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

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.