Extended Operational and Trade Vocabulary

Polar Code, Ice Navigation and Polar Operations glossary (page 2)

The Polar Code and ice-navigation vocabulary: Category A, B, and C ships, acceleration ice loads, the ice services (AARI) and ice charts, the Admiralty Arctic Pilot publications, and the survival, structural, and operational requirements for polar waters. Grounds each term in the Polar Code chapter or the ice-navigation practice it depends on.

499 defined terms.

Showing 249 on this page (page 2 of 2).

J

Jakobshavn Glacier (Sermeq Kujalleq): Greenland tidewater glacier, principal North Atlantic iceberg source.
Jamming (ice): Becoming beset in compressing pack ice.
JCOMM: Joint WMO-IOC Technical Commission for Oceanography and Marine Meteorology; reorganized in 2019 into JCB.
JCOMM Expert Team on Sea Ice (ETSI): Drives international sea ice symbology and chart standards.
Jet engines (icebreaker bow wash): Bubbler systems and water deluge used to reduce hull friction in ice.

K

Kara Gates (Karskiye Vorota): Strait between Novaya Zemlya and Vaygach Island, entrance to the Kara Sea.
Kara Sea: Marginal Arctic sea north of Siberia.
Keel (ice ridge): Submerged portion of a pressure ridge, often 4 to 5 times the sail height.
Kola Bay: Bay on the Murmansk coast, ice-free year-round due to North Atlantic Drift.
Krill (Antarctic): Euphausia superba; CCAMLR-managed Antarctic fishery cornerstone species.

L

Labrador Current: Cold southward current along the east coast of Canada.
Labrador Sea: Sea between Labrador and Greenland, site of deep convection.
Land-Fast Ice: Sea ice attached to the coast.
Laptev Sea: Marginal Arctic sea between the Taymyr Peninsula and the New Siberian Islands.
LARS (launch and recovery system): Polar Code requires functionality at Polar Service Temperature.
Lead: Sounding weight on a marked line.
Leader (convoy): Foremost vessel in a convoy through ice; usually the icebreaker.
Lifeboat (TEMPSC, Polar Code): Totally enclosed motor propelled survival craft; thermal protection emphasized for polar service.
Lifeboat heating: Lifeboats in polar service should provide warmth for at least the maximum expected time of rescue.
Lighthouse (Arctic): Northern aids to navigation often unmanned and seasonally serviced.
Limiting environmental conditions: Maximum environmental conditions in which a ship may operate; defined in Polar Ship Certificate.
LNG carrier Arc7: Ice-class LNG carriers built for Yamal LNG; pioneered year-round NSR operations.
Load line (ice): Special load line considerations for ships operating in ice and at Polar Service Temperature.
Lock-out / lock-in (icebreaker): Status of a ship beset in pack ice unable to proceed independently.
Low load operation: Engines must run reliably at low load during station-keeping in ice.

