Regional Ice Ocean Prediction System (RIOPS)

Arctic and North Atlantic Oceans 1/12° Physics Forecast Updated Every 6 hrs

Animation showing sea surface temperature and ice cover over the Arctic and North Atlantic Oceans

Animation showing sea surface temperature and ice cover over the Arctic and North Atlantic Oceans

Overview:
The Regional Ice Ocean Prediction System (RIOPS) provides 48 hr ice and ocean forecasts four times per day on a 1/12° resolution grid (3-8 km). RIOPS is initialized using analyses from GIOPS that include a full multivariate ocean data assimilation system that combines satellite observations of sea level anomaly and sea surface temperature (SST) together with in situ observations of temperature and salinity. GIOPS ocean analyses are blended with regional sea ice analyses that combine satellite retrievals of sea ice concentration with Daily Ice Charts and RADARSAT image analyses produced by the Canadian Ice Service. Atmospheric fluxes for 48 hr forecasts are calculated using fields from the Regional Deterministic Prediction System.

Ice and ocean forecast and analysis products from RIOPS:

  • sea surface height (m)
  • water temperature (°C)
  • water salinity (psu)
  • currents (m/s)
  • sea ice fraction (%)
  • snow depth on sea ice (m)
  • ice thickness (m)
  • ice drift velocity (m/s)
  • ice pressure (N/m)

Geographical Coverage: Bering Strait in the Arctic Ocean to 26°N in the North Atlantic Ocean
Spatial Resolution: 1/12 degree latitude and longitude
Vertical Coverage: 50 levels ranging from 1 m to 250 m thickness at depth
Temporal Resolution: Daily mean for all fields, and hourly averaged surface fields
Temporal Coverage: From May 28, 2016 to present

Documentation: available upon request.