R/V Mirai Cruise MR18-05C

Unusual states of the Arctic regions, for example, less sea-ice extent, high temperatures in the atmosphere and ocean, much snow fall, and extreme weather events in the Arctic and beyond, has been prominent in recent years in particular during winter time. Those phenomena are scientifically important for understanding the air-ice-sea coupled physical processes and improving skills of numerical models. Skillful forecasts of weather, sea ice, and ocean are useful for ship navigation as well as activities of indigenous people. The Year of Polar Prediction (YOPP) proposed by World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Polar Prediction Project (PPP) provides a great opportunity to collaborate with observing and modeling platforms. This cruise contributes to the YOPP by (1) collecting the in-situ data to understand the physical processes during early winter Arctic Ocean, (2) evaluating and improving operational models based on the in-situ data, and (3) monitoring the temporal and spatial variability of the basic parameters during a period of sea-ice advancing.北极地区近年来出现诸多异常状态，尤以冬季为甚，具体表现为海冰覆盖范围缩减、大气与海洋温度偏高、降雪量异常偏多，以及北极及周边区域的极端天气事件频发。此类现象对于理解气-冰-海耦合物理过程、提升数值模式的预报性能具有重要科学意义。对天气、海冰及海洋状况的精准预报，可为船舶航行以及北极原住民的生产生活活动提供重要支撑。由世界气象组织（World Meteorological Organization, WMO）极地预报计划（Polar Prediction Project, PPP）发起的极地预报年（Year of Polar Prediction, YOPP），为各方协同开展观测与数值模拟相关工作提供了重要契机。本次科考航次将从以下三方面助力极地预报年工作： 1. 采集原位观测数据，以解析北极初冬时节的海洋物理过程； 2. 基于原位观测数据评估并优化业务化数值模式； 3. 监测海冰增长期内基础参数的时空变化特征。