1. Vasily Smolyanitsky – AARI, St.Petersburg
International Ice Charting Working Group (IICWG)
Vasily Smolyanitsky – AARI, St.Petersburg

2. P E E P

4. Background information
Organized in 1999
Technical forum of the national Ice Services – Northern and Southern hemispheres (see WMO-No.574 for complete list of Services)
Advisor group for JCOMM Expert Team on Sea Ice
Coordinated in its work by the Charter (signed in 2007)
Meets annually in October (17th meeting in Ottawa, Canadian Ice Service, 26-30/10/2016)
Have strong linkages with feedback with satellite operators and customers at sea – federal and commercial
Web-site

5. Objectives and structure
Terms of references include following objectives for the Group work:
Data and Product Exchange
Terminology, Data, and Mapping Standards
Operations and Customer Support
Training
Technology for Analysis and Forecasting
Applied Science, Research, and Development
The Group has 2 Standing Committees and 1 Sub-Committee
Data, Information, and Customer Support Encompasses Data and Product Exchange; Terminology, Data, and Mapping Standards; Training, Operations, and Customer Support Terms of Reference.
Applied Science and Research Encompasses Technology for Analysis and Forecasting and Applied Science, Research and Development Terms of Reference.
Icebergs Sub-Committee Encompasses services related to icebergs

6. Ice charting nowadays
Navigational recommendations
Ice forecasts
(concentration, stage of development, pressure, divergence, ridging, drift)
Hydrological forecasts
(level, wind & waves)
Ice charts (review, detailed, tactical, climatic, annotated imagery)
Meteorological forecasts
Satellite information, reports from coastal stations, ships, buoy information
National Ice Services are not standalone services but integral parts of the NMS or national hydrographic
Ice charting is much more than charts but a system of analysis, interpretation, dissemination and presentation of information on ‘floating ice’ to the customers at sea and coastal zone

7. Sample products

8. Themes for collaboration / role
In collaboration with JCOMM (ETSI, ETMC, DBCP)
Reporting to the WMO bodies: EC-PHORS, GCW, PRCC development
General advice on ice services – best practices (WMO-No.574)
Requirements to services in Polar Oceans (existing and update to several concept papers, e.g. Ice Information Services: Socio-economic Benefits and Earth Observation Requirements)
Extending the ice services
Extending analysis of multispectral satellite information for multiple cold regions variables
Developing nowcasting, short-term and seasonal forecasting of sea ice, polar atmosphere
Improving assimilation of observations & remotely sensed products, numerical modelling, downscaling and coupling the models
Supporting / organizing assessment of quality and applicability of sea ice products and services – from analysis and nowcasting to long-range forecasts

9. While the ice services are primarily focused on providing operational ice information in support of maritime activities, they have a great interest in climate data and products related to ice information. All of the services, to one degree or another, use and/or produce climate products and long range forecasts for sea ice and icebergs. The IICWG [has] expressed its unanimous support for the establishment of PRCCs covering both polar regions.
November 12, 2015
Statement from the Letter from the IICWG Secretariat to Mr. David Grimes
President, World Meteorological Organization