Historical analysis of the use of sea ice and weather modeling data in
Search and Rescue (SAR) operations in the Arctic for application in an
early warning context: case study in Arctic Alaska
Abstract
This research investigated the potential use and application of radar,
satellite, and other tracking data for sea ice and weather conditions in
maritime-related Search and Research (SAR) operations in the Arctic.
Specifically, this study analyzed a SAR event for a missing small vessel
due into Utqiaġvik (formerly, Barrow), Alaska in July 2017 as well as
archival records of U.S. Coast Guard SAR incidents in Arctic Alaska
between 1976 and present. This study feeds into the Arctic Domain
Awareness Center (ADAC) funded project - Developing sea ice and weather
forecasting tools to improve situational awareness and crisis response
in the Arctic - which seeks to create a prototype early warning sea ice
and weather forecasting module for hazard planning in Utqiaġvik. This
research found that data availability and accessibility, particularly in
low bandwidth and further offshore areas, are challenges to data uptake
during a SAR event. Nonetheless, the specific SAR incident in Utqiaġvik
helped to illuminate there is a breadth of tools that can be applied and
used in a SAR context - traditional and knowledge, modeling data, and
USCG operational data. Specifically, modeling data from tools developed
by the Arctic Domain Awareness Center (ADAC), the University of Alaska
Fairbanks (UAF) and other research institutions was generated during
this event to help support the local SAR effort. However, a level of
pre- or post-processing was necessary in many cases, which can be a
challenge for when data is needed immediately. This research holds
implications for future use and uptake of modeling data in local SAR
operations in Arctic Alaska and potentially the Arctic overall. Given
that local SAR operators are predominantly the first line of response to
maritime emergencies in Arctic Alaska, the ability to share and provide
a set of resources to support SAR operators can be beneficial,
particularly in a rapidly changing Arctic. A more targeted and
systematic way to utilize and draw upon scientific research for SAR
operations can potentially support the local SAR community, especially
when immediate information is necessary. In particular, leveraging
different products to validate, interpolate, and extrapolate information
against one another, can help create more comprehensive situational
awareness, especially for further offshore SAR events.