Section 3.10: Site Plans and Technical Data - Rick Neufeld Comments

Northern Gateway Pipelines Inc.
Section 3.10: Site Plans and Technical Data
Table of Contents
3.5 Ice Data
The waters of Douglas Channel are not subjected to freezing and remain open all year round. As such
there are no ice load effects on the terminal structures other than the potential build-up of ice and snow on
the deck and topside equipment due to freezing sea spray and snow fall.
3.6 Temperature Data
3.6.1 Atmospheric Temperature
The closest temperature monitoring station is Kitimat 2 located near Kitimat Harbour approximately
10km to the north of the project site. The average daily air temperatures recorded at this station from 1966
to 2002 are as follows (Reference 11):
• Recorded Extreme Maximum Temperature (August): 36.7 deg. C
• July Daily Maximum Temperature: 21.5 deg. C
• July Daily Average Temperature: 16.7 deg. C
• January Daily Average Temperature: -2.4 deg. C
• January Daily Minimum Temperature: -4.8 deg. C
• Recorded Extreme Minimum Temperature (December): -26.0 deg. C
3.6.2 Water Temperature
Surface temperature records near the project site are available from the Nanakwa Shoal Marine Buoy.
These temperatures are measured in the “upper layer” of the water column. The records indicate the
following annual (seasonal) water temperature variances (Reference 12):
• Extreme Monthly Maximum (July): 22.3 deg. C
• Maximum Monthly Average (August): 16.1 deg. C
• Minimum Monthly Average (January): 5.2 deg. C
• Extreme Monthly Minimum (February): -0.4 deg. C
The vertical temperature profile in the water column directly corresponds with the vertical salinity
distribution and occurs in three distinct layers in the vicinity of the project site:
• A shallow upper layer approximately 3 metres to 7 metres deep characterized by low salinity due to
freshwater discharges from the local mountain streams and rivers. It is also characterized by
pronounced seasonal changes in salinity and temperature as given above;
• A halocline or intermediate layer just below the upper layer approximately 40 to 90 metres deep
characterized by a gradual increase in salinity and density. This layer has only small seasonal
temperature changes with temperatures varying between 6 to 8 deg. C year round; and,
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