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Description

This data set, part of the NASA Making Earth System Data Records for Use in Research Environments (MEaSUREs) program, consists of two global records of the daily freeze/thaw (F/T) status of the landscape. The primary record is derived from radiometric brightness temperatures acquired between 1979 and 2017 by three satellite-based passive microwave sensors: the Scanning Multichannel Microwave Radiometer (SMMR), the Special Sensor Microwave/Imager (SSM/I), and the Special Sensor Microwave Imager/Sounder (SSMIS).

A second, synergistic record is available for the years 2002 to 2017, derived from observations acquired by the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer - Earth Observing System (AMSR-E) and the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer 2 (AMSR2).

Version Description

  • Extended F/T record to 2017;
  • F/T domain expanded to all land areas affected by seasonal freezing, including urban, snow-ice dominant, open water body dominant, and barren land;
  • Added a modified seasonal threshold algorithm (MSTA) and pixel-wise, annual MSTA calibration using daily surface air temperature records;
  • Added bit flags to identify cells (and days) with missing/interpolated Tb, large open water bodies, complex terrain, and large precipitation events;

Product Summary

Platforms
Aqua ,
DMSP 5D-2/F11 ,
DMSP 5D-2/F13 ,
DMSP 5D-2/F8 ,
DMSP 5D-3/F17 ,
FY-3B ,
GCOM-W1 ,
Nimbus-7
Instruments
AMSR-E ,
SSM/I ,
SSMIS ,
MWRI ,
AMSR2 ,
SMMR
Projects
MEaSUREs
Spatial Extent

N: 86.7167 S: -86.7167 E: 179.9999 W: -179.9999

Spatial Resolution
25 Kilometers x 25 Kilometers
Spatial Reference System(s)
NSIDC EASE-Grid Global (EPSG:3410)
Location
GLOBAL
Coordinate System
CARTESIAN
Granule Spatial Representation
CARTESIAN
Temporal Extent
2017-01-01 to 2017-12-31
Temporal Resolution
12 Hour
Concept ID
C3291175952-NSIDC_CPRD
Data State
DEPRECATED
Number of Files/Granules
0
Processing Level
3
Published
Science Keywords
Freeze/Thaw

Citation

Citation is critically important for dataset documentation and discovery. This dataset is openly shared, without restriction, in accordance with the EOSDIS Data Use and Citation Guidance.

Copy Citation

Kim, Y., Kimball, J., Glassy, J., & McDonald, K. (2017). MEaSUREs Global Record of Daily Landscape Freeze/Thaw Status, Version 4 [Dataset]. NASA National Snow and Ice Data Center Distributed Active Archive Center. https://doi.org/10.5067/MEASURES/CRYOSPHERE/NSIDC-0477.004 Date Accessed: 2026-09-12

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Publications Citing This Dataset

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Title Year Author Topic
Detecting surface freeze-thaw states in Northeast China with passive microwave data using an improved standard deviation method Man, Hao-Ran, Xiao, Yang, Zang, Shu-Ying, Li, Miao, Dong, Xing-Feng Freeze/Thaw
Exposure to cold temperature affects the spring phenology of Alaskan deciduous vegetation types Shi, Mingjie, Parazoo, Nicholas C, Jeong, Su-Jong, Birch, Leah, Lawrence, Peter, Euskirchen, Eugenie S, Miller, Charles E Primary Production, Respiration Rate, Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide, Biogeochemical Cycles, Carbon, Freeze/Thaw
The accuracy of snow melt-off day derived from optical and microwave radiometer dataA study for Europe Metsamaki, Sari, Bottcher, Kristin, Pulliainen, Jouni, Luojus, Kari, Cohen, Juval, Takala, Matias, Mattila, Olli-Pekka, Schwaizer, Gabriele, Derksen, Chris, Koponen, Sampsa Freeze/Thaw
Circumpolar patterns of potential mean annual ground temperature based on surface state obtained from microwave satellite data Kroisleitner, Christine, Bartsch, Annett, Bergstedt, Helena Freeze/Thaw
Satellite Microwave Remote Sensing of Landscape FreezeThaw Status Related to Frost Hazard Monitoring Kim, Youngwook, Kimball, John S., Du, Jinyang Plant Phenology, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Plant Phenological Changes, Vegetation Index, Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI), Freeze/Thaw, Transition Direction
Retrieving landscape freeze/thaw state from Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) radar and radiometer measurements Derksen, Chris, Xu, Xiaolan, Scott Dunbar, R., Colliander, Andreas, Kim, Youngwook, Kimball, John S., Black, T. Andrew, Euskirchen, Eugenie, Langlois, Alexandre, Loranty, Michael M., Marsh, Philip, Rautiainen, Kimmo, Roy, Alexandre, Royer, Alain, Stephens, Jilmarie Freeze/Thaw, SIGMA NAUGHT, Transition Direction, Soil Moisture/Water Content, ORBITAL CHARACTERISTICS, RADAR IMAGERY, Brightness Temperature, Root Zone Soil Moisture, Surface Soil Moisture, Freeze/Thaw
Cryosphere: Remote Sensing Nolin, Anne W. Freeze/Thaw
Quantification of warming climate-induced changes in terrestrial Arctic river ice thickness and phenology Park, Hotaek, Yoshikawa, Yasuhiro, Oshima, Kazuhiro, Kim, Youngwook, Ngo-Duc, Thanh, Kimball, John S., Yang, Daqing Freeze/Thaw
Widespread permafrost vulnerability and soil active layer increases over the high northern latitudes inferred from satellite remote sensing and process model ... Park, Hotaek, Kim, Youngwook, Kimball, John S. Freeze/Thaw
New satellite climate data records indicate strong coupling between recent frozen season changes and snow cover over high northern latitudes Kim, Youngwook, Kimball, J S, Robinson, D A, Derksen, C Freeze/Thaw
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