ICEWATCH: Real-time sea-ice monitoring in the Northern Sea Route (A Cooperative Earth Observation Project Between the Russian and the European Space Agencies)

ICEWATCH is the first joint project in Earth observation between the Russian Space Agency (RKA) and the European Space Agency (ESA). The overall objective of the project is to implement satellite monitoring by combined use of ESA ERS SAR, RKA Okean SLR and other remote sensing data to support ice navigation in the Northern Sea Route (NSR), offshore industry and environmental studies. ERS-1 SAR images have been used in ice monitoring of the NSR in several demonstration campaigns since 1991. The experience from use of SAR data-onboard Russian icebreakers to assist in ice navigation is very positive although ERS-1 can only provide data in selected parts of the NSR with a limited swath width of 100 km. In the ICEWATCH project a concept for integrating ERS SAR data in the Russian ice monitoring service is demonstrated where Okean SLR data are included. The system is currently being tested in pilot demonstration phase before it is planned to become operational. In addition to data acquisition and interpretation techniques for data integration, ice classification and data transmission techniques have been tested. User requirements have also been investigated, suggesting that there are many new and potential users of SAR ice information in the NSR. In the future other radar satellites will also be used such as ESA ENVISAT which will be launched in 1999. The first results of ICEWATCH were presented at the Second ERS Applications Workshop in London in December 1995.