Sea-ice models

Sea ice data is of great importance for safe navigation in Arctic regions. At the Nansen Center, two tools have been developed which are used to predict changes in the sea ice in the near future for the North Atlantic and the Arctic; the data assimilation system TOPAZ and the sea-ice model neXtSIM.

TOPAZ covers large ocean areas while neXtSIM is a sea-ice model that uses advanced methods to simulate important processes such as breaking up of ice and the transition zone between dense sea ice and open water. Both models are used in the Copernicus Marine Service. In the future, we will connect neXtSIM with TOPAZ so that we can offer a combined forecasting system that brings together the best features of the two systems. Alongside the regular forecasts available through the Copernicus Marine Service, we can provide more detailed forecasts for specific areas as required.

For more information, contact research leader Einar Ólason.