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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

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Dataset Platforms Instruments Temporal Extent Location Keywords Spatial Extent Data Format
MERRA-2 tavgM_2d_ocn_Nx: 2d,Monthly mean,Time-Averaged,Single-Level,Assimilation,Ocean Surface Diagnostics 0.625 x 0.5 degree V5.12.4 (M2TMNXOCN) at GES DISC MERRA-2 NOT APPLICABLE 1980-01-01 to Present GLOBAL N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180
MERRA-2 tavgU_2d_flx_Nx: 2d,diurnal,Time-Averaged,Single-Level,Assimilation,Surface Flux Diagnostics 0.625 x 0.5 degree V5.12.4 (M2TUNXFLX) at GES DISC MERRA-2 NOT APPLICABLE 1980-01-01 to Present GLOBAL N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180
MERRA-2 tavgU_2d_glc_Nx: 2d,diurnal,Time-Averaged,Single-Level,Assimilation,Land Ice Surface Diagnostics 0.625 x 0.5 degree V5.12.4 (M2TUNXGLC) at GES DISC MERRA-2 NOT APPLICABLE 1980-01-01 to Present GLOBAL N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180
MERRA-2 tavgU_2d_int_Nx: 2d,diurnal,Time-Averaged,Single-Level,Assimilation,Vertically Integrated Diagnostics 0.625 x 0.5 degree V5.12.4 (M2TUNXINT) at GES DISC MERRA-2 NOT APPLICABLE 1980-01-01 to Present GLOBAL N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180
MERRA-2 tavgU_2d_ocn_Nx: 2d,diurnal,Time-Averaged,Single-Level,Assimilation,Ocean Surface Diagnostics 0.625 x 0.5 degree V5.12.4 (M2TUNXOCN) at GES DISC MERRA-2 NOT APPLICABLE 1980-01-01 to Present GLOBAL N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180
MODIS/Aqua Sea Ice Extent 5-Min L2 Swath 1km NRT Aqua MODIS 2021-02-07 GLOBAL N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 HDF-EOS
MODIS/Aqua Sea Ice Extent 5-Min L2 Swath 1km V061 Aqua MODIS 2002-07-04 to Present GLOBAL OCEAN N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 HDF-EOS2
MODIS/Aqua Sea Ice Extent and IST Daily L3 Global 4km EASE-Grid Day V061 Aqua MODIS 2002-07-04 to Present GLOBAL OCEAN N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 HDF-EOS2
MODIS/Aqua Sea Ice Extent Daily L3 Global 1km EASE-Grid Day V061 Aqua MODIS 2002-07-04 to Present GLOBAL OCEAN N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 HDF-EOS2
MODIS/Aqua Sea Ice Extent Daily L3 Global 1km EASE-Grid Night V061 Aqua MODIS 2002-07-04 to Present GLOBAL OCEAN 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.
Learn More About ICESat-2
six vertical bands showing various satellite images

New Low Latency ICESat-2 Datasets

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

Sea Ice Data Tools

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Tool 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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