LAND MARINE ATMOSPHERE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT CLIMATE CHANGE SECURITY ISSUE 50 / JANUARY 2015 Climate change research beyond limits Facts >The research vessel Akademik Shokalskiy was trapped in ice for 14 days © Alfred Wegener Institute > 54 scientists, tourists and crew members had to be flown out HOW COPERNICUS SUPPORTS POLAR EXPEDITIONS In December 2013, 74 researchers, tourists and crew members on board the Russian research vessel Akademik Shokalskiy found themselves trapped in a vast field of thick sea ice in the Antarctic. Several icebreakers were asked to help cut a path through the ice. The Chinese icebreaker Xue Long itself ended up stuck for many days while trying to assist the rescue mission. Only after two weeks of being trapped in pack ice could the passengers be flown out. This incident showed that polar waters with their ice fields represent a high risk to vessels, especially those on research expeditions in polar regions, where they collect valuable information on a wide range of scientific topics including climate change. Although being trapped in sea ice is not unusual or necessarily dangerous, it can be challenging if the situation lasts for an extended period of time. Copernicus satellites assist such expeditions by providing precise up-to-date information on the location of ice edges and open water as well as the ice type and its concentration along the vessel’s route. With the help of satellite-based data European polar vessels have the possibility to adjust their routes through polar regions in advance to avoid the risk of being trapped. One example is the German Polarstern, one of the most efficient polar research vessels worldwide, which navigates with the help of sea-ice maps generated daily for the Arctic and Antarctic. Sentinel-1 is especially suited to supply data for generating timely maps of sea-ice conditions. This assures a safe passage in the increasingly busy Arctic and Antarctic waters. The image shows parts of the Pine Island and Thwaites Glaciers in West Antarctica in April 2014. Source: European Space Agency (ESA); Data: Sentinel-1A www.esa.int/copernicus • www.copernicus.eu > Sea ice threatens ships on polar routes Benefits > Tracking and forecasting sea-ice spread and thickness > Timely information to better planning and adapting polar expedition routes > Rapid support for ice-trapped vessels Policy Objectives > EU Arctic Policy > The Barents Euro-Arctic Council > European Maritime Transport Strategy > EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive ISSUE 50 / JANUARY 2015 Sentinel-1 83°30‘N 60°‘W MONITORING SEA ICE FROM SPACE 83°30‘N SENTINEL-1 is one of the main data sources for polar sea-ice mapping and monitoring, providing: > ground resolution of 5 x 20 m in main mode > all weather, day-and-night, cloud-free imagery > global coverage > frequent revisit time 82°30‘N > quick data delivery 82°30‘N Ice drift 25 km Multi year ice First year ice Operational services use radar (Sentinel-1-type) satellite imagery as daily information sources for sea-ice monitoring. From these data ice types can be classified and ice drift measured in order to improve ship navigation in polar regions, as here for the Arctic. Source: Drift & Noise Polar Service / European Space Agency (ESA) 2012 - SARCOM Distribution; Data: Envisat ASAR Sentinel-3 will also provide accurate topographic sea-ice measurements. Copernicus Contribution The Copernicus Marine Monitoring Service uses satellite data to provide regular and systematic reference information and forecasts of sea ice. Thereby it supports marine safety, ship routing and operational icebreaker services, as well as climate change studies. Next Steps > Provide real-time sea-ice data to ensure navigation safety in polar shipping routes > Assure continued availability of reliable, low-cost Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data for sea-ice monitoring > Improve the precision of ice thickness measurements Products > Monitoring and forecasts of Arctic and Antarctic sea ice, including its concentration, thickness, motion and ridges > Hydrodynamic forecasts for all regional seas Vessel on the way into the Arctic www.esa.int/copernicus • www.copernicus.eu