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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VIIRS/JPSS1 Sea Ice Extent 6-Min L2 Swath 375m NRT | NOAA-20 | VIIRS | 2023-10-10 to Present | N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 | NetCDF | |
| VIIRS/NPP Ice Surface Temperature 6-Min L2 Swath 750 m NRT | Suomi-NPP | VIIRS | 2012-01-19 to Present | N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 | NetCDF | |
| VIIRS/NPP Ice Surface Temperature 6-Min L2 Swath 750m NRT | Suomi-NPP | VIIRS | 2012-01-19 to Present | N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 | NetCDF | |
| VIIRS/NPP Ice Surface Temperature 6-Min L2 Swath 750m V002 | Suomi-NPP | VIIRS | 2012-01-19 to Present | POLAR, GLOBAL OCEAN | N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 | netCDF-4 |
| VIIRS/NPP Ice Surface Temperature Daily L3 Global 750m EASE-Grid 2.0 Day V002 | Suomi-NPP | VIIRS | 2012-01-19 to Present | GLOBAL OCEAN, POLAR | N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 | HDF-EOS5 |
| VIIRS/NPP Ice Surface Temperature Daily L3 Global 750m EASE-Grid 2.0 Night V002 | Suomi-NPP | VIIRS | 2012-01-19 to Present | POLAR, GLOBAL OCEAN | N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 | HDF-EOS5 |
| VIIRS/NPP Sea Ice Cover 6-Min L2 Swath 375m | Suomi-NPP | VIIRS | 2012-01-19 to Present | N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 | NetCDF | |
| VIIRS/NPP Sea Ice Cover 6-Min L2 Swath 375m V002 | Suomi-NPP | VIIRS | 2012-01-19 to Present | POLAR, GLOBAL OCEAN | N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 | netCDF-4 |
| VIIRS/NPP Sea Ice Cover Daily L3 Global 375m EASE-Grid 2.0 Day V002 | Suomi-NPP | VIIRS | 2012-01-19 to Present | POLAR, GLOBAL OCEAN | N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 | HDF-EOS5 |
| VIIRS/NPP Sea Ice Extent 6-Min L2 Swath 375m NRT | Suomi-NPP | VIIRS | 2023-10-10 to Present | GLOBAL | N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 | NetCDF-4 |
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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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