The Danish Meteorological Institute (DMI) signed a 2-year, $675 000 US contract with RADARSAT International for the continued near real-time supply of RADARSAT-1 data (within 2-4 hours from acquisition). The satellite data is used to create up-to-date ice charts and reports that are sent via satellite to the bridges of ships navigating the dangerous waters of the Greenland Sea.
These waters are particularly treacherous around Greenland’s southern region of Cape Farewell as thick sea ice and icebergs are the norm for most of the year. DMI is able to provide the captains with detailed ice maps by analyzing the RADARSAT-1 data to determine ice edges, ice types, and ice
concentration.
This will be the 6th consecutive year that DMI has been operationally incorporating RADARSAT-1 data into their ice services. The satellite data has now fully replaced the use of aircraft for ice reconnaissance.
“RADARSAT-1 images are an efficient and cost-effective solution enabling the DMI to provide our customers with accurate and timely information about the ice conditions in the Greenland waters”, said Henrik Steen Anderson, Chief of Division, Ice Charting and Remote Sensing Division. RADARSAT-1 data is delivered within hours of acquisition to DMI via a network of three RADARSAT-1 ground receiving stations: KSAT (Norway), QinetiQ (United Kingdom), and Gatineau (Canada).
