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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 Sort descending | Version | Platform | Instrument | Temporal Extent | Spatial Extent | Spatial Resolution | Data Format |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ICESat-2 Derived Sea Ice Melt Pond Characteristics from the Density-Dimension Algorithm V003 | 3 | ICESat-2 | ATLAS | 2020-06-04 to 2020-08-28 |
N: 90 S: 75 E: 0 W: -150 |
ASCII, PNG | |
| ICESat-2 L4 Along-Track Sea Ice Thickness V001 | 001 | ICESat-2, MODELS | ATLAS, NOT APPLICABLE | 2018-10-14 to 2022-05-01 |
N: 88 S: 60 E: 180 W: -180 |
netCDF-4 | |
| ICESat-2 L4 Monthly Gridded Sea Ice Thickness V001 | 1 | ICESat-2, MODELS | ATLAS, NOT APPLICABLE | 2018-11-01 to 2021-04-30 |
N: 88 S: 60 E: 180 W: -180 |
25 Kilometers x 25 Kilometers | NetCDF |
| ICESat-2 L4 Monthly Gridded Sea Ice Thickness V002 | 2 | ICESat-2, MODELS | ATLAS, NOT APPLICABLE | 2018-11-01 to 2022-04-30 |
N: 88 S: 60 E: 180 W: -180 |
25 Kilometers x 25 Kilometers | netCDF-4 |
| ICESat-2 L4 Monthly Gridded Sea Ice Thickness V003 | 3 | ICESat-2, MODELS | ATLAS, NOT APPLICABLE | 2018-11-01 to 2024-04-30 |
N: 88 S: 30 E: 180 W: -180 |
25 Kilometers x 25 Kilometers | netCDF-4 |
| ICESat-2 L4 Monthly Gridded Sea Ice Thickness V004 | 4 | ICESat-2, MODELS | ATLAS, NOT APPLICABLE | 2018-11-01 to 2025-04-30 |
N: 88 S: 30 E: 180 W: -180 |
25 Kilometers x 25 Kilometers | netCDF-4 |
| International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project (ISCCP) Ice Snow Product in Native Data Format | 1 | NOAA-10, NOAA-11, NOAA-12, NOAA-14, NOAA-15, NOAA-16, NOAA-17, NOAA-18, NOAA-7, NOAA-8, NOAA-9 | AVHRR | 1983-07-03 to 2009-12-28 | Binary | ||
| ISLSCP II Global Sea Ice Concentration | 1 | COMPUTERS, Nimbus-7, DMSP | Computer, SMMR, SSM/I | 1986-01-01 to 1995-12-31 |
N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 |
Shapefile | |
| KMZ for ALOS PALSAR Radiometric Terrain Corrected Product | 1 | ALOS | PALSAR | 2006-03-23 to 2011-04-22 |
N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 |
||
| LVIS Classic L2 Geolocated Surface Elevation and Canopy Height Product V001 | 1 | B-200, C-130, G-III, G-V | LVIS | 1998-03-20 to Present |
N: 72 S: -3 E: 17 W: -168 |
ASCII | |
| LVIS Facility L2 Geolocated Surface Elevation and Canopy Height Product V001 | 1 | B-200, G-III, G-V, P-3B | LVIS | 2018-11-07 to Present |
N: 88 S: -35 E: 27 W: -167 |
ASCII | |
| MEaSUREs Arctic Sea Ice Characterization Daily 25km EASE-Grid 2.0 V001 | 1 | Aqua, DMSP 5D-2/F11, DMSP 5D-2/F13, DMSP 5D-2/F8, DMSP 5D-3/F17, Nimbus-7, Terra | AMSR-E, SSM/I, SSMIS, SMMR | 1979-01-01 to 2012-12-31 |
N: 90 S: 0 E: 180 W: -180 |
25 Kilometers x 25 Kilometers | netCDF-4 |
| MEaSUREs Northern Hemisphere State of Cryosphere Daily 25km EASE-Grid 2.0 V001 | 1 | DMSP 5D-2/F13, DMSP 5D-3/F17, Terra | SSM/I, SSMIS, MODIS | 1999-01-01 to 2012-12-31 |
N: 90 S: 0 E: 180 W: -180 |
25 Kilometers x 25 Kilometers | netCDF-4 |
| MEaSUREs Northern Hemisphere State of Cryosphere Weekly 100km EASE-Grid 2.0 V001 | 1 | DMSP 5D-2/F11, DMSP 5D-2/F13, DMSP 5D-2/F8, DMSP 5D-3/F17, Nimbus-7 | SSM/I, SSMIS, SMMR | 1979-01-02 to 2012-12-31 |
N: 90 S: 0 E: 180 W: -180 |
100 Kilometers x 100 Kilometers | netCDF-4 |