M

Machinery requirements (Polar Code): Polar Code Chapter 6; addresses cold weather machinery performance.
Madrid Protocol: Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty (1991, in force 1998).
Madrid Protocol Annex IV: Prevention of marine pollution; supplements MARPOL for Antarctic.
Madrid Protocol Article 15: Requires emergency response action and contingency planning.
Madrid Protocol Article 7: Prohibits Antarctic mineral resource activities.
Mariakhouven (heeling): Heeling system using high-capacity pumps; e.g. used on Finnish icebreakers.
Mariner training (STCW V/3): Polar waters basic and advanced training under STCW Chapter V.
MARPOL Annex I Reg 43: Carriage and use of HFO prohibited in Antarctic waters since 1 August 2011.
MARPOL Annex I Reg 43A: Carriage and use of HFO prohibited in Arctic waters from 1 July 2024.
MARPOL Annex II (Polar Code): Polar Code Part II-A prohibits discharge of NLS in polar waters.
MARPOL Annex IV (Polar Code): Polar Code restricts sewage discharge in polar waters.
MARPOL Annex V (Polar Code): Polar Code prohibits garbage discharge in polar waters except food waste under conditions.
Master ice navigator: Informal title for officer holding STCW V/3 Advanced certificate of proficiency.
Maximum expected time of rescue (MERT): Polar Code parameter, not less than 5 days for life-saving equipment.
MEPC.1/Circ.892: 2018 IMO circular on voluntary use of cleaner alternative fuels to reduce black carbon in the Arctic.
MEPC.264(68): Adopted environmental provisions of the Polar Code, May 2015.
Methanol (polar fuel): Alternative low-carbon fuel under consideration for polar service.
MGO (Marine Gas Oil): Distillate marine fuel meeting ISO 8217 grades DMA/DMZ.
Mineral resource activities (Antarctic): Prohibited under Madrid Protocol Article 7.
Mobile offshore drilling unit (Polar): MODU operating in polar waters may be subject to Polar Code.
MS Explorer: Polar cruise ship sunk in Antarctic waters in November 2007; catalyst for IMO polar rules.
MS Nordkapp: Hurtigruten ship that ran aground in 2007 at Deception Island; cited in Antarctic safety reviews.
MSC.385(94): Adopted safety provisions of the Polar Code, 21 November 2014.
MSC.386(94): Adopted SOLAS Chapter XIV making the Polar Code mandatory.
MSC.387(94): Adopted STCW amendments for Polar Code training.
Multi-Year Ice: Sea ice that has survived at least one melt season.
Murmansk: Russian Arctic port and base of Atomflot nuclear icebreaker fleet.
MV Akademik Shokalskiy: Russian research vessel beset in Antarctic ice, December 2013.

N

National Ice Center (NIC): US joint USN-NOAA-USCG ice service producing global ice analysis charts.
NAVAREA XIX: Special navigational warning area covering the European Arctic, operated by Norway.
NAVAREA XVII: Canadian Arctic warning area, eastern sector.
NAVAREA XVIII: Canadian Arctic warning area, western sector.
NAVAREA XX: Russian Arctic warning area east of NAVAREA XIX.
NAVAREA XXI: Russian Arctic warning area, eastern sector.
Navigation in ice: Conduct of a vessel in any concentration of sea ice using ice-navigation techniques.
NIC ice analysis: Operational NIC product showing total concentration and stage of development.
Nilas: Thin elastic crust of ice 0 to 10 cm thick, bending without breaking on swell.
Nilas dark: Nilas less than 5 cm thick, very dark in appearance.
Nilas light: Nilas 5 to 10 cm thick, lighter in appearance.
Nitrogen oxides (NOx): Subject to MARPOL Annex VI Tier limits; relevant to polar engines.
Nodicta (polar): Polar Code definition of "operational" issues addressed in PWOM.
Non-SOLAS ships (Polar Code): Fishing vessels, pleasure yachts, and small cargo currently outside mandatory Polar Code (Phase 2 work ongoing).
Nordenskiold (Adolf Erik): First navigator to complete the Northeast Passage, 1878-1879 in Vega.
Norilsk Nickel fleet: Russian Arc7 container ships in year-round Dudinka service.
Northern Sea Route (NSR): Russian Arctic shipping route from Kara Gates to Bering Strait.
Northern Sea Route Administration: Russian federal authority issuing NSR transit permissions.
Northwest Passage (NWP): Sea route through the Canadian Arctic Archipelago between the Atlantic and Pacific.
Norwegian Ice Service: Section of Norwegian Meteorological Institute producing ice charts for the European Arctic.
Norwegian Meteorological Institute: National authority operating the Norwegian Ice Service.
Novaya Zemlya: Russian Arctic archipelago separating the Barents and Kara Seas.
NSR permit: Permission issued by the NSR Administration for transit of the Russian NSR.
Nuclear icebreaker: Civilian icebreaker powered by nuclear reactors; only Russia operates such ships (Atomflot).

