Site-specific, real-time forecasting system

The RadarLink project proposes to develop an optimal system architecture, which will implement and demonstrate an information service tailored to meet the needs of Canada's Earth observation community. RadarLink will use the resulting real time stream of data to promote the development of three marine surveillance and monitoring applications which have identified commercial and social benefit. CORETEC Incorporated has been selected to participate in this project and will use RADARSAT data to augment existing methods of ice reconnaissance and weather observation. CORETEC's RadarLink application will operate as a comprehensive marine ice management system providing detailed site-specific nowcast and forecast information about ice and iceberg movements. This system requires site specific, real time information detailing ice and environmental conditions. Once this information is received it can be incorporated into the ice management system where sophisticated algorithms provide prediction and forecasting information concerning ice edge, individual icebergs, and iceberg ensemble drift. The developed system will be used in a pilot project to be carried out in connection with the towing operations of the Hibernia platform. This paper describes the system development including a functional requirement specification, a detailed system specification, and system implementation.