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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | |
| 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 | 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 | |
| MODIS/Aqua Sea Ice Extent 5-Min L2 Swath 1km NRT | 6.1NRT | Aqua | MODIS | 2021-02-07 |
N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 |
1 Kilometers x 1 Kilometers | HDF-EOS |
| MODIS/Aqua Sea Ice Extent 5-Min L2 Swath 1km V061 | 61 | Aqua | MODIS | 2002-07-04 to Present |
N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 |
1 Kilometers x 1 Kilometers | HDF-EOS2 |
| MODIS/Aqua Sea Ice Extent and IST Daily L3 Global 4km EASE-Grid Day V061 | 61 | Aqua | MODIS | 2002-07-04 to Present |
N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 |
4 Kilometers x 4 Kilometers | HDF-EOS2 |
| MODIS/Aqua Sea Ice Extent Daily L3 Global 1km EASE-Grid Day V061 | 61 | Aqua | MODIS | 2002-07-04 to Present |
N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 |
1 Kilometers x 1 Kilometers | HDF-EOS2 |
| MODIS/Aqua Sea Ice Extent Daily L3 Global 1km EASE-Grid Night V061 | 61 | Aqua | MODIS | 2002-07-04 to Present |
N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 |
1 Kilometers x 1 Kilometers | HDF-EOS2 |
| MODIS/Terra Sea Ice Extent 5-Min L2 Swath 1km NRT | 6.1NRT | Terra | MODIS | 2021-02-07 |
N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 |
1 Kilometers x 1 Kilometers | HDF-EOS |
| MODIS/Terra Sea Ice Extent and IST Daily L3 Global 4km EASE-Grid Day V061 | 61 | Terra | MODIS | 2000-02-24 to Present |
N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 |
4 Kilometers x 4 Kilometers | HDF-EOS2 |
| MODIS/Terra Sea Ice Extent Daily L3 Global 1km EASE-Grid Day V061 | 61 | Terra | MODIS | 2000-02-24 to Present |
N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 |
1 Kilometers x 1 Kilometers | HDF-EOS2 |
| MODIS/Terra Sea Ice Extent Daily L3 Global 1km EASE-Grid Night V061 | 61 | Terra | MODIS | 2000-02-24 to Present |
N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 |
1 Kilometers x 1 Kilometers | HDF-EOS2 |
| Near-Real-Time AMSR2 EASE-Grid Daily Global Ice Concentration and Snow Extent V001 | 1 | GCOM-W1 | AMSR2 | 2024-01-01 to Present |
N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 |
25 Kilometers x 25 Kilometers | HDF-EOS4, HDF-EOS2 |
| Near-Real-Time DMSP SSMIS Daily Polar Gridded Sea Ice Concentrations V002 | 2 | DMSP 5D-3/F16, DMSP 5D-3/F17, DMSP 5D-3/F18 | SSMIS | 2023-01-01 to Present |
N: 90 S: 30.98 E: 180 W: -180 N: -39.23 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 |
25 Kilometers x 25 Kilometers | PNG, netCDF-4 |
| Near-Real-Time SSM/I EASE-Grid Daily Global Ice Concentration and Snow Extent V002 | 2 | DMSP 5D-2/F13 | SSM/I | 1995-05-04 to 2009-09-11 |
N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 |
25 Kilometers x 25 Kilometers | HDF-EOS2 |
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.
Frequently Asked Questions
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