Polar View is a global not-for-profit organization providing satellite-based information and data services in the polar regions and the cryosphere. Polar View works on behalf of the polar community to:
- Act as a catalyst for international cooperation;
- Disseminate knowledge related to earth observation and polar issues;
- Influence the development of policy regarding monitoring and forecasting;
- Coordinate integrated monitoring and forecasting services in the cryosphere that benefit the environment, the economy, and safety; and
- Develop new services by defining service delivery requirements and conducting trials and demonstrations.
Our services support safe and cost-effective marine operations, environmental monitoring, and sustainable economic growth across sectors and around the world. Using satellite earth observation data, in combination with sophisticated models and automatic tools, we provide products that graphically illustrate the characteristics of ice and snow.
Our services include enhanced sea ice information, as well as ice-edge and iceberg monitoring data. We also provide monitoring services for lake and river ice, snow cover, and glaciers.
Polar View services are accurate and timely. Our services are unique in that they can be customized to meet user’s needs and combined with other value added data to offer both cost savings and a competitive advantage.
We help provide safe and efficient transportation routes for merchant vessels travelling in ice infested waters, guide fishing and hunting expeditions for northern residents along the ice edge and improve flood protection and water resource management. Let us know how we can meet your information needs – our services support better decision-making, improved planning, and reduced risk – giving you a competitive advantage while operating in the rapidly evolving and challenging Polar Regions.
Our Members
Polar View members are a dynamic group of service providers, government agencies, research institutes, system developers and universities from across Europe and North America. Each organization brings diverse and complementary skills and world-renowned expertise in polar earth observation technologies, applications and research. Our team is committed to delivering leading-edge data and information services for addressing polar issues that meet the on-going needs of our users.
Our History
For the first decade of our operation, Polar View was a project supported by the European Space Agency (ESA) and the European Commission, with participation from the Canadian Space Agency, under the Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES) programme. In order to carry forward the significant momentum and success generated by Polar View activities and facilitate the continued collaboration of its members within a formalized network, Polar View was formally incorporated on October 28, 2011.