| MERRA-2 tavg1_2d_flx_Nx: 2d,1-Hourly,Time-Averaged,Single-Level,Assimilation,Surface Flux Diagnostics 0.625 x 0.5 degree V5.12.4 (M2T1NXFLX) at GES DISC | 5.12.4 | MERRA-2 | NOT APPLICABLE | 1980-01-01 to Present |
N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 |
0.625 Decimal Degrees x 0.5 Decimal Degrees | |
| MERRA-2 tavg1_2d_int_Nx: 2d,1-Hourly,Time-Averaged,Single-Level,Assimilation,Vertically Integrated Diagnostics 0.625 x 0.5 degree V5.12.4 (M2T1NXINT) at GES DISC | 5.12.4 | MERRA-2 | NOT APPLICABLE | 1980-01-01 to Present |
N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 |
0.625 Decimal Degrees x 0.5 Decimal Degrees | |
| MERRA-2 tavg1_2d_ocn_Nx: 2d,1-Hourly,Time-Averaged,Single-Level,Assimilation,Ocean Surface Diagnostics 0.625 x 0.5 degree V5.12.4 (M2T1NXOCN) at GES DISC | 5.12.4 | MERRA-2 | NOT APPLICABLE | 1980-01-01 to Present |
N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 |
0.625 Decimal Degrees x 0.5 Decimal Degrees | |
| MERRA-2 tavg3_2d_glc_Nx: 2d,3-Hourly,Time-Averaged,Single-Level,Assimilation,Land Ice Surface Diagnostics 0.625 x 0.5 degree V5.12.4 (M2T3NXGLC) at GES DISC | 5.12.4 | MERRA-2 | NOT APPLICABLE | 1980-01-01 to Present |
N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 |
0.625 Decimal Degrees x 0.5 Decimal Degrees | |
| MERRA-2 tavgM_2d_flx_Nx: 2d,Monthly mean,Time-Averaged,Single-Level,Assimilation,Surface Flux Diagnostics 0.625 x 0.5 degree V5.12.4 (M2TMNXFLX) at GES DISC | 5.12.4 | MERRA-2 | NOT APPLICABLE | 1980-01-01 to Present |
N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 |
0.625 Decimal Degrees x 0.5 Decimal Degrees | |
| MERRA-2 tavgM_2d_glc_Nx: 2d,Monthly mean,Time-Averaged,Single-Level,Assimilation,Land Ice Surface Diagnostics 0.625 x 0.5 degree V5.12.4 (M2TMNXGLC) at GES DISC | 5.12.4 | MERRA-2 | NOT APPLICABLE | 1980-01-01 to Present |
N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 |
0.625 Decimal Degrees x 0.5 Decimal Degrees | |
| MERRA-2 tavgM_2d_int_Nx: 2d,Monthly mean,Time-Averaged,Single-Level,Assimilation,Vertically Integrated Diagnostics 0.625 x 0.5 degree V5.12.4 (M2TMNXINT) at GES DISC | 5.12.4 | MERRA-2 | NOT APPLICABLE | 1980-01-01 to Present |
N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 |
0.625 Decimal Degrees x 0.5 Decimal Degrees | |
| 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 | 5.12.4 | MERRA-2 | NOT APPLICABLE | 1980-01-01 to Present |
N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 |
0.625 Decimal Degrees x 0.5 Decimal Degrees | |
| 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 | 5.12.4 | MERRA-2 | NOT APPLICABLE | 1980-01-01 to Present |
N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 |
0.625 Decimal Degrees x 0.5 Decimal Degrees | |
| 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 | 5.12.4 | MERRA-2 | NOT APPLICABLE | 1980-01-01 to Present |
N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 |
0.625 Decimal Degrees x 0.5 Decimal Degrees | |
| 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 | 5.12.4 | MERRA-2 | NOT APPLICABLE | 1980-01-01 to Present |
N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 |
0.625 Decimal Degrees x 0.5 Decimal Degrees |
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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