Where it is, how long it will be there and important characteristics such as thickness and concentration are critical information to many industries that rely on marine transportation. Supplying dependable information on the state of ice in Canadian waters ensures that maritime operations are safe and efficient. Each year, Canada's freshwater and saltwater pack ice advances and recedes over an area half the size of the country's land mass. The Service relies on several sources for the data it collects. Where satellite images are not available, the gaps can be filled by an overflight in a radar-equipped airplane.
Specialists also inspect ice conditions while on board icebreakers.
Larsen Icebreaker More than 8000 maps and 6000 bulletins are produced each year for a wide range of clients, including the Canadian Coast Guard, port authorities, commercial shippers and fishers. Ice Service personnel also maintain historic climatological data on ice and iceberg patterns, and help guide ships through dense pack ice. Satellite images are a valuable tool for people living and working in the Arctic, such as wildlife officers or residents who are advised for example, on whether ice bridges have formed linking up the islands where they live. When the bridges are in place, they can cross from one island to another on snowmobiles to obtain supplies or go hunting. Since the bridges do not form every year, it is dangerous to venture forth in order to check whether the ice is solid enough to be crossed.