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Row A
Total concentration: the ice coverage of an area determined by its concentration and expressed in tenth (in this example, 9/10)
Row B
Partial concentration: the break-down of the total ice coverage expressed in tenths and graded by thickness. The thickest starting from the left and in this example, 1/10 is the thickest.
Row C
Stage of development: the type of ice in each of the grades, determined by its age, that is 1/10 is medium first-year ice (1.), 6/10 is grey-white ice (5) and 2/10 is new ice (1). Trace of old ice is represented on the lefthand side (outside the egg) by the number 7.
Row D
Floe Size: the form of the ice determined by its floe size for each section. In this example, big floes (5) for medium first-year ice (1.); small floes (3) for grey-white ice (5); and undetermined, unknown or no form floes (x) for new ice (1).
Note: When an ice type has a dot (.) every other value to the left of it is also considered to have a dot.
Column | Description |
---|---|
E | Trace of ice thicker/older then Sa |
F | Thickest |
G | Second thickest |
H | Third thickest |
I | Additional groups |
Sea Ice Symbols
Open Water | Ice Free | ||
Bergy Water | Fast Ice |
Stage of Development (SoSaSbScSdSe)
Description | Thickness | Code |
---|---|---|
New Ice | < 10 cm | 1 |
Nilas;Ice Rind | < 10 cm | 2 |
Young Ice | 10-30 cm | 3 |
Grey Ice | 10-15 cm | 4 |
Grey-white Ice | 15-30 cm | 5 |
First-year Ice | >= 30 cm | 6 |
Thin First-year Ice | 30-70 cm | 7 |
Medium First-year Ice | 70-120 cm | 1. |
Thick First-year Ice | > 120 cm | 4. |
Old Ice | 7. | |
Second-year | 8. | |
Multi-year | 9. | |
Ice of Land Origin | ||
Undetermined/Unknown | X |
Floe Size (FaFbFc)
Description | Width | Code |
---|---|---|
Pancake ice | 0 | |
Small ice cake; brash ice | < 2m | 1 |
Ice cake | 2 - 20m | 2 |
Small floe | 20 – 100m | 3 |
Medium floe | 100 – 500m | 4 |
Big floe | 500 – 2000m | 5 |
Vast floe | 2 – 10 km | 6 |
Giant floe | > 10 km | 7 |
Fast Ice | 8 | |
Icebergs* | 9 | |
Undetermined or unknown | X | |
Ice in strips |
*Ice of land origin
Concentration of Ice
< 1/10 | Open Water | |
1-3/10 | Very open drift | |
4-6/10 | Open drift | |
7-8/10 | Close pack | |
9/10 | Very close pack | |
9+/10 | Very close pack | |
10/10 | Compact/Consolidated ice |
WMO Concentration Colour Code - Sea Ice
Colour* | Description |
---|---|
Ice Free | |
< 1 Tenth Ice | |
1-3 Tenths Ice | |
4-6 Tenths Ice | |
7-8 Tenths Ice | |
9-10 Tenths Ice | |
Fast Ice of Unspecified Stage of Development | |
Undefined Ice | |
Optional | |
7 Tenths New Ice | |
9+-10 Tenths Nilas, Grey Ice ** | |
No Information | Areas for which no information is known are identified accordingly. |
* Colour is based on total ice concentration.
** The optional colour indicating 9+-10 tenths of nilas or grey ice indicates level ice, mainly on leads; it is not used for ice broken into brash or ice cakes or for concentrations less than 9+ tenths.
WMO Stage of Development Colour Code - Sea Ice
Colour | Description | Thickness |
---|---|---|
Ice Free | ||
Ice of Unspecified Stage of Development (open water) | ||
New Ice | < 10 cm | |
Grey Ice | 10-15 cm | |
Grey-White Ice | 15-30 cm | |
First-Year Ice | >= 30 cm | |
Thin First-Year Ice | 30-70 cm | |
Medium First-Year Ice | 70-120 cm | |
Thick First-Year Ice | 120 cm > | |
Old Ice | ||
Second-Year Ice | ||
Multi-Year Ice | ||
Fast Ice of Unspecified Stage of Development | ||
Undefined Ice | ||
Drifting Ice of Land Origin (Icebergs) | ||
No Information |
Areas for which no information is known are identified accordingly. |
Colour is based on stage of development of predominant ice.