O

Oil pollution emergency plan (Polar Code): Required by Polar Code under MARPOL Annex I.
Old ice: Sea ice that has survived at least one summer melt; includes second-year and multi-year ice.
Olen (Russian icebreaker): Historic Russian icebreaker; example of early NSR support.
OPA 90 Arctic provisions: US Oil Pollution Act 1990 Section 7301 covers Trans-Alaska Pipeline System.
Open drift ice: Floating ice concentration 4/10 to 6/10 with many leads.
Open pack ice: Synonym for open drift ice in WMO terminology.
Open water: Sea area where ice concentration is less than 1/10.
Operational assessment (POLARIS): Calculation of risk index outcome RIO for a planned route.
Outboard equipment (Polar Code): Anchors, deck winches, etc. must operate at Polar Service Temperature.

P

Pack ice: Floating sea ice driven together into a mass by wind and currents.
PAME: Arctic Council working group on Protection of the Arctic Marine Environment.
Pancake Ice: Round pieces of sea ice formed in turbulent water.
Passenger ship (Polar Code): Passenger ship requirements addressed throughout Polar Code; evacuation in polar conditions emphasized.
PC1: IACS Polar Class for year-round operation in all polar waters, including multi-year ice.
PC2: IACS Polar Class for year-round operation in moderate multi-year ice conditions.
PC3: IACS Polar Class for year-round operation in second-year ice with multi-year inclusions.
PC4: IACS Polar Class for year-round operation in thick first-year ice with old ice inclusions.
PC5: IACS Polar Class for year-round operation in medium first-year ice with old ice inclusions.
PC6: IACS Polar Class for summer and autumn operation in medium first-year ice.
PC7: IACS Polar Class for summer and autumn operation in thin first-year ice.
Permafrost: Permanently frozen ground in polar and high-latitude regions.
PEW (Polar exclusive water): Informal; not a Polar Code term.
Phase 2 Polar Code: IMO work to extend safety measures to non-SOLAS vessels (fishing, yachts, small cargo).
Pilot (ice): See ice pilot.
Pilotage (NSR): Russian-licensed ice pilot may be required on certain NSR voyages.
Place of refuge (polar): Limited places of refuge in polar waters drive voyage planning under Polar Code.
Plate thickness (PC): Hull plating thickness determined by IACS UR I formulas including ice load.
Polar Class (PC1 to PC7): IACS standardized polar ice classes adopted by all major class societies.
Polar Code: Adopted under SOLAS XIV and MARPOL; complements Article 234 jurisdiction.
Polar Code Part I-A: Mandatory safety provisions for ships operating in polar waters under SOLAS XIV.
Polar Code Part I-B: Recommended safety provisions.
Polar Code Part II-A: Mandatory pollution prevention provisions under MARPOL.
Polar Code Part II-B: Recommended pollution prevention guidance.
Polar Service Temperature (PST): Design temperature for polar operations.
Polar Ship Certificate: Certificate issued under Polar Code attesting compliance and listing limitations.
Polar Water Operational Manual (PWOM): Required onboard manual addressing operational procedures for polar voyages.
Polar waters: Either Arctic or Antarctic waters as defined in SOLAS XIV and MARPOL.
Polaris: Star Alpha Ursae Minoris; used for latitude north of about 1 degree N.
POLARIS limited operation: RIO between 0 and -10; reduced speed required.
POLARIS operation not recommended: RIO less than -10; operation not advised.
POLARIS Risk Index Outcome (RIO): Numerical result of POLARIS calculation; positive permits normal operation.
POLARIS Risk Index Value (RIV): Pre-tabulated value for each ice class and ice type combination.
Polynya: Persistent open water area within sea ice.
Port State control (polar): Inspections targeting Polar Ship Certificate and PWOM.
Power management (polar): Power plant must reliably handle large load swings caused by ice interaction.
Pre-wetted ice belt: Use of fresh water lubrication to reduce friction on icebreaker hulls.
Pressure ridge: Line or wall of broken ice forced up by pressure between floes.
Propeller (ice-class): Propellers designed to withstand ice contact loads under IACS UR I.
Propulsion redundancy (Polar Code): Encouraged for higher categories; required for some PC1/PC2 operations.

