Satellite radar ice monitoring for ice navigation of a tanker convoy in the Kara Sea

The international EU project Arctic Demonstration and Exploratory Voyage (ARCDEV) aimed to investigate the conditions for navigating a tanker vessel from Europe through the Kara Sea to the northwestern Siberian gas and oil fields during ice covered winter conditions in April-May 1998. This winter faced the most difficult ice conditions for 30 years. In order to perform such ship navigation operations, an escorting icebreaker support as well as detailed information on the ice conditions along the possible routes are required. The ARCDEV convoy was supported by near real-time ice information derived from both ERS-2 and RADARSAT ScanSAR synthetic aperture radar (SAR). It is demonstrated how satellite based microwave radar technology practically can support ice navigation operations to improve the safety and efficiency of the navigation.