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Description
The Near-real-time Ice and Snow Extent (NISE) data set provides daily, global maps of sea ice concentrations and snow extent. These data are not suitable for time series, anomalies, or trends analyses. They are meant to provide a best estimate of current ice and snow conditions based on information and algorithms available at the time the data are acquired. Near-real-time products are not intended for operational use in assessing sea ice conditions for navigation.
This NISE Version 5 product contains DMSP-F18, SSMIS-derived sea ice concentrations and snow extents derived from the Special Sensor Microwave Imager/Sounder (SSMIS) aboard the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) F18 satellite. For DMSP-F16, SSMIS-derived data, see <a href="https://doi.org/10.5067/JAQDJKPX0S60"> NISE Version 3</a>. For DMSP-F17, SSMIS-derived data, see <a href="https://nsidc.org/data/nise/versions/4"> NISE Version 4</a>. For the older, DMSP-F13, Special Sensor Microwave Imager (SSMI) derived data, see <a href="https://doi.org/10.5067/4FSODMDM1WEJ">NISE Version 2</a>.
Version Description
The NISE snow and sea ice algorithm both use near-real-time brightness temperature observations from the SSMIS instrument on DMSP-F18.
The coefficients for the NISE snow algorithm were updated to better match results from DMSP-F13 as a result of an inter-calibration between F13 and F17 during an overlap period from 3/27/2008-3/26/2009 and between F17 and F18 during an overlap period from 7/1/2014-6/30/2015.
ESDT metadata was updated to reflect the change in data set version number.
Citation is critically important for dataset documentation and discovery. This dataset is openly shared, without restriction, in accordance with the EOSDIS Data Use and Citation Guidance.
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Brodzik, M. J., & Stewart, J. (2016). Near-Real-Time SSM/I-SSMIS EASE-Grid Daily Global Ice Concentration and Snow Extent, Version 5 [Data set]. NASA National Snow and Ice Data Center Distributed Active Archive Center. https://doi.org/10.5067/3KB2JPLFPK3R Date Accessed: 2026-04-30
Brodzik, Mary Jo, and J Stewart. “Near-Real-Time SSM/I-SSMIS EASE-Grid Daily Global Ice Concentration and Snow Extent, Version 5.” NASA National Snow and Ice Data Center Distributed Active Archive Center, 2016. doi:10.5067/3KB2JPLFPK3R. Date Accessed: 2026-04-30
Brodzik, Mary Jo, and J. Stewart. Near-Real-Time SSM/I-SSMIS EASE-Grid Daily Global Ice Concentration and Snow Extent, Version 5. NASA National Snow and Ice Data Center Distributed Active Archive Center, 2016, doi:10.5067/3KB2JPLFPK3R. Date Accessed: 2026-04-30
Platnick, Steven, Meyer, Kerry, Wind, Galina, Holz, Robert E., Amarasinghe, Nandana, Hubanks, Paul A., Marchant, Benjamin, Dutcher, Steven, Veglio, Paolo
Poulsen, Caroline A., McGarragh, Gregory R., Thomas, Gareth E., Stengel, Martin, Christensen, Matthew W., Povey, Adam C., Proud, Simon R., Carboni, Elisa, Hollmann, Rainer, Grainger, Roy G.