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 Data Access and Tools
Sea Ice Datasets
| Dataset Sort descending | Version | Platform | Instrument | Temporal Extent | Spatial Extent | Spatial Resolution | Data Format |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SWOT Level 2 Radiometer Brightness Temperatures and Troposphere Operational Data Product, Version 1.0 | 1.0 | SWOT | AMR | 2022-12-16 |
N: 77.6 S: -77.6 E: 180 W: -180 |
netCDF-4 | |
| SWOT Level 2 Radiometer Brightness Temperatures and Troposphere Operational Data Product Version D | D | SWOT | AMR | 2022-12-16 |
N: 77.6 S: -77.6 E: 180 W: -180 |
netCDF-4 | |
| VIIRS/JPSS1 Ice Surface Temperature 6-Min L2 Swath 750m NRT | 2 | NOAA-20 | VIIRS | 2023-10-10 to Present |
N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 |
750 Meters x 750 Meters | NetCDF |
| VIIRS/JPSS1 Ice Surface Temperature 6-Min L2 Swath 750m V002 | 2 | JPSS-1, NOAA-20 | VIIRS | 2018-01-05 to Present |
N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 |
750 Meters x 750 Meters | netCDF-4 |
| VIIRS/JPSS1 Ice Surface Temperature Daily L3 Global 750m EASE-Grid 2.0 Day V002 | 2 | JPSS-1, NOAA-20 | VIIRS | 2018-01-05 to Present |
N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 |
750 Meters x 750 Meters | HDF-EOS5 |
| VIIRS/JPSS1 Ice Surface Temperature Daily L3 Global 750m EASE-Grid 2.0 Night V002 | 2 | JPSS-1, NOAA-20 | VIIRS | 2018-01-05 to Present |
N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 |
750 Meters x 750 Meters | HDF-EOS5 |
| VIIRS/JPSS1 Sea Ice Cover 6-Min L2 Swath 375m V002 | 2 | JPSS-1, NOAA-20 | VIIRS | 2018-01-05 to Present |
N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 |
375 Meters x 375 Meters | netCDF-4 |
| VIIRS/JPSS1 Sea Ice Cover Daily L3 Global 375m EASE-Grid 2.0 Day V002 | 2 | JPSS-1, NOAA-20 | VIIRS | 2018-01-05 to Present |
N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 |
375 Meters x 375 Meters | HDF-EOS5 |
| VIIRS/JPSS1 Sea Ice Extent 6-Min L2 Swath 375m NRT | 2 | NOAA-20 | VIIRS | 2023-10-10 to Present |
N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 |
375 Meters x 375 Meters | NetCDF |
| VIIRS/JPSS2 Ice Surface Temperature 6-Min L2 Swath 750m V002 | 2 | JPSS-2, NOAA-21 | VIIRS | 2023-02-10 to Present |
N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 |
750 Meters x 750 Meters | NetCDF |
| VIIRS/JPSS2 Ice Surface Temperature Daily L3 Global 750m EASE-Grid 2.0 Day V002 | 2 | JPSS-2, NOAA-21 | VIIRS | 2023-02-10 to Present |
N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 |
750 Meters x 750 Meters | HDF-EOS5 |
| VIIRS/JPSS2 Ice Surface Temperature Daily L3 Global 750m EASE-Grid 2.0 Night V002 | 2 | JPSS-2, NOAA-21 | VIIRS | 2023-02-10 to Present |
N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 |
750 Meters x 750 Meters | HDF-EOS5 |
| VIIRS/JPSS2 Sea Ice Cover 6-Min L2 Swath 375 m V002 | 2 | JPSS-2, NOAA-21 | VIIRS | 2023-02-10 to Present |
N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 |
375 Meters x 375 Meters | NetCDF |
| VIIRS/JPSS2 Sea Ice Cover Daily L3 Global 375 m EASE-Grid 2.0 Day V002 | 2 | JPSS-2, NOAA-21 | VIIRS | 2023-02-10 to Present |
N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 |
375 Meters x 375 Meters | HDF-EOS5 |
| VIIRS/NPP Ice Surface Temperature 6-Min L2 Swath 750 m NRT | 2 | Suomi-NPP | VIIRS | 2012-01-19 to Present |
N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 |
750 Meters x 750 Meters | NetCDF |
| VIIRS/NPP Ice Surface Temperature 6-Min L2 Swath 750m NRT | 1 | Suomi-NPP | VIIRS | 2012-01-19 to Present |
N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 |
750 Meters x 750 Meters | NetCDF |
| VIIRS/NPP Ice Surface Temperature 6-Min L2 Swath 750m V001 | 1 | Suomi-NPP | VIIRS | 2012-01-19 to 2024-06-17 |
N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 |
750 Meters x 750 Meters | netCDF-4 |
| VIIRS/NPP Ice Surface Temperature 6-Min L2 Swath 750m V002 | 2 | Suomi-NPP | VIIRS | 2012-01-19 to Present |
N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 |
750 Meters x 750 Meters | netCDF-4 |
| VIIRS/NPP Ice Surface Temperature Daily L3 Global 750m EASE-Grid 2.0 Day V002 | 2 | Suomi-NPP | VIIRS | 2012-01-19 to Present |
N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 |
750 Meters x 750 Meters | HDF-EOS5 |
| VIIRS/NPP Ice Surface Temperature Daily L3 Global 750m EASE-Grid 2.0 Night V002 | 2 | Suomi-NPP | VIIRS | 2012-01-19 to Present |
N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 |
750 Meters x 750 Meters | HDF-EOS5 |
| VIIRS/NPP Sea Ice Cover 6-Min L2 Swath 375 m V001 | 1 | Suomi-NPP | VIIRS | 2012-01-19 to 2024-06-17 |
N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 |
375 Meters x 375 Meters | netCDF-4 |
| VIIRS/NPP Sea Ice Cover 6-Min L2 Swath 375m | 1 | Suomi-NPP | VIIRS | 2012-01-19 to Present |
N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 |
375 Meters x 375 Meters | NetCDF |
| VIIRS/NPP Sea Ice Cover 6-Min L2 Swath 375m V002 | 2 | Suomi-NPP | VIIRS | 2012-01-19 to Present |
N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 |
375 Meters x 375 Meters | netCDF-4 |
| VIIRS/NPP Sea Ice Cover Daily L3 Global 375m EASE-Grid 2.0 Day V002 | 2 | Suomi-NPP | VIIRS | 2012-01-19 to Present |
N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 |
375 Meters x 375 Meters | HDF-EOS5 |
| VIIRS/NPP Sea Ice Extent 6-Min L2 Swath 375m NRT | 2 | Suomi-NPP | VIIRS | 2023-10-10 to Present |
N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 |
375 Meters x 375 Meters | 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.
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 |
Frequently Asked Questions
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