Tasks Phase I

Task 1: Management
Objective: To design the project web page for communication and project management, manage the project and organize meetings.

Task 2: Preliminary analysis
Objective: To conduct a comprehensive scientific and technical review of polar lows in the Nordic Seas and define the scientific and technical requirements for users, technical data sets, modelling and scientific analysis that will guide all subsequent tasks within the STARS project.

Task 3: STARS data set
Objective: To establish a multi satellite and in situ data set of ocean and atmosphere observations for the investigation of polar lows in the Nordic Seas region.

Task 4: Identify and catalogue polar lows in the STARS data set
Objective: To analyze the STARS-DAT data set to identify, catalogue, describe and characterize all polar low events within the data set for use in the STARS project.

Task 5: Polar Low Indicator (PLI)
Objective: Use the STARS data set to develop a Polar Low Indicator (PLI) and demonstrate its use

Task 6: Design description of a coupled model for investigation of polar lows in the Nordic Seas and, for a projection method for SST and SLA observations
Objective: To identify system requirements and implementation needs for a coupled Nordic Seas model. To design and describe the coupled Nordic Sea model. To investigate alternative methods for projecting SST and SLA observations into the ocean model.

Tasks Phase II

Task 7: Maintain and improve STARS web portal
Objective: Set up a dedicated Polar Low web portal with met.no and ESA acknowledgement, where the goal is to make the web portal a main information site for polar low issues. Will improve the interface with the STARS-DAT data set and the collaboration with EPLWG

Task 8: Extend STARS-DAT data set
Objective: Extend the STARS-DAT data set with new satellite data and to cover a period of 10 years

Task 9: Impact assessment of Polar Lows
Objective: To assess the impact of Polar lows on the observed surface signals (SST and SLA) and the sub-surface ocean dynamics that re-stratify the water column after PL events, and to test the polar low indicator (PLI) in operational forecasting

Task 10: Polar Low Scientific Community Development
Objective: Organise an EPLWG workshop in Oslo

Task 11: Prepare utility report, final report, data pack and a final presentation of results
Objective: To report to ESA a final Technical Data Package, final Report and a final presentation of this project.