Studying the increasingly dynamic Arctic environment provides essential insight for supporting growing
strategic interests including: national defense, particularly in the maritime domain; commercial shipping; gas,
oil, and mineral resource exploration and extraction; fisheries management, weather forecasting; and climate
change mitigation and planning.
Recognizing the vital importance of in-situ observations, the International Arctic Buoy Program (IABP) was
formed in 1991 to collectively maintain a network of floating buoys in the Arctic Ocean to provide open and
real-time meterological and oceanographic data for operational and research purposes.
This unique source of data is critical for:
Global Weather ForecastingLocal Weather and Sea Ice AnalysisValidation of Remote Sensing DataInitiationalization, Forcing and Assimilation of Numerical Weather Prediction ModelsLong Range Climate Studies