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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IceBridge Ku-Band Radar L1B Geolocated Radar Echo Strength Profiles V002 | C-130, DC-8, P-3B, WP-3D ORION | Ku-Band Radar | 2012-10-12 to 2016-11-18 | ARCTIC, ANTARCTICA, GREENLAND | N: -53 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 | netCDF-4, XML, JPEG |
| IceBridge L4 Sea Ice Freeboard, Snow Depth, and Thickness V001 | C-130, DC-8, P-3B | ATM, CAMBOT, DMS, SNOW RADAR | 2009-03-19 to 2013-04-25 | ANTARCTICA, GREENLAND | N: 90 S: 60 E: 180 W: -180 | XML, CSV |
| IceBridge MCoRDS L1B Geolocated Radar Echo Strength Profiles V002 | BT-67, C-130, DC-8, G-V, NASA DC-8, NOAA Twin Otter, P-3B, WP-3D ORION | MCoRDS | 2009-10-16 to 2019-11-20 | GREENLAND, ANTARCTICA | N: 83.1 S: 59 E: 28.5 W: -100.2 | netCDF-4, JPEG |
| IceBridge Merged Photon Counting Lidar/Profiler L4 Surface Slope and Elevations V001 | BT-67 | Sigma Space Lidar | 2010-11-25 to 2012-12-04 | ANTARCTICA | N: -53 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 | HDF5 |
| IceBridge Narrow Swath ATM L1B Elevation and Return Strength with Waveforms V001 | C-130, DC-8, G-V, HU-25C, P-3B | ATM | 2017-10-29 to 2019-11-20 | ANTARCTICA, GREENLAND, ARCTIC | N: -53 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 | HDF5 |
| IceBridge Narrow Swath ATM L1B Qfit Elevation and Return Strength V001 | DC-8, P-3B | ATM | 2011-03-16 to 2012-11-08 | ARCTIC, ANTARCTICA, GREENLAND | N: 90 S: 60 E: 180 W: -180 | Binary |
| IceBridge PARIS L2 Ice Thickness V001 | AIRCRAFT, P-3B | RADAR ECHO SOUNDERS, PARIS | 2009-04-01 to 2009-05-02 | GREENLAND | N: 84 S: 60 E: -11 W: -73 | ASCII |
| IceBridge Snow Radar L1B Geolocated Radar Echo Strength Profiles V002 | C-130, DC-8, DHC-3, G-V, P-3B, WP-3D ORION | SNOW RADAR | 2009-03-31 to 2021-05-13 | ARCTIC, ANTARCTICA, GREENLAND | N: -53 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 | netCDF-4, XML, JPEG |
| IceBridge-Related DMS-Derived L4 Sea Ice Surface Cover Classification Images V001 | B-200, C-130, DC-8, HU-25A, HU-25C, P-3B, WP-3D ORION | DMS | 2010-03-23 to 2018-04-16 | ARCTIC, GREENLAND | N: 90 S: 60 E: 180 W: -180 | TIFF |
| IceBridge-Related DMS-Derived L4 Sea Ice Surface Cover Classification Orthorectified Images V001 | C-130, DC-8, HU-25A, HU-25C, P-3B, WP-3D ORION | DMS | 2010-03-23 to 2017-07-25 | GREENLAND, ARCTIC | N: 90 S: 60 E: 180 W: -180 | TIFF |
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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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