Making the Arctic predictable: the changing information infrastructure of Arctic weather and sea ice services

Abstract

This paper explores the changing infrastructure around weather and sea ice information provisioning for Arctic marine areas. Traditionally, the most important providers of operational information on sea ice and weather conditions are the national sea ice and meteorological services. More recently, the community of Arctic information providers has become more heterogeneous with the establishment of numerous collaborative platforms. Three case studies will enhance our understanding of current developments (BarentsWatch, Polar View and Arctic Web). We analyze their organization and funding structures, the types of services they develop, and their target groups. Based upon these cases, we discuss the information infrastructure's dynamics and underlying drivers of change. Apart from an expected need for customized services due to changing Arctic activity patterns, new initiatives arise due to a combination of (1) progress in information and communication technology, (2) a need to enhance interoperability of data systems, (3) and a desire to improve customized data conveyance from provider to user. The paper concludes with a discussion of the implications of the changing Arctic information infrastructure and defines directions for further research.1 The ADC was established in 2014 through a merger of the IASC Data Standing Committee and the SAON Committee on Data and Information Services. The ADC was launched to promote better coordination of scientific and data management activities in the Arctic.

Mapping weather, water, ice and climate (WWIC) information providers in Polar Regions: who are they and who do they serve?

“…As such, basic WWIC information is delivered as a public good, while more specialized services are typically distributed as a mix of public and private goods (Freebairn & Zillman, 2002). In the Polar Regions, NMHSs historically have a prominent role in observations and basic service delivery, but increased economic activities in the Polar Regions, particularly in the Arctic, have created a situation whereby specialized services are increasingly needed to ensure safe operations (Knol et al, 2018).…”

Toward valuable weather and sea-ice services for the marine Arctic: exploring user–producer interfaces of the Norwegian Meteorological Institute

“…There is an ongoing tension between standardization and differentiation of WWIC information services (see also Knol et al, 2018), between the production of these services and the communication with its users. Standardization tends to go hand in hand with increased automation of the production chain, which should give operational forecasters and sea-ice analysts more time to focus on specific areas where users need information on more detailed levels:…”

“…The marine Arctic is becoming more and more accessible to a wider range of users, including those involved in fisheries, marine tourism and shipping activities. The highly dynamic environments in which these actors operate call for a development of valuable weather, water, ice and climate information (WWIC) services (Dawson et al, 2017;Knol et al, 2018;Lamers, Duske, & van Bets, 2018). It is broadly acknowledged that user engagement is crucial for the development of such services (Hoke, Werner, Goessling, & Jung, 2018).…”

Sea-ice information and forecast needs for industry maritime stakeholders

“…Additionally, the PC now mandates that 'ships shall have the ability to receive up-to-date information including ice information for safe navigation' and requires a risk assessment methodology, POLARIS, to determine the limitations for ice operations (IMO, 2014). Ships will require more detailed sea-ice and weather information, encouraging numerous new ice information providers (Knol et al, 2018;Lamers, Duske, et al, 2018;Melia et al, 2016). However, navigating ice-covered areas requires both broad and precise knowledge of ice conditions depending on the region and type of activity.…”

“…Previous studies identified services providing information and forecasts to support ice navigation and planning (Hamilton & Stroeve, 2016;Knol et al, 2018;Lovecraft et al, 2013). However, the rate of growth of users and information providers is potentially exceeding the understanding that is needed from both groups to work together effectively.…”