Navigation in the Arctic is difficult and dangerous. With little to no infrastructure available for transportation, Arctic communities rely almost entirely on navigation across seasonally frozen waters. The number of fatal accidents has increased because the possible travel windows over frozen seas and lakes has decreased. TransIce Nav is an application that provides fast and reliable navigational information for travelling safely across ice. Using Sentinel-1 and -2 imagery and the Copernicus Marine Services, TransIce Nav analyses environmental conditions such as the extent, thickness, and concentration of sea ice to determine the safest travel routes. The application is largely inspired by Google Maps and offers an easy-to-use interface. Users (primarily tourism agencies and indigenous communities) will benefit greatly from TransIce Nav as it allows them to reliably plan their excursions and transportation. The application saves users time while reducing the cost of insurance and lost goods or equipment. Even more importantly, it also helps save lives by preventing fatal accidents.
Expertise
“The Arctic is of increasing importance. With the Arctic policy guidelines, the German government is taking on more responsibility with a focus on climate and environmental protection, sustainable development and the involvement of the indigenous population. With almost no infrastructure available for transportation, Arctic communities rely on navigation across seasonally frozen waters. The innovative application TRANSICE combines local knowledge and needs with the intelligent use of the Copernicus Marine Service and Sentinel-1 and -2 imagery data for travelling safely across ice.” – Christiane Hohmeister, Policy Officer, German Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure (BMVI)
Tabea Rettelbach,
Alexandra Zuhr
tabea.rettelbach@hotmail.de
