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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MODIS/Terra Sea Ice Extent 5-Min L2 Swath 1km NRT | Terra | MODIS | 2021-02-07 | GLOBAL | N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 | HDF-EOS |
| MODIS/Terra Sea Ice Extent and IST Daily L3 Global 4km EASE-Grid Day V061 | Terra | MODIS | 2000-02-24 to Present | GLOBAL OCEAN | N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 | HDF-EOS2 |
| MODIS/Terra Sea Ice Extent Daily L3 Global 1km EASE-Grid Day V061 | Terra | MODIS | 2000-02-24 to Present | GLOBAL OCEAN | N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 | HDF-EOS2 |
| MODIS/Terra Sea Ice Extent Daily L3 Global 1km EASE-Grid Night V061 | Terra | MODIS | 2000-02-24 to Present | GLOBAL OCEAN | N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 | HDF-EOS2 |
| Near-Real-Time AMSR2 EASE-Grid Daily Global Ice Concentration and Snow Extent V001 | GCOM-W1 | AMSR2 | 2024-01-01 to Present | NORTHERN HEMISPHERE, ARCTIC, ANTARCTICA, SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE | N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 | HDF-EOS4, HDF-EOS2 |
| Near-Real-Time DMSP SSMIS Daily Polar Gridded Sea Ice Concentrations V002 | DMSP 5D-3/F16, DMSP 5D-3/F17, DMSP 5D-3/F18 | SSMIS | 2023-01-01 to Present | SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE, NORTHERN HEMISPHERE, ANTARCTICA, ARCTIC, POLAR | N: 90 S: 30.98 E: 180 W: -180 | PNG, netCDF-4 |
| Near-Real-Time SSM/I EASE-Grid Daily Global Ice Concentration and Snow Extent V002 | DMSP 5D-2/F13 | SSM/I | 1995-05-04 to 2009-09-11 | ANTARCTICA, ARCTIC, NORTHERN HEMISPHERE, SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE | N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 | HDF-EOS2 |
| Near-Real-Time SSM/I-SSMIS EASE-Grid Daily Global Ice Concentration and Snow Extent V003 | DMSP 5D-3/F16 | SSMIS | 2012-01-01 to Present | ANTARCTICA, ARCTIC, NORTHERN HEMISPHERE, SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE | N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 | HDF-EOS2 |
| Near-Real-Time SSM/I-SSMIS EASE-Grid Daily Global Ice Concentration and Snow Extent V004 | DMSP 5D-3/F17 | SSMIS | 2009-08-17 to Present | ARCTIC, ANTARCTICA, NORTHERN HEMISPHERE, SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE | N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 | HDF-EOS2 |
| Near-Real-Time SSM/I-SSMIS EASE-Grid Daily Global Ice Concentration and Snow Extent V005 | DMSP 5D-3/F18 | SSMIS | 2016-12-01 to Present | SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE, NORTHERN HEMISPHERE, ARCTIC, ANTARCTICA | N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 | HDF-EOS2 |
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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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Frequently Asked Questions
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