The purpose of the Baltic Sea Ice Services (BSIS) is to create a harmonised range of ice information products and services for the Baltic Sea and adjacent waters which will be tailored to the needs of users and will provide a better basis for decision making, thus contributing to the safety of navigation. The integrated service will combine the strengths of the existing ice services and, through synergy effects and improved efficiency, will result in a seamless range of high-quality products.
History
By the end of the 19th century, the national ice services of several countries bordering the North and Baltic Seas had introduced routine ice observing and reporting systems.
The search for a suitable ice reporting code began very early because a quick and convenient way of transmitting the ice observations to a central body and making them available to users was urgently needed. Shipping traditionally has a large variety of terms designating the different ice phenomena, taking into account regional differences that are attributable to different natural environments. Although today an essential criterion in the assessment of ice conditions still is the extent to which they hinder navigation, additional features describing the ice extent had to be introduced within the framework of the international exchange of ice information required in the wake of World War I.
Requests for more and better ice information on the part of industry and shipping, efforts within the World Meteorological Organization to develop a uniform terminology, the transition to a prolonged shipping season lasting throughout winter in the Gulfs of Bothnia and Finland as well as increasing activities in the coastal areas forced the ice services to continually improve the technology and contents of their information exchange.
The roots of the Baltic Sea Ice Meetings (BSIM) 1925-1938
No/Date | Place/Participant | Main Topics |
---|---|---|
01 July 1925 07 - 08 | Hamburg
very likely most countries | Expert Meeting (Ice Services) - Baltic Sea Ice Code - Exchange of Ice Observation |
May 1926 26 - 28 | Riga
EST, LT, LV, PL | 1st Hydrological Conference of the Baltic States Co-Operation of the Baltic States in hydrological research, standardizing in data handling and presentation |
02 Aug 1927 25 - 27 | Tallinn
most countries | Expert Meeting (Ice Services)
|
03 June 1928 17 - 22 | Tallinn
D, EST, Fi, LT, LV, PL, S, USSR | 2nd Hydrological and Hydrometric Conference of the Baltic States |
04 May 1930 15 - 18 | Warzawa
all countries beside N | 3rd Hydrological Conference of the Baltic States |
05 Sep 1933 05 - 09 | Leningrad
all countries beside N | 4th Hydrological Conference of the Baltic States - |
06 June 1936 | Helsinki
all countries beside N | 5th Hydrological Conference of the Baltic States
|
07 Aug 1938 15 - 20 | Berlin/Lübeck
all countries | 6th Hydrological Conference of the Baltic States |
BALTIC SEA ICE MEETINGS (BSIM) since 1954
No/Date | Location/Participants | Main Topics |
---|---|---|
08 1.-3.9.1954 | Helsinki
D, DK, FI, N, S | - International Ice Nomenclature (WMO) - Revision of Baltic Sea Ice Code |
09 22.-24.9.1956 | Hamburg
DK, FI, FRG, N, NL, S | - Co-Operation of Ice Services (exchange of experience and data) - Symbology for Baltic Sea Ice charts |
10 17.-18.6.1968 | Helsinki
D, DDR, DK, FI, N, NL, S | - Transfer of WMO ice terminology and symbology towards Baltic requirements |
11 3.-6.10.1977 | Norrköping
DK, FI, FRG, N, NL, S, USSR, WMO | - Revision of Baltic Sea Ice Code - Revision of Ice Symbols |
12 28.-31.5.1979 | Gdansk
DK, FI, FRG, GDR, NL, PL, S, USSR, WMO | - Adoption of the New Baltic Sea Ice Code - Discussion of the proposed Inter'l Symbology - Use of Remote Sensing |
13 7.-9.4.1981 | Oulu/ IB "SISU" DK, FI, FRG, N, NL, PL, S, USSR, WMO | - Draft Booklet on the NewBaltic Sea Ice Code - Implementation of the WMO Ice Symbology - Multilingual Vocabulary of Sea Ice Terms - Sea Ice Data Bank for the Baltic |
14 24.-27.5.1983 | Copenhagen
DK, FI, FRG, GDR, N, NL, S, USSR | - Adoption of the Baltic Multilingual List of Sea Ice Terms - Sea Ice Data Bank for the Baltic and SIGRID |
15 21.-25.10.1985 | Leningrad
DK, FI, FRG, GDR, N, NL, PL, (S), USSR, WMO | - Digitizing of Ice Charts (SIGRID) - Sea Ice Forecasting Models - Optional Sea Ice Symbols for the Baltic Sea |
16 31.10-4.11.1988 | Hamburg
CDA, DK, FI, FRG, GDR, N, S , USSR, WMO | - Data Exchange Procedures (use of Telefax) - BEPERS-88 (The Bothnian Experiment for the use of Satellite SAR data) |
