Operational sea ice monitoring by satellites in Europe (OSIMS). Final report

The overall objective is to study the feasibility and cost benefits of using satellite data in operational ice monitoring and propose concepts for optimal use of satellite data in future sea ice monitoring and forecasting.

Current sea ice monitoring activities in most countries where sea ice is a relevant problem have been analysed. The most important areas for ice monitoring in Europe are the Baltic Sea region, the Barents Sea and Svalbard area, the Russian Arctic, and the waters surrounding Greenland and Iceland. Outside of Europe there are extensive ice monitoring activities in Canada and USA. Ice monitoring is also important in eastern Asia (Russia, Japan and China) and in the entire oceans of the Arctic and Antarctic. The organisation of sea ice monitoring and the main users of sea ice information have also been reviewed.

In general, use of satellite data have demonstrated promising capability to improve the quality of all types of ice charts needed for safe and cost-effective operation in ice areas. Systematic use of satellite SAR data, can bring the quality of local and regional ice charts to a higher level and reduce the risks of damage and accidents caused by sea ice. It is foreseen that SAR images can be received directly by customers working at sea provided that the images are processed onboard the satellite, and derived products can be transmitted to the vessels and platforms in near real-time. The benefits of using SAR data onboard ships are not only related to safety but also to improve efficiency and time saving which has considerable economic importance. SAR data can also contribute to better knowledge of the ice conditions which will be useful in making better ice analysis and forecast. The benefits will be:
• both the ice services and the users will receive more exact data on sea ice parameters which increase the knowledge of sea ice behaviour. This will help produce better analysis necessary for safe and cost-effective operations.
• the ice forecasting will be improved which is necessary for short-term as well as long-term planning of operations.