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Sea Ice Data Access and Tools
NASA has sea ice datasets that help researchers characterize the presence and extent of ice in the ocean. Access a range of data and data tools such as AppEEARS, Worldview, and Giovanni to make the most of sea ice data.
Sea Ice Datasets
| Dataset | Platforms | Instruments | Temporal Extent | Location Keywords | Spatial Extent | Data Format |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AMSR-E/Aqua Daily L3 12.5 km Brightness Temperature, Sea Ice Concentration, & Snow Depth Polar Grids V003 | Aqua | AMSR-E | 2002-06-01 to 2011-10-04 | POLAR | N: 90 S: 30.98 E: 180 W: -180 | HDF-EOS2 |
| AMSR-E/Aqua Daily L3 12.5 km Brightness Temperature, Sea Ice Concentration, & Snow Depth Polar Grids V004 | Aqua | AMSR-E | 2002-06-01 to 2011-10-04 | NORTHERN HEMISPHERE, SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE, POLAR | N: 90 S: 30.98 E: 180 W: -180 | HDF-EOS5 |
| AMSR-E/Aqua Daily L3 25 km Brightness Temperature & Sea Ice Concentration Polar Grids V003 | Aqua | AMSR-E | 2002-06-01 to 2011-10-04 | POLAR | N: -39.23 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 | HDF-EOS2 |
| AMSR-E/Aqua Daily L3 25 km Brightness Temperature & Sea Ice Concentration Polar Grids V004 | Aqua | AMSR-E | 2002-06-01 to 2011-10-04 | NORTHERN HEMISPHERE, POLAR, SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE | N: -39.23 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 | HDF-EOS5 |
| Aquarius L3 Weekly Polar-Gridded Brightness Temperature and Sea Surface Salinity V005 | SAC-D | AQUARIUS_RADIOMETER | 2011-08-25 to 2015-06-04 | ANTARCTICA, ARCTIC | N: 87.4 S: 50 E: 180 W: -180 | HDF5, HDF5 |
| Aquarius L3 Weekly Polar-Gridded Normalized Radar Cross Section V005 | SAC-D | AQUARIUS_SCATTEROMETER | 2011-08-25 to 2015-06-04 | ARCTIC, ANTARCTICA | N: -50 S: -79 E: 180 W: -180 | HDF5, HDF5 |
| Aquarius L3 Weekly Polar-Gridded Sea Surface Salinity V005 | SAC-D | AQUARIUS_RADIOMETER | 2011-08-25 to 2015-06-04 | ARCTIC, ANTARCTICA | N: -50 S: -79 E: 180 W: -180 | HDF5, HDF5 |
| ATLAS/ICESat-2 L3A Sea Ice Freeboard Quick Look V007 | ICESat-2 | ATLAS | 2025-06-08 to Present | NORTHERN HEMISPHERE, SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE | N: 88 S: -88 E: 180 W: -180 | HDF5 |
| ATLAS/ICESat-2 L3A Sea Ice Freeboard Quick Look V007 | ICESat-2 | ATLAS | 2025-06-08 to Present | NORTHERN HEMISPHERE, SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE | N: 88 S: -88 E: 180 W: -180 | HDF5 |
| ATLAS/ICESat-2 L3A Sea Ice Freeboard V006 | ICESat-2 | ATLAS | 2018-10-14 to 2025-03-02 | SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE, NORTHERN HEMISPHERE | N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 | HDF5 |
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Featured Sea Ice Observation Method: ICESat-2
NASA's Ice, Cloud, and Land Elevation Satellite-2 (ICESat-2) carries a laser altimeter scientists use to measure the elevation of ice sheets, glaciers, sea ice, and more in unprecedented, 3-D detail. The satellite also measures heights across Earth's temperate and tropical regions, and takes stock of the vegetation in forests worldwide.
Data from NASA’s ICESat-2 mission provide incredibly accurate measurements of Earth elevation change—and much more.
8 MIN READ
The five new datasets are the result of a joint effort by NASA’s Satellite Needs Working Group Management Office (SNWG MO), ICESat-2 team, and Land, Atmosphere Near real-time Capability for EOS (LANCE).
3 MIN READ
ATL24, a new space-based lidar product, provides bathymetry data that can be used to characterize nearshore habitats and create safer maritime transportation channels.
This is the first in a five-part webinar series to introduce NASA's Ice, Cloud, and land Elevation-2 (ICESat-2) platform and the platform's data, tools, and applications.
Sea Ice Data Tools
| Tool Sort descending | Description | Services | |
|---|---|---|---|
| OpenAltimetry | OpenAltimetry is a map-based visualization tool for exploring surface elevation data across Earth over time. | Analysis, Search and Discovery, Visualization |
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