Project objectives

The project is organized in four phases. Each phase has its specific objectives leading toward fulfilling the project vision. Phase 1 was carried out in 2008. The currently ongoing Phase 2 started April 1st 2009.

Phase 1

Phase 1 (the pilot project phase) was carried out in 2008 and prepared the ground for a successful development of an operational monitoring system and service. More specifically, phase 1

• identified the user needs,
• developed a first design of the system,

• developed a demonstrator of the system and climate demonstration products,
• promoted the initiative,
• established contacts with key users and other key organisations, and

• developed a work plan for the main project.

More about the outcome of Phase 1 can be found here.

Phase 2

Phase 2 of the project started April 1st 2009 and is the currently ongoing phase. The Phase 2 objectives are:

• System development and verification:
  
  • Present and discuss service demonstrator with key users obtaining a revised and refined set of user requirements.
  • Develop a revised system specification based on the given user requirements.
  • Implement and verify a revised version of the system with more complete and integrated functionality.
  • Provide products from the sub-services semi-operationally through a web portal.
• Production chain for global sea ice products:
  • Completed and validated Passive Microwave Radiometer (PMR) Sea Ice Concentration (SIC) and Sea Ice Edge (SIE) product time series from 1978.
  • Sea ice climate-change indicator products at various scales (national, regional and global).
• Production chain for global snow products:
  • Develop and verify a production chain for PMR Snow Cover Extent (SCE).
  • Evaluate alternative PMR SCE algorithms and select one for this service.
  • Produce a global PMR SCE product time series from 1987.
• Production chain for glacier products mainland Norway:
  • Methods for Glacier Area Outline (GAO) and Glacier-dammed Lake Outline (GLO) derivation tested for all glaciers in mainland Norway.
• Production chain for glacier products Svalbard:
  • Develop and verify algorithms for Glacier Surface Type (GST) and Glacier Balance Area (GBA).
• Prepare all sub-services for future sensors.
• Project management, coordination, promotion and outreach:
  • Maintain and develop project links to key users as well as other key organisations, initiatives and projects.
  • Make the project visible in media, conferences, international meetings, etc.
  • Manage the project successively towards the project goals.
    

Phase 3

The Phase 3 objectives are:

• System development and verification:
  • Go through one more iteration of user dialogue, system design refinements, implementation and verification in order to obtain a more complete service with the possibility of chaining services.
• Production chain for global snow products:
  • Extend the processing chain to include optical SCE, select optical SCE algorithm, validate the algorithm and produce a time series from 1982.
  • Snow climate-change indicator products at various scales (national, regional and global).
• Production chain for glacier products mainland Norway:
  • Produce time series of GAO and GLO.
  • Glacier climate-change indicator products at various scales (local, regional and national).
  • Evaluate SAR algorithms in mainland Norway.
• Production chain for glacier products Svalbard:
  • Implement production chain for GST and GBA.
  • Produce time series of GST and GBA.
  • Evaluate optical algorithms in Svalbard.
• Project management, coordination, promotion and outreach:
  • Initiate the process leading to successful operationalisation of the service, including permanent funding.
  • Maintain and develop project links to key users as well as other key organisations, initiatives and projects.
  • Make the project visible in media, conferences, international meetings, etc.
  • Manage the project successively towards the project goals.
    
    

Phase 4

The Phase 4 objectives are:

• System development and verification:
  • Go through a final iteration of user dialogue, system design refinements, implementation and verification in order to complete the operational service, including chaining of services external to the system.
• Production chain for global snow products:
  • Extend the processing chain to include multi-sensor SCE, select multi-sensor SCE algorithm, validate the algorithm and produce a time series from 1982.
• Production chain for glacier products mainland Norway:
  • Extend time series of GAO and GLO to pre-satellite era.
  • Extend service with Glacier Periodic Photo series.
• Production chain for glacier products Svalbard:
  • Glacier climate-change indicator products at various scales (local and regional).
  • Extend time series of GAO to pre-satellite era (option).
  • Glacier Surface Velocity (GSV) for selected glaciers (option).
• Project management, coordination, promotion and outreach:
  • Fulfil the process leading to successful operationalisation of the service, including permanent funding.
  • Maintain project links to key users as well as other key organisations, initiatives and projects. Focus on permanent collaboration.
  • Make the operational service visible in media, conferences, international meetings, etc.
  • Manage the project towards a successful completion.