ARC-MFC I Arctic Monitoring & Forecasting Center

The goal of the Arctic Monitoring Forecasting Centre (ARC MFC) is to provide the most accurate forecast and reanalysis products and ensure the consistency of the information on sea ice, ocean, biology and surface waves in the whole Arctic. The system is based on a numerical ocean model assimilating in situ and satellite data. 

The Arctic Ocean has changed dramatically over the past 20 years: under a surface warming twice as large as the rest of the world. The sea ice coverage has shrunk dramatically during summer, it has also become thinner, deformed more rapidly and the motions of the sea ice have thus accelerated. The newly opened ocean areas also leave more fetch for the generation of highenergy waves in the Arctic that can break mechanically the sea ice into smaller floes and enhance as well coastal erosion. 

This rapidly changing physical seascape (and “icescape”) has given new opportunities for the expansion of plankton and thus also for several species of fish. These changes are interesting for several industry inluding the energy, shipping, and fishing sectors. Still, the Arctic is and will remain vastly inaccessible and the environmental conditions will remain severe for decades to come with harsh weather and increasing fetch for surface waves.