Copernicus Marine Service Arctic MFC: Validation of sea ice type

Validation results: Distribution of first year ice, multi-year ice

Results by bulletin date
January 2024
01-04
01-11
01-18
01-25

February 2024
02-01
02-08
02-15
02-22
02-29

March 2024
03-07
03-14
03-21
03-28

January 2023
01-05
01-12
01-19
01-26

February 2023
02-02
02-09
02-16
02-23

March 2023
03-02
03-09
03-16
03-23
03-30

April 2023
04-06
04-13
04-20
04-27

May 2023
05-04
05-11
05-18
05-25

June 2023
06-01
06-08
06-15
06-22
06-29

July 2023
07-06
07-13
07-20
07-27

August 2023
08-03
08-10
08-17
08-24
08-31

September 2023
09-07
09-14
09-21
09-28

October 2023
10-05
10-12
10-19
10-26

November 2023
11-02
11-09
11-16
11-23
11-30

December 2023
12-07
12-14
12-21
12-28

January 2022
01-06
01-13
01-20
01-27

February 2022
02-03
02-10
02-17
02-24

March 2022
03-03
03-10
03-17
03-24
03-31

April 2022
04-07
04-14
04-21
04-28

May 2022
05-05
05-12
05-19
05-26

June 2022
06-02
06-09
06-16
06-23
06-30

July 2022
07-07
07-14
07-21
07-28

August 2022
08-04
08-11
08-18
08-25

September 2022
09-01
09-08
09-15
09-22
09-29

October 2022
10-06
10-13
10-20
10-27

November 2022
11-03
11-10
11-17
11-24

December 2022
12-01
12-08
12-15
12-22
12-29

January 2021
01-07
01-14
01-21
01-28

February 2021
02-04
02-11
02-18
02-25

March 2021
03-04
03-11
03-18
03-25

April 2021
04-01
04-08
04-15
04-22
04-29

May 2021
05-06
05-13
05-20
05-27

June 2021
06-03
06-10
06-17
06-24

July 2021
07-01
07-08
07-15
07-22
07-29

August 2021
08-05
08-12
08-19
08-26

September 2021
09-02
09-09
09-16
09-23
09-30

October 2021
10-07
10-14
10-21
10-28

November 2021
11-04
11-11
11-18
11-25

December 2021
12-02
12-09
12-16
12-23
12-30

January 2020
01-02
01-09
01-16
01-23
01-30

February 2020
02-06
02-13
02-20
02-27

March 2020
03-05
03-12
03-19
03-26

April 2020
04-02
04-09
04-16
04-23
04-30

May 2020
05-07
05-14
05-21
05-28

June 2020
06-04
06-11
06-18
06-25

July 2020
07-02
07-09
07-16
07-23
07-30

August 2020
08-06
08-13
08-20
08-27

September 2020
09-03
09-10
09-17
09-24

October 2020
10-01
10-08
10-15
10-22
10-29

November 2020
11-05
11-12
11-19
11-26

December 2020
12-03
12-10
12-17
12-24
12-31

January 2019
01-03
01-10
01-17
01-24
01-31

February 2019
02-07
02-14
02-21
02-28

March 2019
03-07
03-14
03-21
03-28

April 2019
04-04
04-11
04-18
04-25

May 2019
05-02
05-09
05-16
05-23
05-30

June 2019
06-06
06-13
06-20
06-27

July 2019
07-04
07-11
07-18
07-25

August 2019
08-01
08-08
08-15
08-22
08-29

September 2019
09-05
09-12
09-19
09-26

October 2019
10-03
10-10
10-17
10-24
10-31

November 2019
11-07
11-14
11-21
11-28

December 2019
12-05
12-12
12-19
12-26

January 2018
01-04
01-11
01-18
01-25

February 2018
02-01
02-08
02-15
02-22

March 2018
03-01
03-08
03-15
03-22
03-29

April 2018
04-05
04-12
04-19
04-26

May 2018
05-03
05-10
05-17
05-24
05-31

June 2018
06-07
06-14
06-21
06-28

July 2018
07-05
07-12
07-19
07-26

August 2018
08-02
08-09
08-16
08-23
08-30

September 2018
09-06
09-13
09-20
09-27

October 2018
10-04
10-11
10-18
10-25

November 2018
11-01
11-08
11-15
11-22
11-29

December 2018
12-06
12-13
12-20
12-27

January 2017
01-05
01-12
01-19
01-26

February 2017
02-02
02-09
02-16
02-23

March 2017
03-02
03-09
03-16
03-23
03-30

April 2017
04-06
04-13
04-20
04-27

May 2017
05-04
05-11
05-18
05-25

June 2017
06-01
06-08
06-15
06-22
06-29

July 2017
07-06
07-13
07-20
07-27

August 2017
08-03
08-10
08-17
08-24
08-31

September 2017
09-07
09-14
09-21
09-28

October 2017
10-05
10-12
10-19
10-26

November 2017
11-02
11-09
11-16
11-23
11-30

December 2017
12-07
12-14
12-21
12-28

January 2016
01-07
01-14
01-21
01-28

February 2016
02-04
02-11
02-18
02-25

March 2016
03-03
03-10
03-17
03-24
03-31

April 2016
04-07
04-14
04-21
04-28

May 2016
05-05
05-12
05-19
05-26

June 2016
06-02
06-09
06-16
06-23
06-30

July 2016
07-07
07-14
07-21
07-28

August 2016
08-04
08-11
08-18
08-25

September 2016
09-01
09-08
09-15
09-22
09-29

October 2016
10-06
10-13
10-20
10-27

November 2016
11-03
11-10
11-17
11-24

December 2016
12-01
12-08
12-15
12-22
12-29

January 2015
01-01
01-08
01-15
01-22
01-29

February 2015
02-05
02-12
02-19
02-26

March 2015
03-05
03-12
