Author(s): Md Ashiqul Alam Khan; Roger Skjetne; Ekaterina Kim
Linked Author(s):
Keywords: Rctic technology; Sea ice thickness; Ship-borne sensor fusion; Stereo-photogrammetry
Abstract: The Geosciences in the Northern Arctic (GoNorth) initiative is a Norwegian research program dedicated to exploring the Arctic Ocean through coordinated scientific campaigns. This paper presents shipborne sea ice thickness measurements acquired during the GoNorth 2025 (November – December) expedition using a custom-built sensor module that integrates a stereo camera and a long wave infrared camera for operations under challenging Arctic conditions. The data was selectively collected along the ship track from Tromsø to Mohn’s Treasure, Jotul, Molloy Deep, and Sophia Basin, before returning to Tromsø via Molloy Deep, spanning both the Norwegian and Greenland Seas. We describe the full system design, data acquisition workflow, and post-processing methods used to generate georeferenced ice thickness estimates in a consistent and reproducible manner. Preliminary data analysis revealed substantial spatial variability, with thicknesses ranging from 0.22 meters to 1.90 meters. This dataset may support further research into sea ice dynamics, oceanographic processes, and polar navigation safety and offers valuable ground-truth data for validating satellite-based sea ice thickness retrieval techniques.
Year: 2026