Are you going to travel at sea around Svalbard?

Electronic nautical charts (ENC) in polar regions 

Norwegian ENCs are divided into different scale classes depending on the purpose of the navigation (Usage Band), following recommendations from the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO). In the ENCs that cover Svalbard, there are some differences compared to the ENCs on the Norwegian coast. 

The most common usage band in ENCs in Svalbard is NO3 (Coastal).  This means that the navigator can zoom between the scales M1:90,000 – 1:349,999 on the map screen. The level of detail in the ENCs along the coast of Svalbard is less than for the Norwegian coast. 

Some areas are only covered by NO2 (General). These ENCs contain even less information. The navigator can zoom between the scales M1:350,000-1:1,499,999 on the map screen. 

A few areas are covered by NO4 (Approach), which allows you to zoom between the scales M1:22,000 – 1:89,999 on the map screen. 

Even fewer areas are covered by NO5 (Harbour), which makes it possible to zoom between the scales M1:4000 – 1:21999 on the map screen. 

NO6 (Berthing) is currently only available for the quay in Ny-Ålesund. There you can zoom all the way into M1:3999 and beond on the map screen. 

We recommend that you subscribe to  Primar's product catalogue. Primar is the distributor of all the Norwegian official ENCs, so you will always find updated information about which ENCs are available in Svalbard on their webside. The same ENCs are available to chartplotter manufacturers and distributors. 

PRIMAR Portal - Map (ecc.no) 

We warn against excessive zoom 

We strongly advise not to conduct excessive zooming on the map screen! 

In all nautical chart production, both for paper and electronic nautical charts (ENC), generalization of the content of the chart is necessary. This increases readability but also means that the richness of detail in the map is dependent on the available information and the scale to which the map is generalized for. In a nautical chart, information that is important for navigation will be highlighted. 

Electronic nautical charts make it possible to zoom in and out of the chart to get a better overview. If you zoom in too far, the information in the map will be stretched beyond the use for which it is intended. This is called over-scaling. You need to consider both scale and data quality in the map and be aware of this when zooming. 

In the professional chart systems (approved ECDIS systems), over-scaling is notified automatically, but in other Chart plotters, the seafarer must be aware when the chart image is over-scaled. 

Paper maps in polar regions 

The nautical charts in Svalbard do not have the same scale as in mainland Norway. 

The scale is 1:100,000, i.e. they cover larger areas and are much less detailed than those in mainland Norway. Large parts of Nordaustlandet are still covered by General charts (505 and 507) on a scale of 1: 700,000. 

Although there are a few special and harbour maps on a larger scale, the level of detail along the coast of Svalbard is lower than along the Norwegian coast. 

Here you will find paper maps on Svalbard - Norgeskart.no. 

In the same webservice, you can choose between nautical charts and electronic nautical charts as background charts. It can be useful if you want to familiarize yourself with the navigation products in Svalbard. 

What is the data quality of the depth information in the area you will be travelling in? 

In the official electronic nautical charts (ENC), there is a separate data layer that tells you what the quality of the depth data is in the area. The Norwegian Mapping Authority follows international standards and, based on what we know about surveying method, positioning instrument, depth accuracy and data coverage, has classified the data quality of the depth data in Norwegian nautical charts. 

In the paper maps, you can find this information in the map's ZOC diagram. 

Source: The Norwegian Mapping Authority 

Pay extra attention to what this means for your voyage in Svalbard! 

Study the source diagram and data quality carefully when you plan to travel in the areas around Svalbard. The surveying is not completed, and large areas remain to be surveyed. 

Quality categories (CATZOC) in Norwegian nautical charts in Svalbard: 

• A1: Modern depth measurements with multibeam sonar. 

• A2: Modern depth measurements with multibeam sonar. 

• B: Modern depth measurements (measured 1950-2000). Also used on some multibeam until 2013. 

• C: Applied to older depth data (measured before c. 1950). 

• D: Depth data inferior to ZOC C. Applied to data from digitized maps where depth data are sporadic and of unknown origin. 

• U: These are areas where no decision has been made on the data quality of the depth data. There are no such areas in Norwegian ENCs. 

In addition to the data quality, extra attention must be paid to areas that have not been surveyed at all. These are coded as Unsurveyed Area (UNSARE) in ENC. 

Read more about map quality (CATZOC).  

As a service the Norwegian Mapping Authority has extracted the information about CATZOC from the official ENCs and distributes datasets and WMS services via the national dataportal Geonorge.no. The data layer can be used to get an overview of the data quality of depth data in navigation products along the Norwegian coast and in Svalbard. So, in addition to the information contained in the charts themselves, you can choose nautical charts as background maps and study the data quality of depth data in the navigation products in Svalbard. 

The service is free of charge and open to everyone. 

Other special conditions to consider when travelling in Svalbard: 

Shallow areas along the landside 

• To ensure the safety of crew and vessels when surveying in Svalbard, areas that are shallower than 3 metres will often not be surveyed. 

• There can be significant errors in the coastal contour in the nautical charts, depending on where the information is collected from. 

• The coastline can be changeable – especially at large river deltas and glacier fronts. 

• Along land, there may be zones where no surveying has been carried out, or data of poor quality may have been used. Due to map scale, such areas are not always readable in the paper maps. 

Glacier fronts 

• Glacier fronts in the sea often change. In front of glacier fronts in the sea, there are major changes in the depth conditions, and the depth indications are therefore uncertain. 

• The areas in front of the glacier fronts must be considered as not surveyed. This must be considered when navigating these areas. 

• Constant changes in the glacier fronts towards the sea can mean that there is a significant deviation between the actual glacier front and the one shown in the map. In areas where the glacier fronts have receded compared to the one indicated in the nautical chart, there is no depth information. 

• Old sight lines based on reference points in glaciers should not be used. 

  

Ships must operate at a safe distance from glacier fronts. The distance must be at least five times the height of the glacier front, but not less than 200 meters. 

Kilde: Forskrift om bygging, utrustning og drift av passasjerskip i territorialfarvannet ved Svalbard - Lovdata