GlobIce: mapping the movement of sea ice

A UCL-led project to map changes in sea ice in the Arctic has released its data after the conclusion of the 5 year project. Available for use in climate models by scientists and partner institutions such as the UK Met Office, the data could help improve current climate models. Launched in 2005 with a consortium of eight partners led by UCL, the aim of the €1 million GlobIce project was to measure sea ice motion for use in climate modelling and research. Sea ice profoundly affects the exchanges of heat, water and momentum between the ocean and atmosphere, and plays an important role in oceanic convection and deep-water formation.   "The data which the GlobIce system can provide is essential to understanding the dynamics of the rapidly changing sea ice cover in the Arctic," said Seymour Laxon, UCL Centre for Polar Observation and Modelling. Using radar images of ice displacement determined at intervals of a few days, the team used the images to generate a large number of high-resolution products useful for climate research, such as sea ice velocity maps. The data which the GlobIce system can provide is essential to understanding the dynamics of the rapidly changing sea ice cover in the Arctic - Seymour Laxon Offering ten times better resolution than any other satellite images, GlobIce provides incredibly accurate information about sea ice dynamics in the Arctic.