Q

Quality of ice information (PWOM): Master is required to assess quality and timeliness of ice charts used.
Quarantine waste (Polar Code): Discharge restricted in polar waters per MARPOL Annex V Polar amendments.
Queen Maud Land: Sector of Antarctica claimed by Norway; logistics base of several research stations.

R

Radarsat Constellation Mission (RCM): Canadian SAR satellite constellation.
RADARSAT-2: Canadian C-band SAR satellite (2007); workhorse for ice charting until RCM.
Rafted ice: Ice in which one floe overrides another.
Ramming: Icebreaking technique of running the bow up on the ice to break it under the ship's weight.
Ramp meter (icebreaker): Reference angle of the bow stem for breaking ice by bending.
Recreational craft (polar): Currently outside Polar Code mandatory scope; Phase 2 considerations.
Reduction gear (polar): Must operate at PST for cold-soaked starts.
Refrigerant (polar): Refrigeration systems must function during outdoor cold soak.
Renavigation (ice): Re-planning passage based on updated ice information.
Replenishment in ice: Bunkering and stores transfer in ice presents operational challenges per Polar Code 11.
Rescue at high latitude: Long response times due to limited SAR assets; key Polar Code driver.
Reserve buoyancy (icing): Stability calculations consider topside ice accretion.
Residual ice cover: Ice remaining in marginal seas through summer in some Arctic basins.
Resolution MEPC.264(68): Polar Code environmental provisions.
Resolution MEPC.265(68): MARPOL amendments making environmental Polar Code mandatory.
Resolution MSC.1/Circ.1519: Guidance on Polar Code use of POLARIS.
Resolution MSC.385(94): Polar Code safety provisions.
Resolution MSC.386(94): SOLAS amendments adding Chapter XIV.
Resolution MSC.387(94): STCW amendments for V/3 polar training.
Ridge: Line of broken ice forced up by pressure; see pressure ridge.
Ridge sail: Above-water portion of a ridge.
Ridged ice: Ice piled in ridges by pressure.
Ridging: Process of forming ridges in sea ice.
Risk-based assessment (POLARIS): Methodology used to determine operability of a ship in given ice.
RIV (Risk Index Value): Tabulated POLARIS value for ice class and ice type combination.
RMRS (Russian Maritime Register of Shipping): Russian classification society; sets RMRS ice classes used by Russian Arctic fleet.
Rosatomflot: Operating arm of Rosatom for nuclear-powered civilian icebreakers.
Routeing measure (Polar): IMO-adopted routeing such as the Bering Strait two-way route.
Russian Arctic fees: Tariffs payable to NSR Administration or icebreaker operators for assistance.

