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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GLAS/ICESat L2 Ocean Altimetry Data (HDF5) V034 | 034 | ICESat | ALTIMETERS, CD, GLAS, GPS, GPS Receiver, LA, PC | 2003-02-20 to 2009-10-11 |
N: 86 S: -86 E: 180 W: -180 |
60 Meters to 70 Meters x 60 Meters to 70 Meters | HDF |
| GLAS/ICESat L2 Sea Ice Altimetry Data (HDF5) V033 | 033 | ICESat | GLAS | 2003-02-20 to 2009-10-11 |
N: 86 S: -86 E: 180 W: -180 |
HDF | |
| GLAS/ICESat L2 Sea Ice Altimetry Data (HDF5) V034 | 034 | ICESat | ALTIMETERS, CD, GLAS, GPS, GPS Receiver, LA, PC | 2003-02-20 to 2009-10-11 |
N: 86 S: -86 E: 180 W: -180 |
60 Meters to 70 Meters x 60 Meters to 70 Meters | HDF |
| GLAS/ICESat L2 Sea Ice Altimetry Data V018 | 18 | ICESat | ALTIMETERS, GLAS | 2003-01-13 to 2010-01-13 |
N: 86 S: -86 E: 180 W: -180 |
Binary | |
| GLAS/ICESat L2 Sea Ice Altimetry Data V033 | 033 | ICESat | ALTIMETERS, GLAS | 2003-02-20 to 2009-10-11 |
N: 86 S: -86 E: 180 W: -180 |
Binary | |
| GLAS/ICESat L2 Sea Ice Altimetry Data V034 | 034 | ICESat | ALTIMETERS, GLAS | 2003-02-20 to 2009-10-11 |
N: 86 S: -86 E: 180 W: -180 |
60 Meters to 70 Meters x 60 Meters to 70 Meters | Binary |
| IceBridge Accumulation Radar L1B Geolocated Radar Echo Strength Profiles V002 | 2 | DC-8, P-3B | Accumulation Radar | 2013-03-21 to 2018-05-01 |
N: 90 S: 60 E: 180 W: -180 N: -53 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 |
netCDF-4, XML, JPEG | |
| IceBridge ATM L2 Icessn Elevation, Slope, and Roughness V002 | 2 | C-130, DC-8, G-V, HU-25A, HU-25C, P-3B, WP-3D ORION | ATM | 2009-03-31 to 2019-11-20 |
N: 90 S: 60 E: 180 W: -180 N: -53 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 |
ASCII | |
| IceBridge HiCARS 1 L2 Geolocated Ice Thickness V001 | 1 | BT-67, DHC-6 | HiCARS1 | 2009-01-02 to 2010-12-21 |
N: -53 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 |
XML, ASCII | |
| IceBridge HiCARS 2 L2 Geolocated Ice Thickness V001 | 1 | BT-67, DHC-6 | HiCARS2 | 2010-12-05 to 2013-01-20 |
N: -53 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 |
XML, ASCII | |
| IceBridge KT19 IR Surface Temperature V001 | 1 | DC-8, P-3B | KT19 Pyrometer | 2011-10-12 to 2019-05-17 |
N: 90 S: 60 E: 180 W: -180 N: -53 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 |
15 Meters x 15 Meters | ASCII |
| IceBridge KT19 IR Surface Temperature V002 | 2 | C-130, P-3B | KT19 Pyrometer | 2012-03-05 to 2019-05-17 |
N: -53 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 N: 90 S: 60 E: 180 W: -180 |
15 Meters x 15 Meters | ASCII |
| IceBridge Ku-Band Radar L1B Geolocated Radar Echo Strength Profiles V002 | 2 | C-130, DC-8, P-3B, WP-3D ORION | Ku-Band Radar | 2012-10-12 to 2016-11-18 |
N: -53 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 N: 90 S: 60 E: 180 W: -180 |
netCDF-4, XML, JPEG | |
| IceBridge L4 Sea Ice Freeboard, Snow Depth, and Thickness V001 | 1 | C-130, DC-8, P-3B | ATM, CAMBOT, DMS, SNOW RADAR | 2009-03-19 to 2013-04-25 |
N: 90 S: 60 E: 180 W: -180 N: -53 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 |
XML, CSV | |
| IceBridge MCoRDS L1B Geolocated Radar Echo Strength Profiles V002 | 2 | 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 |
N: 83.1 S: 59 E: 28.5 W: -100.2 N: -57 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 |
netCDF-4, JPEG | |
| IceBridge Merged Photon Counting Lidar/Profiler L4 Surface Slope and Elevations V001 | 1 | BT-67 | Sigma Space Lidar | 2010-11-25 to 2012-12-04 |
N: -53 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 |
10 Meters x 10 Meters | HDF5 |
| IceBridge Narrow Swath ATM L1B Elevation and Return Strength with Waveforms V001 | 1 | C-130, DC-8, G-V, HU-25C, P-3B | ATM | 2017-10-29 to 2019-11-20 |
N: -53 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 N: 90 S: 60 E: 180 W: -180 |
HDF5 | |
| IceBridge Narrow Swath ATM L1B Qfit Elevation and Return Strength V001 | 1 | DC-8, P-3B | ATM | 2011-03-16 to 2012-11-08 |
N: 90 S: 60 E: 180 W: -180 N: -53 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 |
2 Meters x 2 Meters | Binary |
| IceBridge PARIS L2 Ice Thickness V001 | 1 | AIRCRAFT, P-3B | RADAR ECHO SOUNDERS, PARIS | 2009-04-01 to 2009-05-02 |
N: 84 S: 60 E: -11 W: -73 |
ASCII | |
| IceBridge Sea Ice Freeboard, Snow Depth, and Thickness V001 | 1 | DC-8, P-3B | ATM, CAMBOT, DMS, SNOW RADAR | 2009-10-21 to 2012-04-10 |
N: -53 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 |
CSV | |
| IceBridge Snow Radar L1B Geolocated Radar Echo Strength Profiles V002 | 2 | C-130, DC-8, DHC-3, G-V, P-3B, WP-3D ORION | SNOW RADAR | 2009-03-31 to 2021-05-13 |
N: -53 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 N: 90 S: 60 E: 180 W: -180 |
netCDF-4, XML, JPEG | |
| IceBridge-Related DMS-Derived L4 Sea Ice Surface Cover Classification Images V001 | 1 | B-200, C-130, DC-8, HU-25A, HU-25C, P-3B, WP-3D ORION | DMS | 2010-03-23 to 2018-04-16 |
N: 90 S: 60 E: 180 W: -180 |
TIFF | |
| IceBridge-Related DMS-Derived L4 Sea Ice Surface Cover Classification Orthorectified Images V001 | 1 | C-130, DC-8, HU-25A, HU-25C, P-3B, WP-3D ORION | DMS | 2010-03-23 to 2017-07-25 |
N: 90 S: 60 E: 180 W: -180 |
TIFF | |
| ICESat L4 Seasonal Gridded Sea Ice Thickness V001 | 1 | ICESat | GLAS | 2003-02-20 to 2008-03-21 |
N: 86 S: 66 E: 180 W: -180 |
25 Kilometers x 25 Kilometers | netCDF-4, PNG |
| ICESat-2 and CryoSat-2 L4 Monthly Arctic Snow Depth and Sea Ice Thickness V001 | 1 | CRYOSAT-2, ICESat-2 | SIRAL, ATLAS | 2018-10-01 to 2021-04-30 |
N: 90 S: 62 E: 180 W: -180 |
25 Kilometers x 25 Kilometers | netCDF-4 |
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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