17 18.-21.5.1992 | Norrköping
D, DK, EST, FI, N, NL, PL, S ,USSR | - Consequences of the new political situation - Digitizing of Operational Ice Charts |
18 18.-22.9.1995 | Gdynia
D, DK, EST, FI, LI, N, NL, PL, S , USSR, WMO | - Baltic Sea Ice Code - New Fairway Sections for Russia and the Baltic Countries - ICEMAP – A New Tool for Digitizing Operational Ice Charts - Use of Satellite SAR data |
19 25.-29.5.1998 | Lelystad, NL
D, DK, EST, FI, LV, N, NL, PL, RUS, S, WMO | - Use of Satellite SAR data (RadarSat) - Harmonization of Products and Activities - International Activities (GDSIDB) |
20 25.-29.9.2000 | Riga, LV
D, DK, FI, LV, NL, PL, RUS, S, WMO | - Harmonization of Products and Joint Activities, New Products, Data Exchange |
21 2003? | ? | |
22 3.-7.10.2005 | Tallin
| |
23 2007 | St.Petersburg
| |
24 14.-16.9.2010 | Rostock
DE, SE, PL, EE, FI | |
25 25.-27.9.2013 | Gdynia
| |
26 19.-21.9.2016 | Norrköping
SE, FI, LV, PL, DE, DK | |
27 10.-13.9.2018 | Riga
| |
28 13.-15.9.2023 | Tallin
|
Ice observations and their coding
The development of the Baltic Sea Ice Code of 1980; a code for reporting ice and navigational conditions
Overview
By the end of the 19th century, the national ice services of several countries bordering the North and Baltic Seas had introduced routine ice observing and reporting systems. The search for a suitable ice reporting code began very early because a quick and convenient way of transmitting the ice observations to a central body and making them available to users was urgently needed. Shipping traditionally has a large variety of terms designating the different ice phenomena, taking into account regional differences that are attributable to different natural environments. Although today an essential criterion in the assessment of ice conditions still is the extent to which they hinder navigation, additional features describing the ice extent had to be introduced within the framework of the international exchange of ice information required in the wake of World War I. Requests for more and better ice information on the part of industry and shipping, efforts within the World Meteorological Organization to develop a uniform terminology, the transition to a prolonged shipping season lasting throughout winter in the Gulfs of Bothnia and Finland as well as increasing activities in the coastal areas forced the ice services to continually improve the technology and contents of their information exchange.
The chronological order (of Baltic Sea Ice Code, Ice Observing Stations and WMO Sea Ice Nomenclature / Ice Symbols) can be summarized as follows:
- 1920/21 National ice code
- 1st digit: ice conditions
- 2nd digit: impact on navigation
- 1928/29 1st Baltic Sea Ice Code
- 1st digit: ice conditions
- 2nd digit: navigation
- 1952 1st WMO Sea Ice Nomenclature
- 1954/55 2nd Baltic Sea Ice Code (revised in 1969, GTS use)
- 1st digit: (i): ice conditions
- 2nd digit (j): stage of ice development
- 3rd digit (k): navigational conditions
- 1968 2nd WMO Sea Ice Nomenclature
- 1980 WMO Ice Symbols
- 1981/82 3rd Baltic Sea Ice Code of 1980 (B = Baltic)
- 1st digit (AB) = quantity and arrangement of ice
- 2nd digit (SB) = stage of ice development
- 3rd digit (TB) = topography and form of ice
- 4th digit (KB) = navigational conditions
- 1955/56, 1981/82, 1993/94 Change of German station numbers
Baltic Sea Ice Code of 1980
This code is still in use nowadays and describes the ice conditions in harbours, fairways, coastal areas, and marked navigation channels. Together with the ice charts and detailed written ice reports, it informs ships' officers of current ice and navigational conditions. The sea and navigation districts of each country are designated by letters: AA, BB, CC etc. Each district is subdivided into sections numbered from 1 to 9.
The single observations for the code elements
AB, SB, TB, KB
thus are compiled and distributed in the following general code format:
AA 1AB, SB, TB, KB 2AB, SB, TB, KB 3AB, SB, TB, KB.... nAB, SB, TB, KB BB 1AB, SB, TB, KB 2AB, SB, TB, KB 3AB, SB, TB, KB.... nAB, SB, TB, KB
The fairway districts (AA, BB, ...) in the individual countries are sorted regionally from north to south and east to west, and the fairway sections (1,... 2,...) from onshore (harbour) to offshore (sea). The code numbers AB, SB, TB, KB define the ice conditions in the respective section according to the code.