S

Saami Council: Indigenous representative body for the Sami people of Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Russia.
SAFE-ICE (sample notation): Industry shorthand for various ice notations; not an IACS term.
SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar): Satellite radar producing high-resolution imagery.
SAR Antarctic: Coordinated through national SAR authorities of Argentina, Chile, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa.
SAR Arctic Agreement: Arctic Council Agreement on Cooperation on Aeronautical and Maritime Search and Rescue in the Arctic (2011).
Sastrugi: Parallel snow ridges sculpted by persistent wind on sea ice or land.
Scout vessel (ice management): Smaller ice-class ship reconnoitring ahead of a transit.
Sea ice: Frozen sea water of various stages of development.
Sea ice climatology: Multi-year statistics of ice extent and concentration used in design.
Second-year ice: Sea ice that has survived only one summer melt.
Sentinel-1: ESA C-band SAR satellite constellation providing free routine ice imagery.
Severnaya Zemlya: Russian Arctic archipelago separating the Kara and Laptev Seas.
Sewage (Polar Code): Discharge restricted in polar waters per MARPOL Annex IV polar amendments.
Shipboard Oil Pollution Emergency Plan (SOPEP): Required under MARPOL Annex I Regulation 37.
Shore lead: Lead between fast ice and pack ice, often the navigable route along a coast.
Shuga: Accumulation of spongy white ice lumps a few centimetres across.
Sikuliaq (R/V): NSF-owned US ice-capable oceanographic research vessel (2014).
Slush: Snow saturated and mixed with water on land or floating on the surface of a water body.
Small operational areas (Polar Code): Some operators may limit operational area to manage risk under Polar Ship Certificate.
Snowmelt drainage (deck): Drainage systems on Polar Code ships should handle melt water without freezing.
SOLAS Chapter XIV: Safety measures for ships operating in polar waters; adopted by MSC.386(94).
SOLAS V/9 (hydrography): Considered when navigating poorly charted Arctic and Antarctic areas.
South Atlantic Treaty Area Boundary: 60 degrees S parallel that bounds the Antarctic Treaty area.
Special Area (MARPOL): Antarctic is a Special Area under MARPOL Annex I and Annex V.
Spotter (helicopter): Helicopter-borne ice scouting from icebreaker or shore.
Stability (Polar Code): Polar Code Chapter 4 requires intact and damage stability accounting for ice accretion.
Stamukha: Grounded hummock of ice; common in shallow Arctic coastal areas.
STCW V/3: Mandatory training and certification for masters, chief mates and OOW on ships in polar waters.
STCW V/3 Advanced: Advanced polar waters training for masters and chief mates and OOW on ships operating in ice.
STCW V/3 Basic: Basic polar waters training for OOW on ships in ice-free polar waters or open water.
Steering gear (Polar Code): Polar Code requires functionality at Polar Service Temperature.
Storis: Norwegian term for old, multi-year Greenland ice transported around Cape Farewell.
Strait of Lancaster Sound: Eastern entrance to the Northwest Passage in the Canadian Arctic.
Stuck in ice: Beset; unable to proceed independently due to ice pressure.
Submerged ice: Ice below the waterline including ice keels; major impact hazard.
Survival craft (Polar Code): Must support persons on board for the maximum expected time of rescue.
Survival suit (Arctic-rated): Immersion suit qualified for low Arctic temperatures and long immersion.
Svalbard Fisheries Protection Zone: Norwegian-claimed 200 nm zone around Svalbard.

T

Tabular iceberg: Flat-topped iceberg calved from an ice shelf, can be tens of km across.
Taymyr class: Russian nuclear shallow-draft icebreaker class (1989, 1990); 50,000 shp.
Telecommunications (Polar Code): Polar Code Chapter 10; addresses GMDSS limitations above 70 degrees N or S.
TEMPSC: Totally enclosed motor propelled survival craft; the Polar Code requires thermal protection.
Thaw hole: Hole in the surface of melting sea ice.
Thermal management (Polar Code): Personal protective clothing required to keep all persons warm for the MERT.
Thermal protective aid (TPA): Bag or suit reducing heat loss in the water; LSA Code item required for polar.
Thick first-year ice: First-year ice greater than 120 cm thick.
Thin first-year ice: First-year ice 30 to 70 cm thick.
Thinning (ice): Recent decline in Arctic ice thickness driven by warming.
Thyssen-Waas bow: Icebreaking bow form developed by Thyssen-Waas with wide, downward angled stem.
TKMS Arctic designs: Polar-class icebreaker and naval designs by ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems.
Topside icing: Accretion of ice on superstructure, masts, and rigging from spray and precipitation.
Towing (ice): Tow-notch on icebreaker stern allows close coupling of escorted ships in heavy ice.
Trade routes (polar): NSR, NWP, Trans-Polar Sea Route, and Arctic Bridge.
Trans-Alaska Pipeline System (TAPS): Subject of OPA 90 Section 7301 spill response requirements out of Valdez.
Trans-Polar Sea Route (TSR): Future Arctic shipping route crossing the central Arctic Ocean over or near the North Pole.
Tundra: Cold treeless biome surrounding the Arctic Ocean.
Turning circle in ice: Significantly larger than in open water; key operational parameter.