03-19
03-26

April 2015
04-02
04-09
04-16
04-23
04-30

May 2015
05-07
05-14
05-21
05-28

June 2015
06-04
06-11
06-18
06-25

July 2015
07-02
07-09
07-16
07-23
07-30

August 2015
08-06
08-13
08-20
08-27

September 2015
09-03
09-10
09-17
09-24

October 2015
10-01
10-08
10-15
10-22
10-29

November 2015
11-05
11-12
11-19
11-26

December 2015
12-03
12-10
12-17
12-24
12-31

January 2014
01-02
01-09
01-16
01-23
01-30

February 2014
02-06
02-13
02-20
02-27

March 2014
03-06
03-13
03-20
03-27

April 2014
04-03
04-10
04-17
04-24

May 2014
05-01
05-08
05-15
05-22
05-29

June 2014
06-05
06-12
06-19
06-26

July 2014
07-03
07-10
07-17
07-24
07-31

August 2014
08-07
08-14
08-21
08-28

September 2014
09-04
09-11
09-18
09-25

October 2014
10-02
10-09
10-16
10-23
10-30

November 2014
11-06
11-13
11-20
11-27

December 2014
12-04
12-11
12-18
12-25

Products

  • Bias, FY ice area extent: area where model has FY ice, and observations don't have FY ice minus area where model doesn't have FY ice, but observations have FY ice
  • RMS, FY ice area: RMS of FY ice area fraction differences between model results and observations, multiplied by the analyzed area (here, the fraction is either 1 or 0)
  • Bias, MY ice area extent; RMS, MY ice area: Corresponding results for multi-year ice
  • Area: Total analyzed area in the observational product, and area with presence of ice in the analysis

All results are displayed in units of 106km2. Furthermore, match-up tables of grid counts of first year ice in model vs. observations are provided separately, follow the link Contingency tables to the upper right to display these tables. Note that results are also produced for three subregions.

Validation data: Ice type

NOTE! The sea ice type observations used here are only available in the period 1 Oct - 15 April (approximately).

Validation of the Copernicus Marine Arctic MFC results for sea ice type is performed using the ice type data from the Copernicus Marine Ocean & Sea Ice TAC. The region for which the observational product is available, is shown in the sample snap-shot below. Shown here are the conditions for 2016-12-01.

The horizontal resolution of the ice type data is 10 km. This product is based on the grid ratio (GR[19,37]) from SSMIS data, and backscatter data from ASCAT. Each grid has assigned one of four values, corresponding to

  1. No ice/Very open ice
  2. Relatively young ice
  3. Ice that survived a summer melt
  4. Ambigous results

In the validation, first year ice is assumed to be represented by Relatively young ice.

Ice type data are available from Copernicus Marine product SEAICE_GLO_SEAICE_L4_NRT_OBSERVATIONS_011_001.

Important note on quality

In general, one should be aware that observational data are not identical to truth. First, instrument inaccuracies (or even errors) contribute. Next, frequently the observations are indirect measures of the quantity that is reported (e.g. measured radiation from a body from which its temperature is derived), adding to the uncertainty that is due to instrument inaccuracies. In the present case, an advanced algorithm is applied to derive a gridded product for regions that are infested with first year ice, and those that are infested with multi-year ice. While the advanced algorithms that applied are state-of-the-art for the present purpose, the accuracy of the ice type product may reflect the number of steps needed to be impemented in the present production.

ARC-MFC PHYS (TOPAZ)

The model results are produced with the TOPAZ ocean data assimilation model system (Copernicus Marine product ARCTIC_ANALYSIS_FORECAST_PHYS_002_001_a). Presently, TOPAZ is run weekly with data assimillation one week prior to the bulletin date, followed by a one-week 100 member ensemble simulation ending on the bulletin date, and finally a 10 day deterministic forecast. TOPAZ was developed and is maintained by the Nansen Center.

ARC-MFC PHYS (TOPAZ) results are available as Copernicus Marine product ARCTIC_ANALYSIS_FORECAST_PHYS_002_001_a. An archive of historical forecasts are available from a thredds server.



 
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