Baltic Sea Ice Code
Baltic Sea Ice Code (BSIC) is a four digit code used to describe ice conditions in ports, fairways, coastal areas and certain ship routes. The code is developed in cooperation between the countries around the Baltic Sea to provide a common terminology. The four digit formula is AB SB TB KB.


AB - Amount and arrangement of sea ice
0 Ice free.
1 Open water - concentration less than 1/10.
2 Very open drift ice - concentration 1/10 to less than 4/10.
3 Open drift ice - concentration 4/10 to 6/10.
4 Close drift ice - concentration 7/10 to 8/10.
5 Very close drift ice - concentration 9/10 to 9+/10.*
6 Compact drift ice, including consolidated drift ice - concentration 10/10.
7 Fast ice with drift ice outside.
8 Fast ice.
9 Lead in very close or compact drift ice or along the fast ice edge 
* Unable to report.

* 9+/10 means ice concentration 10/10 with minor leads.

SB - Stage of development
0 New ice or dark nilas (less than 5 cm thick).
1 Light nilas (5-10 cm thick).
2 Grey ice (10-15 cm thick).
3 Grey-white ice (15-30 cm thick).
4 White ice, first stage (30-50 cm thick).
5 White ice, second stage (50-70 cm thick).
6 Medium first year ice (70-120 cm thick).
7 Ice predominately thinner than 15 cm with some thicker ice.
8 Ice predominately grey-white (15-30 cm) with some ice thicker than 30 cm.
9 Ice predominately thicker than 30 cm with some thinner ice. 
* No information or unable to report.



TB - Topography or form of ice
0 Pancake ice, ice cakes, brash ice - less than 20 m across.
1 Small ice floes - 20-100 m across.
2 Medium ice floes - 100-500 m across.
3 Big ice floes - 500-2000 m across.
4 Vast or giant ice floes - more than 2000 m across - or level ice.
5 Rafted ice.
6 Compacted slush or shuga, or compacted brash ice.
7 Hummocked or ridged ice.
8 Thaw holes or many puddles on ice.
9 Rotten ice. 
* No information or unable to report.


KB - Navigation conditions in ice
0 Navigation unobstructed.
1 Navigation difficult or dangerous for wooden vessels without ice sheating.
2 Navigation difficult for unstrengthened or low-powered vessels built of iron or steel. Navigation for wooden vessels even with ice sheating not advisable.
3 Navigation without icebreaker assistance possible only for high-powered vessels of strong construction and suitable for navigation in ice.
4 Navigation proceeds in lead or broken ice-channel without assistance of an icebreaker.
5 Icebreaker assistance can only be given to vessels suitable for navigation in ice and of special size.
6 Icebreaker assistance can only be given to vessels of special ice class and of special size.
7 Icebreaker assistance can only be given to vessels after special permission.
8 Navigation temporarily closed.
9 Navigation has ceased. 
* Unknown.



Normal - Senast ändrad 2012-02-02	1