U

UK Hydrographic Office: Source of Admiralty Sailing Directions NP10-NP13 for polar regions.
Ulstein Power and Control Systems: Supplier of DP-Ice solutions for offshore polar operations.
UNCLOS Article 234: Permits coastal states to adopt non-discriminatory laws for ice-covered areas in EEZ; basis of Russian and Canadian Arctic legislation.
Underwater radiated noise (polar): Concern under Madrid Protocol and Arctic Council for marine mammal impacts.
Underway in ice: Status of a ship making way through ice under own power or by escort.
United States Coast Guard polar fleet: Operator of USCGC Polar Star, Polar Sea, and Healy.
Ushuaia: Argentine port; principal gateway for Antarctic Peninsula expedition cruising.

V

Valdez: US Alaskan port and southern terminus of TAPS, subject to OPA 90 escort requirements.
Vega: Steamship in which Nordenskiold completed the first Northeast Passage in 1878-1879.
Ventilation (Polar Code): Ventilation systems must accommodate cold inlet air and prevent intake icing.
Vessel categorization (Polar Code): Category A, B, or C assigned per Polar Code 1.2.
Visibility (Polar Code): Bridge design must provide adequate visibility considering icing and lighting conditions.
Voluntary routeing measure (Bering Strait): IMO-adopted in 2018; first IMO routing in Arctic.
Voyage planning (Polar Code): Polar Code Chapter 11 sets specific voyage planning items including ice information sources and SAR.

W

Walrus: *Odobenus rosmarus*, large Arctic pinniped with prominent tusks.
Wartsila polar designs: Finnish designer/builder of icebreakers including Polaris LNG-fuelled icebreaker.
Water spray system (Polar Code): External water spray systems must remain operational at PST.
Wave-piercing bow (ice): Some Arctic vessels combine wave-piercing and icebreaking forms.
Weddell Sea: Sea bordering Antarctica's Weddell Sector; formation region for Antarctic Bottom Water.
Whale strike avoidance: Recommended bridge practice in polar areas with marine mammal concentrations.
White ice (chart): Annotated as "W" in egg code; recent melt-pond cover or fresh snow on first-year ice.
Winter navigation (Baltic): Finnish-Swedish Ice Class regime governs Baltic winter trade with icebreaker assistance.
WMO Sea Ice Concentration: Reported in tenths in the egg code top row.
WMO Sea Ice Nomenclature: WMO No. 259; international standard for ice terminology including egg code.
Working language (Polar Code): PWOM and key procedures must be in the ship's working language.

X

X-band radar (ice): 9 GHz marine radar used for detecting growlers and small bergy bits.
X-Bow (Ulstein): Inverted bow form used in offshore polar service vessels for sea-keeping rather than icebreaking.

Y

Yamal (icebreaker): Arktika-class nuclear icebreaker (1992); operated by Atomflot.
Yamal LNG: Russian Arctic LNG project at Sabetta exporting via Arc7 LNG carriers on the NSR.
Yenisei River: Russian Arctic river; Dudinka port served by Arc7 container vessels in winter.
Young ice: Sea ice in the transition stage from nilas to first-year ice, 10 to 30 cm thick; includes grey and grey-white.

Z

Zenit (ice radar): Russian-supplied ice radar systems used by Russian icebreakers.
Zero discharge (Polar Code): Operational discharge of oil, NLS, sewage and garbage strictly limited or prohibited in polar waters per Polar Code Part II-A.
Zone (operational, POLARIS): Specific ice zone for which RIO is calculated; PWOM defines decision points.