Key Environmental monitoring for Polar Latitudes and European Readiness (KEPLER)

Abstract

The large changes in Arctic and Antarctic climate, on land, in the ocean and in the atmosphere, are contributing to an ‘opening up’ of the Polar Regions that has important socio-economic, environmental and security implications. The Arctic Ocean will be increasingly accessible and more broadly used by those seeking the its abundant resources and trade routes. Whilst it may be remote, it is home to some 4 million people and has a US$ 230 billion a year economy and its potential is enormous. In the Antarctic, fisheries and tourism are rapidly developing. Both Polar Regions remain a challenging operating environment with a harsh climate with sea ice and icebergs as a significant natural hazard that requires the need to; improve domain awareness, through EO services and products, to ensure the safe and efficient operations, including Search-and-Rescue (SaR), strong development of the predictive and monitoring capability for key climate indicators such sea ice extent and thickness, and further integration of the European Union’s policy for the Arctic as laid out in their Joint Communication To The European Parliament And The Council.

KEPLER is a multi-partner initiative, built around the operational European Ice Services and Copernicus information providers, to prepare a roadmap for Copernicus to deliver an improved European capacity for monitoring and forecasting the Polar Regions. Following the recommendations of the ‘Copernicus User Uptake’ review, KEPLER has 4 themes of; 1) raising awareness for the Copernicus programme, 2) informing and educating Copernicus users, 3) engaging Copernicus users in public and private sector, and 4) enabling access to Copernicus data and information. These themes form the core components of KEPLER. However, as the Polar Regions are changing, so too are the challenges and opportunities. Because of these shifts there are two additional themes that encompass the evolving needs; 5) identification of research gaps regarding integration/assimilation, and 6) improved sea-ice mapping and forecasting. KEPLER will therefore provide the mechanism for understanding the research opportunities for sea ice and icebergs that can provide a better understanding of the environment, establishing of new industry sectors and startups, and importantly empowering citizens.

Through these 6 themes KEPLER aims to release the full potential of Polar Regions Earth Observation, including from ESA and EUMETSAT, by identifying and eliminating the barriers that impede the use of the tremendous resource that is Copernicus. Our objective with KEPLER is to enable the broad range of Polar Regions stakeholders to be equipped with the most accurate and relevant, environmental information so that they can seize the many benefits that Copernicus products generate for society and economy. To ensure the sustainable development of the environmentally fragile Polar Regions, there is a need to ensure that the activities of day-to-day life, such as travel and resource exploitation, are safe and efficient through the provision of high quality, accurate satellite-based products and services​. To do this we need to identify and better understand the remote sensing products and potential innovative solutions and services​ these stakeholders need