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National Ice CenterNational Ice Center

The United States’ sole interagency center for operational sea ice analysis and forecasting

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• A Unique National and Navy Asset Leveraging DOC (NOAA), DOT (USCG) and DOD (NAVY) Resources

• Commerce, Navigation & Asset Management in Alaska, Great Lakes, Ches/Del Bays

• Internationally Recognized Role in Antarctic Iceberg Detection &Tracking

• Ice Data Analysis & Visualization Supporting Climate Initiatives

• RADARSAT Order Desk for NOAA Through NESDIS

National Ice Center

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U.S.’s Goals for IICWG

• Jointly lobby funding agencies for operational applications component to major research efforts

• Digital exchange of ice charts in near-real time• Easy access to worldwide Ice Charts through a transparent

interface• Continued access to affordable sources of data• Collaborative training programs• Sharing of technology as allowed• Influence international standards for ice chart archiving and

metadata creation

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New Initiatives at NIC

• Products are first vector files, then raster files– .E00 is primary file structure

– JPEG of “Egg Chart” and colored Total Thickness

• Upgrade of System

• Science and Applied Technology Department – Chief Scientist, 3 visiting scientists

– Scientific programmer, August 00

– Selection of two new post-docs, Sept. 00

• Computer Based Training

• Dedicated effort to convert remainder of legacy data

• EWG data released 12-13 Oct at Arctic Council Meeting

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Ice 21

GIF chart/static JPEG derived from Vectordata, customer has a choice

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NIC System Upgrade Objectives

• Automatically detect & process incoming raster and vector data

• Provide analysts with a completely integrated remote sensing and GIS package

• Facilitate the transition of R&D products• Develop data model• Move to user defined products (dynamic vice

static)• Three phases, Ingest, Analysis, Distribution

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ARKTOS

SAR segmentation andattribute extraction

Ancillary data

Dempster-Shaferclassification

Application of rules

MY

FY

NI

OW

UN

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JPL PolarimetricC-band radar

JPLKu-band

radar

CIS multi-channel radiometer

1. On ice measurements (along track and by helicopter)2. Backscatter from C- and Ku-band radars3. Brightness temperature from multi- channel radiometer

Cruises scheduled for 2001-2005

Healy Validation Cruises

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QuikScat Polar Images

Daily and twice-daily images are being operationally producedDaily and twice-daily images are being operationally produced

H pol

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Legacy Data:From Paper to Digits

•Mission Planning •Operations•Long Term Climate Monitoring•Arctic Research Programs 7.5 man-years to

convert remainderof the data

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IHOMarine Information Objects

WG

IHOColors & Symbols

WG

IHOTransfer Standard

Maintenance& Applications Development

WG

Committee for Hydrographic Requirements for

Information SystemsCommitteeNeil Guy

Committee for Hydrographic Requirements for

Information SystemsCommitteeNeil GuyInternational Maritime

Organization(adopted IHO standards& will reflect changes)

International Electrotechnical Commission

(approval for display testing)

Civil Mariners - S57 format

US DoD ECDIS standards - VPF format

Oceanographer of the Navy

National Imagery & Mapping

Agency for mapping standards NATO - WECDIS

Standards Bodies (ECDIS & ECDIS-N)

All U.S military services

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Ice Standards

Subgroup on Sea IceJCOMM

Technical CommissionWMO/IOC

WMO Executive Councilmakes recommendation

to Congress

WMO Congress Adopts Standards andchanges regulations

Standards Bodies (Ice Codes)