Product Description
DescriptionCoastal polynyas, which can be found year-round near the Arctic coasts, are formed through the action of katabatic winds, which act to drive ice away from a fixed boundary such as a coastline, fast ice, or an ice bridge. It's important to note that while polynyas offer advantages for shipping, their presence and characteristics can change due to various factors, including climate change, weather conditions, and seasonal variations. Therefore, the shipping industry must continuously monitor and adapt to these dynamic conditions to ensure safe and efficient operations in polar regions.
Product Specifications
Table
BUSINESS PROCESS | SO |
DESCRIPTION | Polynyas are areas of open water or thin ice surrounded by sea ice. Polynyas can provide open water routes through sea ice, making navigation more efficient and less risky for ships. This is especially crucial in polar regions where sea ice can be extensive. |
EO INFORMATION | Polygons defining areas of open water or thin ice surrounded by sea ice. |
MAIN PROCESS STEPS | Polynya detection (as sea ice fraction and leads detection) is based on the identification of open water areas forming near the coast. Polynyas presence can be captured: 1- from maps that depict the concentration of sea ice (SIC). Polynyas are areas of open water within the ice, will appear as regions with lower ice concentration. 2- from thermal data/imagery showing different characteristics than surrounding ice-covered regions 3- from SAR imageries appearing as dark areas due to lower ice concentration 4- from altimeter providing information of ice thickness. Polynya detection requires calibration using observations of an open ocean location and one which is thought to be 100% ice covered. Considering the extension of the polynya area (larger than leads) thermal data (even though affected by clouds) can be also used, as the polynya signature of open water is considerably warmer than the surrounding sea ice. |
INPUT DATA SOURCE | X-, C- and S-band SAR data; with strong wind cross-polarized bands (as HV in Sentinel-1 SAR EW mode) support HH or VV bands (see limitations); IST (Ice Surface Temperature) from MODIS and other satellites providing thermal bands. |
SPATIAL RESOLUTION AND COVERAGE | Spatial resolution 1-6 km (2 to 5 times lower than the original SAR, as processing requires some sort of data aggregation) and same coverage of the original SAR; around 1 km per pixel for IST products (geometric resolution is depending on the available data, ranging between 20 to 100 meters). |
ACCURACY / CONSTRAINS | No specific constraints: under strong wind the polynya area can be characterized by Langmuir stripes, i.e. along-wind stripes where frazil ice accumulates. |
LIMITATIONS | No specific limitation for SAR based detection; cloud coverage for IST products. The interpretation of data can indeed be challenging, especially when handled by personnel without extensive experience in the field. |
TEMPORAL RESOLUTION | From daily to weekly temporal monitoring. |
FREQUENCY UPDATE | Any time a SAR image is available; daily for IST products |
DELIVERY / OUTPUT FORMAT | NetCDF-3, NetCDF-4, geo-located raster and shape formats |
ACCESSIBILITY | Copernicus Marine Service and Artic hub, IST products from National Snow & Ice Data Center, Colorado, U.S. |
Business Process Challenges
Ship Operation (SO) Challenges
Business Process Challenges
Ship Design Challenges
- SD-1 Environmental Conditions
- SD-2 Defining Ice Class for Vessels
- SD-3 Vessel Concept, dimensions, and design
- SD-4 Material Selection in Ship Design Phase
- SD-5 Deciding design temperature (based on intended operations)
Ship Construction Challenges
- SC-1 Lifting Operations
- SC-2 Tow Operations
- SC-3 Planning of Sea Trials Outside of Ice Season
- SC-4 Avoiding Ice During Sea Trials
- SC-5 Planning of Sea Ice Trials
- SC-6 Finding Suitable Ice During Sea Trials
- SC-7 Ship Operation in Ice During Sea Trials
Ship Certification
- SCE-1 Defining Operational Limit Temperatures
- SCE-2 Icing Prediction for Vessel Certification
- SCE-3 Risk Assessment for Operations in Ice
- SCE-4 Strategic Planning using Polaris
- SCE-5 Monitoring Ship Icing Conditions During Voyage
- SCE-6 Monitoring Sea Ice Conditions During Voyage
- SCE-7 Defining Design Parameters for Ship Class Rules
- SCE-8 Ship Emission Monitoring
- SCE-9 Ship Monitoring, Location and Operation
- SCE-10 Oil and Substance Spill Monitoring
Insurance
- IN-1 Incident Investigation
- IN-2 Understanding the Current and Future Expected Conditions
- IN-3 Ensure compliance of portfolio with Poseidon Principles
- IN-4 Risk evaluating vessels according to POLARIS
Ship Operation
- SO-1 Navigating Through Ice
- SO-2 Avoiding Ice Edge
- SO-3 Navigating Along (or just inside) the Ice Edge
- SO-4 Avoiding Ship Icing Conditions
- SO-5 Avoiding Sea Ice
- SO-6 Oil Spill Monitoring
- SO-7 Avoiding Snow Cover on Ice
- SO-8 Strategic Planning
- SO-9 Risk Analysis According to POLARIS
- SO-10 Search & Rescue Operations
- SO-11 Monitoring Vessels Without AIS Transponder
- SO-12 Navigating Waters with Poor Charting