Polar Ice

The aim of the Polar Ice project is to develop a next generation sea ice information service by integrating and building on a wide range of European and national funded activities which incorporate many of the required components.

In the Arctic the retreat of the sea ice during the last two decades is facilitating an astonishing increase in natural resource development accompanied by increased shipping activity. The Antarctic is also seeing increased ship traffic driven by fisheries, cruise ships and scientific research. The past funding of European capability has reflected the critical importance of sea ice information in both marine transportation and the impact of regional climate change. However previously funded projects address distinct elements of the complete service chain and it is now timely to bring these together to address some obvious gaps in order to prove a complete and fully operational service is possible.

Role of SMHI

It is the role of SMHI to analyse the sea ice forecasts and the need of the end users, to suggest and implement improvements to the sea ice forecasts.  The first analyses suggest to implement the ability to set
up a highly resolved ice-ocean model on short notice in any area where
there is only a sparsely resolved ice-ocean model, which can provide
boundary data.  This will improve, e.g., surface currents and ice
descriptions in the forecast, two parameters important for oil drift
modelling.

Project partners

Eosphere Limited, UK (coordinating partner)
Natural Environment Research Council, UK
Danmarks Meteorologiske Institut, Denmark
Polar View Earth Observation Limited, UK
Ilmatieteen Laitos, Finland
Teknologian Tutkimuskeskus VTT, Finland
Norsk Regnesentral Stiftelse, Norway
Meteorologisk Institutt, Norway
Sveriges Meteorologiska och Hydrologiska Institut, Sweden
Danmarks Tekniske Universitet, Denmark
Universitaet Bremen, Germany
Kongsberg Satellite Services AS, Norway
C-Core, Canada
Hickling Arthurs Low Corporation, Canada

Funding

The project is funded under the European Unions seventh framework
programme.

The project will run 2014-2015