Enhancing Sea Ice Analysis and Collaborative Research

1. Standing Committee on Applied Science and Research:Report on Action Items from IICWG-I IICWG International Ice Charting Working Group IICWG-II, Reykjavik, Iceland, 3-5 October, 2001

2. Terms of Reference - 1 • Applied Science, Research and Development • Identify research priorities for improved analysis and forecasting capabilities, and communicate and promote these priorities within national and international funding agencies. • Identify research technologies available for transition to operations, and coordinate efforts to encourage their transition and validation through funding, logistical support, and cooperative verification and validation processes. • Report on operational initiatives, and research and field programs, of broad interest across the ice charting community. • Encourage and facilitate coordinated efforts in supporting ice research and development, including numerical ice prediction models, remote sensing applications, and digital image processing capabilities.

3. Terms of Reference - 2 • Technology for Analysis and Forecasting partially adopted — to be further addressed in collaboration with Data, Information, and Support Committee at future meetings(s) • Monitor development and implementation of advanced information technology as applied to new digital sea ice analysis and techniques. • Identify technology applications supporting efficient dissemination and exchange of data, products, and ice information services. • Recommend areas of potential common interest for technology sharing. • Identify emerging capabilities supporting sea ice and iceberg analysis and forecasting and recommend their integration into operations as appropriate.

4. Action Item Summary • Nine (9) action items were generated at IICWG-I • Action item #8 on requirements and concepts for remote user terminal development was deferred • Actionees/Coordinators solicited for input as well as general IICWG members • Summary document compiled for IICWG distribution • Oral report on action items grouped into following 3 theme areas: • Data and Information Exchange • Research Collaboration • Data Access for International Ice Services

5. Data and Information Exchange:Actions • Includes following actions • Action 2: Establish the regular exchange of information on current projects and proposals in development. Coordinator(s): Dean Flett, Canada, Canadian Ice Service • Action 3: Exchange and coordinate Envisat AO data acquisition and validation plans. Coordinator(s): Roger De Abreu, Canada, Canadian Ice Service, roger.deabreu@ec.gc.ca and Leif Toudal Pedersen, Denmark, Danish Center for Remote Sensing • Action 4: Organize appropriate workshops and special sessions that focus specifically on R&D in support of operations. First opportunity at WMO SGSI Workshop in Ottawa, May 2-4, 2000. Coordinator(s): Dean Flett, Canada, Canadian Ice Service

6. Data and Information Exchange:Progress • Summaries of current/planned activities solicited from countries - NIC and DNMI provided and are posted on IICWG web • need to have other participating nations submit brief summaries • IICWG web site hosted by NSIDC (Fetterer) has provided valuable mechanism for general information exchange • should be further utilized • Envisat AO proposals have been gathered and will be submitted for web posting in near future • ESTEC and ESRIN contacted and are supportive of coordination efforts • further discussion/coordination required to pursue early data access • Several sessions focused on various R&D themes were organized at WMO/CIWG workshop in Ottawa in May, 2000 • combined with “hands-on” operations-focused sessions this information exchange was valuable in identifying operations issues for research

7. Research Collaboration:Actions • Includes following actions: • Action 5: Attempt to establish additional ARKTOS (Advanced Reasoning using Knowledge for Typing of Sea ice) validation sites. Coordinator(s): Cheryl Bertoia, United States, National Ice Center, and Rashpal Gill, Denmark, Danish Meteorological Institute • Action 6: Attempt to establish additional EUMETSAT SAF validation sites. Coordinator(s): Lars-Anders Breivik, Norway, Norwegian Meteorological Institute, and Roger De Abreu, Canada, Canadian Ice Service • Action 7: Engage DMI in CIS/IIP iceberg experiments. Coordinator(s): Dean Flett, Canada, Canadian Ice Service; Rashpal Gill, Denmark, Danish Meteorological Institute; and Robert Desh, United States, International Ice Patrol

8. Research Collaboration:Progress • NIC obtained approval for transfer of ARKTOS software to DMI and transfer of the s/w is “in progress” • CIS started project this fall and assigned research staff person to evaluate • existing contract for development finishing this year  topic for discussion • EUMETSAT SAF team visited NOAA, NIC, and CIS in September • SAF products to be expanded to entire Northern hemisphere • agreements to exchange validation data sets, products, and coordinate research • Lars-Anders Breivik will be giving a presentation with further details • CIS and IIP provided all RADARSAT Iceberg Detection project data from 1999 season to DMI • includes all iceberg validation data collected from IIP underflights and surface validation data collected by CIS contractor (C-CORE) • approximately 20 frames of accompanying RADARSAT data (Wide and ScanSAR modes) provided to DMI • DMI (Gill et al.) will be using data to test their algorithms • 2000 season data when compiled will also be made available for analysis

9. Data Access:Actions • Includes following actions: • Action 1: Attempt to establish recognition of Special User Group status (e.g. similar to PIPOR) for the operational ice community for early Envisat and RADARSAT-2 validation. Coordinator(s): Michael Manore, Canada, Canadian Ice Service; Leif Toudal Pedersen, Denmark, Danish Center for Remote Sensing • Action 9: IICWG to attempt to influence data policies of flight agencies to better meet the requirements of the operational ice services. Coordinator(s): Helen Wood, United States, NOAA; and David Grimes, Canada, Environment Canada

10. Data Access:Progress • Informal discussions with the Canadian Space Agency and RADARSAT International on early and “group” access • RSI will consider early access to RADARSAT-2 data prior to full “qualification” (for CIS and other operational customers), particularly if RADARSAT-1 out of service • Research and validation opportunities for RS-2 have not yet been developed  opportunity for IICWG member nations to clarify expectations • CIS has had discussions with senior ESA EO Advisor (Guy Duchossois) and raised similar issues for Envisat • Conveyed to senior ESA/Envisat program personnel  further follow up required • CEOS/IGOS Disaster Management Support Project has added “Ice Hazards” and raised importance of improved support for ice services • NIC brief will provide further details + recommend IICWG support to this endeavour • Recommended to CSA to broaden activities to include operational missions to support meteorology-based missions • Envisat HLOP has placed ops/commercial data requests higher than science/research