Summary of Operations 



International Ice Patrol tornnally 

 begins its seasonal ice observation and Ice 

 Patrol service when icebergs threaten 

 primary shipping routes between Europe 

 and North America. This usually occurs in 

 February and extends through July, but Ice 

 Patrol commences operations when 

 iceberg conditions dictate. Except during 

 unusually heavy ice years, the Grand 

 Banks ot Newfoundland are normally 

 iceberg free from August through January. 



International Ice Patrol actively 

 monitors the iceberg danger to 

 transatlantic shipping in the region 

 bounded by 40°N, 52°N, 39°W, and 57°W 

 (Figure 1). Ice Patrol began issuing weekly 

 products on 14 February 2003. 

 Commander, International Ice Patrol 

 opened the season on 24 March 2003 and 

 daily products were distributed through the 



close of the season on 17 July 2003. Note: 

 All of the statistics reported in this 

 summary are from the time frame 

 mentioned above (14 February through 17 

 July 2003). 



International Ice Patrol's Operations 

 Center in Groton, Connecticut analyzed 

 1,708 information reports from IIP IRDs, 

 merchant vessels, the Canadian 

 Government, the National Ice Center, and 

 other sources (Figure 2). Of these reports, 

 425 contained ice information (Figure 3). 

 These ice reports potentially contained 

 single or multiple iceberg sightings, 

 stationary radar targets, and sea ice 

 information. From these reports, 2,454 

 individual targets were merged into the Ice 

 Patrol's modeling system (BAPS). Figure 

 4 highlights the reporting source of 

 sightings merged into BAPS. 



Labrador 



Figure 1. HP's operating area. T indicates location of TITANIC sink 



ing 



