IICWG DICS Action 6.1.1

1. IICWG DICSAction 6.1.1 • DC 6.1.1: Interoperable Data Formats • Clearly define the objective of developing common data base i.e. seamless customer support vs. ice service interoperability: • Complete final version of the Ice Objects Catalogue • editorial changes correct references • review for consistency w/ Sea Ice Nomenclature / SIGRID-3 • Responsible: P. Seymour / Vasily Smolianitsky. • Target Date: April, 2006 • Status: • Editorial changes: First draft of recommendations • Correct references: First draft of addition of references • Compare w/ Nomenclature: First draft completed • Compare w/ SIGRID: By default, some progress made

2. IICWG DICS Action 6.1.1Background • Important milestone: met with Dr. Paul Birkel in May • Authored a critique of the catalog that was presented during the interoperability session during last meeting • Access to an expert / Access to the actual IHO database • This access is absolutely necessary • Steady progress since this meeting in May, 2006 • Dr. Birkel is working with the NGA to write similar databases for all product specifications

3. IICWG DICS Action 6.1.1 Database Description 1 • Ice Catalog looks like a spreadsheet • It is actually a relational database • There is a method to the apparent madness • The Ice Objects Catalog divided into three sections:

4. IICWG DICS Action 6.1.1 Database Description 2 • The higher level are the Features - Main objects • Sea Ice, Land Ice • Ice Openings, Icebergs and Ice Fracture etc. • The middle level are the Attributes - Descriptors • Concentration Total, Floe Sizes • Iceberg Shape, Fracture Type etc. • The lower level are the Attribute Listed Values • These are enumerators for the Attributes. • Represent ice codes used to describe ice eggs • List of Iceberg Shapes • Codes for Ice Stages • Fracture types: Crack, Very Small Fracture

5. IICWG DICS Action 6.1.1 Summary of Progress 1 • Completed: • Reviewed Features in the catalogue • Notes on comparison to: • Nomenclature • Each other • Recommendations on supporting attributes • These notes are contained in additional fields in the spreadsheet and in the Feature Report

6. IICWG DICS Action 6.1.1 Summary of Progress 2 • Completed: • Reviewed Attributes in the catalogue • Made notes on how they compare to: • Nomenclature • How they relate to each other • These notes are contained in additional fields in the spreadsheet and in the Attribute Report

7. IICWG DICS Action 6.1.1 Summary of Progress 3 • Completed: • Reviewed Attribute Listed Values • Made notes on how they compare to: • Nomenclature • Symbology or ice codes • Other sources such as the CIS MANICE.

8. IICWG DICS Action 6.1.1 Remaining Work 1 • Reverse process to compare the nomenclature and symbology to the objects • Smooth draft documents for consistency • The project has to be completed • Definitions and descriptions harmonized with • Nomenclature • Ice codes • On another level, nomenclature and ice codes • Updated with the goal of facilitating electronic charting • Make ice objects fit that review

9. IICWG DICS Action 6.1.1 Conclusions 1 • At highest level, three Features that are overarching: • Sea Ice, Land Ice (is Ice of Land Origin), Lake Ice • One inconsistency is that there is no River Ice • Many of other Features are subsets of these three: • List of Ice Objects Features: • Floeberg, Ice Advisory Area • Ice Dynamics Ice Movement • Ice Ridge Ice Topology • Ice Fracture Ice Lead Ice Opening Ice Polynya • Ice Line (represents the ice extent or ice edge) • Ice Route, Ice/Snow Thickness, Iceberg, Iceberg Area • Lake Ice Land Ice Sea Ice

10. IICWG DICS Action 6.1.1 Conclusions 2 • Examples of overlap between openings Features • Ice Openings* • Ice Fracture* • Ice Polynya* • Ice Lead* • Examples of overlap between topology Features • Ice Topology** • Ice Ridge** • Examples of overlap between drift • Ice Dynamics*** • Ice Movement***

11. IICWG DICS Action 6.1.1 Conclusions 3 • The enumerators should be in a logical format and the units should be spelled out… • Kilometers, metres or centemetres not cms or ms • Nautical miles not knots • Measurements should not overlap or leave gaps. • Example: • 4 Very Small Fracture 1 - 50 metres • 5 Small Fracture 50 - 200 metres • 6 Medium Fracture 200 - 500 metres • Should probably read > 50 to < = 200 etc • Descriptions: plain language not "ice" language • We know what a "floe" is • Definitions should refer to it as a piece of ice (floe)

12. IICWG DICS Action 6.1.1 Conclusions 4 • Some definitions do not match the nomenclature • Ice Object Feature Land Ice • Nomenclature Ice of Land Origin • Ice Object Feature Ice Line • Nomenclature Ice Edge • There are some features that are not ice terms at all such as Ice Advisory Area or Ice Route (from NATO). • a. Will we adopt those definitions? • There could be sea ice nomenclature terms that should have an Ice Objects Feature. One example is River Ice.

13. Recommendations Where To Go From Here? • 1. Use the Ice Object Catalog in its current form • Little work but a lot of inconsistencies • Not recommended • 2. Make Ice Objects conform to definitions in the nomenclature and symbology and then come up with recommended changes to the nomenclature • Moderate work but more consistency • Makes a difference in the short run • 3. Redo the nomenclature and coding for ice charting and then harmonize the Ice Objects with electronic charting in mind • Very Large amount of work but maximum usefulness/consistency • There is a large risk that we will modify the ice code and then we may not be compatible with our legacy data

14. Questions and Comments Larson B Feb., 2002

15. Feature: Ice Fracture: Attribute: Fracture Type: Code Name 1 Crack 2 Tide Crack 3 Flaw Valid 4 Very Small Fracture 5 Small Fracture Valid 6 Medium Fracture 7 Large Fracture 8 Undetermined or Unknown There is also a feature called Feature: Ice Opening Attribute: Ice Opening Type Code Name 1 Crack 2 Tide Crack 3 Flaw 4 Very Small Fracture 5 Small Fracture 6 Medium Fracture 7 Large Fracture 8 Non-Recurring Polynya 9 Recurring Polynya 10 Open Lead 11 Frozen Lead 12 Undetermined or Unknown Attribute Listed Value (or Enumeration) for Fracture Type: 1 Crack 2 Tide Crack 3 Flaw 4 Very Small Fracture 1 - 50 metres. Small Fracture 50 - 200 metres. 6 Medium Fracture 200 - 500 metres. 7 Large Fracture Greater than 500 metres. 8 Undetermined or Unknown With the following enumerations: 1 Crack 2 Tide Crack 3 Flaw 4 Very Small Fracture < 50 metres in length 5 Small Fracture 50 - 200 metres in length 6 Medium Fracture 200 - 500 metres in length Large Fracture > 500 metres in length 8 Non-Recurring Polynya 9 Recurring Polynya 10 Open Lead 11 Frozen Lead 12 Undetermined or Unknown Appendix A Examples of Duplication 1

16. Feature: Ice Polynya Attribute 1: Ice Polynya Type Attribute 2: Ice Polynya Status Code Name 1 Polynya 2 Shore Polynya 3 Flaw Polynya 1 Polynya: An unspecified type of polynya. 2 Shore Polynya A polynya between ice and the coast or between ice and an ice front. 3 Flaw Polynya A polynya between ice +fast ice. Code Name 1 Non-Recurring Polynya (This is our “general or non-specific” polynya) 2 Recurring Polynya A polynya which recurs in the same position every year. Appendix A Examples of Duplication 2