to act as the ‘gills’ of the facility. The ventilation system is a dual system that features water turbines that power the electricity for the actual research lab and living area. Within the water turbines are meshes that contain the minerals of Zeolite. This mineral is a natural porous filtration method that can be used to filter the ash out of the water. The actual research lab and living quarters are held within this cage system. The research lab is 40% of the square footage leaving 40% for the living quarters, and 20% for the supervisor office. The living area features stowaway beds for four researchers as well as a kitchenette and a wash closet. The research lab will be able to hold water samples over time to see the effect of the filtration systems developed to filter cleaner water. The lab will hold the necessities that the researchers will need to experiment and generate novel programs to help sift the polluted volcanic ash waters.The living quarters and the research lab is connected by the supervisors office hub. Within the supervisor's office space, there is also access to the moon pool where the deployable is accessible for repairs as well as collecting the specimen. 

DEPLOYABLES 

The deployable feature of this facility will be a remotely operated vehicle that is controlled through the supervisor’s office. The purpose of this vehicle is to collect water samples of the Redoubt Bay as well as repair any repairs needed of the Zeolite net. This Zylolite net will be deployable from a device placed on the ocean floor. This netting will be deployed during eruptions using the minerals of Zeolite again to filter the ash as it lands on the surface of the water so that it doesn't enter the ecosystem beneath the ocean surface. With strategic placement according to water and wind currents of Redoubt Bay will assist the effectiveness of the net systems. 

CAVE SYSTEM

The cave system serves as an extra precaution and general docking mechanism in the case of intense environmental circumstances. The coasts of Alaska are a weather intense environment especially in the case of ice field breakaway and blizzard conditions. There is more danger as well as the southern coast of Alaska is located along a major fault line with  aggressive waters in the event of a large magnitude storm or an earthquake. The entirety of the research facility as well as the deployable can align with track receptors that will tuck the structure into the side/cave of the nearby Kalgin Island. The cave is equipped with a fill & drain system to allow smooth entry and then drains when the hydraulic powered door shuts and seals. The inner cave lining is all arctic steel with a deployment moonpool directly below the drop point of the unmanned deployable.  

FUTURE DEVELOPMENT 

The goal for this facility is to reduce the amount of the volcanic ash that actually ends up in the marine habitat. The further development of this lab will generate more net systems to help with filtration on the surface and possibly using the vent filtration system underneath the surface aiming for a cleaner marine habitat for Redoubt Bay.