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About Sea Ice
Many ocean and sea areas of the world, in addition to the polar seas, are susceptible to sea ice (for example, the Baltic Sea and parts of the Yellow Sea). Sea ice affects significantly and directly marine transport and navigation. Economic and social developments are engendering significant increases in international shipping, particularly in areas susceptible to sea ice.
The specialized meteorological services, which evolved initially in support of local marine users, have since developed into a wide range of sea-ice information services designed to meet many user requirements. The JCOMM ETSI (before 2001 called the Subgroup on Sea Ice – SGSI, of the WMO Commission for Marine Meteorology – CMM) has been the focal point for promoting and coordinating international cooperation in the acquisition, exchange, archival and dissemination of sea-ice information.
Several forms of floating ice may be encountered at sea. The most common is that which results from the freezing of the sea surface, namely sea ice. The other forms are river ice and ice of land origin. River ice is encountered in harbours and estuaries where it is kept in motion by tidal streams and normally presents only a temporary hindrance to shipping. Ice of land origin in the form of icebergs is discussed separately below.
Both icebergs and sea ice can be dangerous to shipping and always have an effect on navigation. Sea ice also influences the normal processes of energy exchange between the sea and the air above it. The extent of sea-ice cover can vary significantly from year to year and has a great effect both on adjacent ocean areas and on the weather over large areas of the world. Its distribution is therefore of considerable interest to meteorologists and oceanographers.
(Last Updated: 31-01-2007)