{"id":7870,"date":"2025-06-19T14:02:54","date_gmt":"2025-06-19T12:02:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nersc.no\/?p=7870"},"modified":"2025-06-19T14:03:40","modified_gmt":"2025-06-19T12:03:40","slug":"icebergs-on-the-move-we-develop-forecasts-for-where-they-are-going","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nersc.no\/en\/features\/icebergs-on-the-move-we-develop-forecasts-for-where-they-are-going\/","title":{"rendered":"Icebergs on the move: We develop forecasts for where they are going"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Icebergs on the move: We develop forecasts for where they are going<\/h1><\/div>[vc_column_text css=””]As global temperatures rise, glaciers around the world are melting faster, including in Greenland. More icebergs are breaking off from glaciers along the coast and can drift hundreds of kilometers before they melt and disappear. At the same time, shipping traffic in the same areas is increasing as a result of new transportation routes, easier access to resources, more tourism and geopolitical tensions. In a new project, researchers at the Nansen Center have used satellite data and modeling to develop iceberg forecasts for safer navigation in these waters.<\/strong><\/p>\n

In July 2024, a large iceberg measuring 4 x 2 kilometers broke away from the coast of East Greenland. Researchers followed the iceberg for several weeks until it broke up into smaller pieces just over a month later. Using satellite images and advanced data on weather and sea conditions, we were able to track the iceberg’s journey and predict the direction in which it would continue to drift.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the \u201cIcebergs Monitoring and Forecasting\u201d research project, we used simple but precise tools,\u201d says researcher Mohamed Babiker. “The movement of the iceberg is controlled by ocean currents, wind and its shape and size. All this can be modeled using data obtained via the Copernicus services.\u201d<\/p>\n

The project uses data from three different sources: satellite images, wind data from climate archives and model calculations of ocean currents. The different data are combined in the OpenBerg<\/em> calculation model, which was developed in collaboration between the Norwegian Meteorological Institute and the Nansen Center. The Danish Meteorological Institute is the service provider for Greenland and nearby areas and is therefore an important player in the project.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is little reliable data on icebergs, so artificial intelligence is not relevant here,\u201d explains senior researcher Laurent Bertino. “Instead, we rely on physical laws and observational data.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tests show that the system has great potential for use by meteorological institutes, coastguards, shipping and cruise tourism in the Arctic. The aim is to help make travel safer in areas with icebergs \u2013 and to communicate knowledge about developments in the rapidly changing Arctic.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe’re now working on the next phase of the project, which will be tested in the waters near Svalbard,\u201d says Babiker. “In the long term, users will be able to order specific alerts about further developments if they discover an iceberg drifting.\u201d<\/p>\n

This type of monitoring is important both for safety and to increase our understanding of climate change. Every iceberg that breaks off and melts provides valuable information about the rapid changes taking place in the Arctic.<\/p>\n

Key researchers:<\/strong> Mohamed Babiker<\/span><\/a>, Laurent Bertino<\/span><\/a>, Achref Othmani<\/span><\/a>, Adrien Perrin<\/span><\/a>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/3″ css=”.vc_custom_1695033709348{padding-right: 0px !important;}”]

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The “Icebergs Monitoring and Forecasting” project<\/strong><\/h2>\n
    \n
  • Monitoring drifting icebergs in Arctic seas<\/li>\n
  • Using data from Copernicus services<\/li>\n
  • Making travel in the Arctic safer<\/li>\n
  • Delivering demonstrations of the Copernicus Arctic Hub for iceberg monitoring and forecasting in the European Arctic<\/li>\n
  • The research project is carried out on behalf of Mercator Ocean International<\/li>\n
  • <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>
    \n

    The benefits of this research<\/strong><\/h2>\n
      \n
    • Climate change leads to more icebergs, more open waters and increased marine traffic<\/li>\n
    • Icebergs can pose a risk to shipping traffic, platforms, etc.<\/li>\n
    • Quick forecasting allows for planning and improved safety<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>
      \n

      Procedure<\/strong><\/h2>\n
        \n
      • Radar from satellite registers icebergs<\/li>\n
      • Strength and direction of wind and ocean currents are used to predict movement<\/li>\n
      • The OpenBerg <\/em>tool calculates the direction and speed of the iceberg<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>[\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

        [vc_row][vc_column][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”2\/3″ css=”.vc_custom_1693479579188{background-color: #ffffff !important;}”][vc_column_text css=””]As global temperatures rise, glaciers around the world are melting faster, including in Greenland. More icebergs are breaking off from glaciers along the coast and can drift hundreds of kilometers before they melt and disappear. At the same time, shipping traffic in the same areas is increasing as a result […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":7872,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[80],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7870","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-features"],"acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-05-09 02:48:13","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nersc.no\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7870","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nersc.no\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nersc.no\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nersc.no\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nersc.no\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7870"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/nersc.no\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7870\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7879,"href":"https:\/\/nersc.no\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7870\/revisions\/7879"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nersc.no\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7872"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nersc.no\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7870"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nersc.no\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7870"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nersc.no\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7870"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}