mathematics

ICES Statistical Rectangles

ICES Statistical Rectangles is a mathematics topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand ICES Statistical Rectangles rather than just read about it. In short: ICES Statistical Rectangles (aka "ICES Rectangles") is a gridded, latitude-longitude based area notation system covering the north-east Atlantic region developed by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) in the 1970s, for simplified analysis and visualization of spatial data of relevance to that organization's interests. The individual rectangles that make up the system each measure 1 degree…

Key takeaways

ICES Statistical Rectangles belongs to mathematics; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect ICES Statistical Rectangles to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of ICES Statistical Rectangles from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

ICES Statistical Rectangles (aka "ICES Rectangles") is a gridded, latitude-longitude based area notation system covering the north-east Atlantic region developed by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) in the 1970s, for simplified analysis and visualization of spatial data of relevance to that organization's interests. The individual rectangles that make up the system each measure 1 degree of longitude by 0.5 degrees of latitude and are intended to be roughly square in real world use in the ICES region of interest, approximately 30 nautical miles by 30 nautical miles (55×55 km) at 60°N, although the actual width varies with latitude, gradually becoming wider than they are high south of 60°N, and narrower further north. The grid covers the region from 36°N to 85°30'N and from 44°W to 69°E (quoted as 68°30') using a set of alphanumeric identifiers, with rows of latitude (identifiers 01 through 99, from south to north) cited first, then column of longitude (identifiers A0-A3, then B0-B9, C0-C9 etc., from west to east). The last used column identifier is M8; column identifiers A4-A9, and prefix "I" (uppercase "i") i.e. columns "I"0-"I"9 are not used. The resulting grid is 113 columns by 99 rows, comprising 11,187 labelled 1×0.5 degree cells. An example cell designation is 37F3, which designates the 1×0.5 degree rectangle of which the south-west corner is 54°00'N, 03°00'E. The grid covers both land and sea areas across its designated region, but as per the interests of its originating body, is typically employed for use with marine data such as analysis of marine resources, fishing activities, seabed habitat, etc., refer example references below. The full extent of the grid is visible in published figures such as Figs. 5-8 in Williamson et al., 2017. To accommodate the visualization and/or analysis of finer scale data than is supported by the "standard" (1×0.5 degree) rectangles, an optional fifth character (as digits 1 through 9) can be used which will place a location within a finer 9-cell (3 by 3) sub-grid, for which the individual sub-rectangles then measure 20' of longitude by 10' of latitude (approximately 10×10 nautical miles). Sub-rectangle designations go north to south, then west to east, with 1 at the north west corner and 9 at the south east. ICES rectangles have been used for reporting and analysis in numerous marine publications since the 1970s; for recent examples see. A vector polygon representation of the ICES Statistical Rectangles is available here.

See also List of geodesic-geocoding systems Geocode

References

External links Example ICES Statistical Rectangles over the North Sea plus adjacent land areas, from marineregions.org (horizontal scale is exaggerated on this map) Another map (slightly larger area, sea areas only annotated; horizontal and vertical scales are essentially correctly represented)

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with ICES Statistical Rectangles

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what ICES Statistical Rectangles claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In mathematics, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to ICES Statistical Rectangles before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about ICES Statistical Rectangles ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of ICES Statistical Rectangles

In research: ICES Statistical Rectangles appears in mathematics research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses ICES Statistical Rectangles in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: ICES Statistical Rectangles is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Geocodes, Oceans, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for ICES Statistical Rectangles outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study ICES Statistical Rectangles in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what ICES Statistical Rectangles means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain ICES Statistical Rectangles out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is ICES Statistical Rectangles in simple terms?

Why does ICES Statistical Rectangles matter?

Because it connects several mathematics ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study ICES Statistical Rectangles?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on ICES Statistical Rectangles.