American experts have compiled a map of 14,000 square kilometers of seabed in the Arctic to support the planned submission for extending the US continental shelf, Media Relations Specialist at US Coast Guard Katie Braynard told TASS when commenting on the results of a four-month Arctic expedition by the icebreaker US Coast Guard Cutter Healy, which ended in mid-October.

Braynard said the expedition members used special equipment to map some 5,400 square miles (14,000 square km) of seabed between Dutch Harbor on Unalaska Island in the Aleutians and the town of Nome in Alaska. The equipment mounted on USCGC Healy was used to collect geomorphic data for determining the foot of [continental] slope (FOS).

TASS writes citing the USCG media representative that FOS analysis is crucial for calculating Gardiner and Hedberg formula lines and locating the 2,500-meter isobath to determine the outer limits of the US extended continental shelf.

The expedition began in early June and included cooperation with Canadian colleagues in the Arctic.