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Description

This data set, part of the NASA Making Earth System Data Records for Use in Research Environments (MEaSUREs) program, consists of two global records of the daily freeze/thaw (F/T) status of the landscape. The primary record is derived from radiometric brightness temperatures acquired between 1979 and 2017 by three satellite-based passive microwave sensors: the Scanning Multichannel Microwave Radiometer (SMMR), the Special Sensor Microwave/Imager (SSM/I), and the Special Sensor Microwave Imager/Sounder (SSMIS).

A second, synergistic record is available for the years 2002 to 2017, derived from observations acquired by the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer - Earth Observing System (AMSR-E) and the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer 2 (AMSR2).

Version Description

  • Extended F/T record to 2017;
  • F/T domain expanded to all land areas affected by seasonal freezing, including urban, snow-ice dominant, open water body dominant, and barren land;
  • Added a modified seasonal threshold algorithm (MSTA) and pixel-wise, annual MSTA calibration using daily surface air temperature records;
  • Added bit flags to identify cells (and days) with missing/interpolated Tb, large open water bodies, complex terrain, and large precipitation events;

Product Summary

Platforms
Aqua ,
DMSP 5D-2/F11 ,
DMSP 5D-2/F13 ,
DMSP 5D-2/F8 ,
DMSP 5D-3/F17 ,
FY-3B ,
GCOM-W1 ,
Nimbus-7
Instruments
AMSR-E ,
SSM/I ,
SSMIS ,
MWRI ,
AMSR2 ,
SMMR
Spatial Extent

N: 86.7167 S: -86.7167 E: 179.9999 W: -179.9999

Spatial Resolution
25 Kilometers x 25 Kilometers
Spatial Reference System(s)
NSIDC EASE-Grid Global (EPSG:3410)
Location
GLOBAL
Coordinate System
CARTESIAN
Granule Spatial Representation
CARTESIAN
Temporal Extent
2017-01-01 to 2017-12-31
Temporal Resolution
12 Hour
Concept ID
C3291175952-NSIDC_CPRD
Data State
DEPRECATED
Number of Files/Granules
0
Processing Level
3
Published
Science Keywords
Freeze/Thaw

Citation

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.

Copy Citation

Kim, Y., Kimball, J., Glassy, J., & McDonald, K. (2017). MEaSUREs Global Record of Daily Landscape Freeze/Thaw Status, Version 4 [Dataset]. NASA National Snow and Ice Data Center Distributed Active Archive Center. https://doi.org/10.5067/MEASURES/CRYOSPHERE/NSIDC-0477.004 Date Accessed: 2026-06-17

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