Sea Ice Index

Description

Notice: On 5 August 2015, a problem arose with the F17 DMSP satellite that provides data to generate these images that led to bad/missing data. The F17 satellite is now back to normal operation. NSIDC is in the process of removing the bad data, and will be monitoring the incoming F17 data stream.The Sea Ice Index provides a quick look at Arctic- and Antarctic-wide changes in sea ice. It is a source for consistent, up-to-date sea ice extent and concentration images and data values from November 1978 to the present.Sea Ice Index images depict ice cover and trends in ice cover in the Arctic and Antarctic oceans. Sea Ice Index data files tabulate ice extent in numbers. The images and data are produced in a consistent way that makes the Index time-series appropriate for use when looking at long-term trends in sea ice cover. Both monthly and daily products are available. However, monthly products are better to use for long-term trend analysis because errors in the daily product tend to be averaged out in the monthly product and because day-to-day variations are often the result of short-term weather.Monthly images show sea ice extent with an outline of the median extent for that month for comparison. Other monthly images show sea ice concentration as well as trends in concentration for that month. Monthly extent products are also available as geographic information systems (GIS) compatible shapefiles. Plain ASCII text data files contain monthly mean extent and area, in millions of square kilometers, by year. These monthly extent numbers are used for graphs of extent anomalies with trend lines and significance intervals. Anomalies and median extent are calculated using a 30-year reference period of 1981 through 2010.Daily images show sea ice extent, with an outline of the median extent for that day for comparison, and sea ice concentration. Plain ASCII text data files contain daily extent, in millions of square kilometers, for almost every day from 1978 onward. These daily extent numbers are used for graphs of daily extent over the last four months.

General Information

• This data is described at

  http://catalog.data.gov/dataset/sea-ice-index Do you think this data is incorrect? Let us know

• This data is published by

  National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce Do you think this data is incorrect? Let us know

Legal Information

• The rights statement is at

  http://catalog.data.gov/dataset/sea-ice-index Do you think this data is incorrect? Let us know

• Outside the US, this data is available under

  Creative Commons CCZero Do you think this data is incorrect? Let us know

• There are

  yes, and the rights are all held by the same person or organisation Do you think this data is incorrect? Let us know

• The content is available under

  Creative Commons CCZero Do you think this data is incorrect? Let us know

• This data contains

  no data about individuals Do you think this data is incorrect? Let us know

Practical Information

• The data appears in this collection

  http://catalog.data.gov/organization/noaa-gov Do you think this data is incorrect? Let us know

• This data changes

  no Do you think this data is incorrect? Let us know

• The data is

  backed up offsite Do you think this data is incorrect? Let us know

Technical Information

• Releases of this data are listed at

  http://catalog.data.gov/api/rest/package/sea-ice-index Do you think this data is incorrect? Let us know

• The format of this data is

  a standard open format Do you think this data is incorrect? Let us know

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• Find out how to contact someone about this data at

  http://catalog.data.gov/dataset/sea-ice-index Do you think this data is incorrect? Let us know

• Find out how to suggest improvements to publication at

  http://www.data.gov/issue/?media_url=http://catalog.data.gov/dataset/sea-ice-index Do you think this data is incorrect? Let us know