Description:

Changes in sea ice coverage in the polar regions have led to increasing opportunities for navigation, commerce, and other human activity in the Arctic and the Southern Ocean. Real-time information about the location, concentration, thickness, and movement of sea ice and icebergs is crucial to increasing the safety of polar mariners. Science and technology advancements and their incorporation into operational workflows for ice detection and forecasting are critical in fulfilling this mission. Leveraging novel techniques in remote sensing among a multitude of ever-growing platforms provide higher spatial and temporal coverage, while coupled atmosphere-ocean-ice models allow for more accurate short and long-term forecasting of ice growth and dynamics. Advancements in computing power and machine learning algorithms provide the means for automation of certain operational products. This session will highlight ongoing sea ice science and research along with information technology advances that aid operational ice centers, among other vested organizations, in providing the ‘best’ available information to operators and decision-makers. The session is sponsored by the U.S. National Ice Center (USNIC).

Conveners:  Walter Clark, NWS/NCEP/OPC/Ice Services Branch, U.S. National Ice Center, Washington D.C., DC and Kevin Berberich, USNIC/ISB, NWS, SILVER SPRING, MD