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Sea Ice Products at NSIDC

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Visible and Infrared Sea Ice Products

Return to top IMS Daily Northern Hemisphere Snow and Ice Analysis at 4 KM and 24 KM Resolution
Parameter: Sea ice extent and concentration, snow cover
Source: NOAA National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service (NESDIS) weekly snow and ice analyses; original data were compiled from several satellites and ground-based observations. Projection: N/A
Temporal Coverage: February 1997 through present Temporal Resolution: Daily
Spatial Coverage: Northern Hemispheres Spatial Resolution: 4 km, 24 km
Data Format: Flat binary with header/metadata files

  • By agreement with NOAA, NSIDC archives and makes the Interactive Multisensor Snow and Ice Mapping System (IMS) products available on a daily basis. The IMS product is produced in near-real time to meet a daily operational need.

  • The IMS product is considered operational, but OSDPD does not guarantee availability or timely delivery of data via the OSDPD Web server, and NSIDC does not guarantee availability of this product via the NSIDC Web server. These servers should not be used to support operational observation, forecasting, emergency, or disaster mitigation operations, either public or private. Users with real-time operational needs should contact the Satellite Analysis Branch (SAB) Snow Product Lead within the NOAA/NESDIS/OSDPD/SSD/Interactive Processing Branch at 301-763-8142 or ssdhelpdesk@noaa.gov and request access to the operational server.



Return to top MODIS/Aqua Sea Ice Extent 5-Min L2 Swath 1km
Parameter: Sea ice extent and ice surface temperature
Source: MODIS Projection: Swath
Temporal Coverage: 04 July 2002 through present Temporal Resolution: 5 minutes
Spatial Coverage: Global Spatial Resolution: 1 km
Data Format: HDF-EOS
  • The sea ice algorithm uses a Normalized Difference Snow Index (NDSI) modified for sea ice to distinguish sea ice from open ocean, based on reflective characteristics. Thermal data are used to derive ice surface temperature (IST).



Return to top MODIS/Aqua Sea Ice Extent Daily L3 Global 1km EASE-Grid Day
Parameter: Sea ice extent and ice surface temperature
Source: MODIS Projection: EASE-Grid
Temporal Coverage: 04 July 2002 through present Temporal Resolution: Daily
Spatial Coverage: Global Spatial Resolution: 1 km
Data Format: HDF-EOS
  • The sea ice algorithm uses a Normalized Difference Snow Index (NDSI) modified for sea ice to distinguish sea ice from open ocean, based on reflective characteristics. Thermal data are used to derive ice surface temperature (IST).



Return to top MODIS/Aqua Sea Ice Extent and IST Daily L3 Global 4km EASE-Grid Day
Parameter: Sea ice extent and ice surface temperature
Source: MODIS Projection: EASE-Grid
Temporal Coverage: 04 July 2002 through present Temporal Resolution: Daily
Spatial Coverage: Arctic, Antarctic Spatial Resolution: 4 km
Data Format: HDF-EOS
  • The sea ice algorithm uses a Normalized Difference Snow Index (NDSI) modified for sea ice to distinguish sea ice from open ocean, based on reflective characteristics. Thermal data are used to derive ice surface temperature (IST).



Return to top MODIS/Terra Sea Ice Extent 5-Min L2 Swath 1km
Parameter: Sea ice extent and ice surface temperature
Source: MODIS Projection: Swath
Temporal Coverage: 24 February 2000 through present Temporal Resolution: 5 minutes
Spatial Coverage: Global Spatial Resolution: 1 km
Data Format: HDF-EOS
  • The sea ice algorithm uses a Normalized Difference Snow Index (NDSI) modified for sea ice to distinguish sea ice from open ocean, based on reflective characteristics. Thermal data are used to derive ice surface temperature (IST).



Return to top MODIS/Terra Sea Ice Extent Daily L3 Global 1km EASE-Grid Day
Parameter: Sea ice extent and ice surface temperature
Source: MODIS Projection: EASE-Grid
Temporal Coverage: 24 February 2000 through present Temporal Resolution: Daily
Spatial Coverage: Global Spatial Resolution: 1 km
Data Format: HDF-EOS
  • The sea ice algorithm uses a Normalized Difference Snow Index (NDSI) modified for sea ice to distinguish sea ice from open ocean, based on reflective characteristics. Thermal data are used to derive ice surface temperature (IST).



Return to top MODIS/Terra Sea Ice Extent Daily L3 Global 1km EASE-Grid Night
Parameter: Sea ice extent and ice surface temperature
Source: MODIS Projection: EASE-Grid
Temporal Coverage: 24 February 2000 through present Temporal Resolution: Daily
Spatial Coverage: Global Spatial Resolution: 1 km
Data Format: HDF-EOS
  • The sea ice algorithm uses a Normalized Difference Snow Index (NDSI) modified for sea ice to distinguish sea ice from open ocean, based on reflective characteristics. Thermal data are used to derive ice surface temperature (IST).



Return to top MODIS/Terra Sea Ice Extent and IST Daily L3 Global 4km EASE-Grid Day
Parameter: Sea ice extent and ice surface temperature
Source: MODIS Projection: EASE-Grid
Temporal Coverage: 15 September 2003 through present Temporal Resolution: Daily
Spatial Coverage: Arctic, Antarctic Spatial Resolution: 4 km
Data Format: HDF-EOS
  • The sea ice algorithm uses a Normalized Difference Snow Index (NDSI) modified for sea ice to distinguish sea ice from open ocean, based on reflective characteristics. Thermal data are used to derive ice surface temperature (IST).



Return to top SHEBA Reconnaissance Imagery
Parameter: Optical band imagery
Source: Classified sensor from National Imagery and Mapping Agency, Medea Environmental Intelligence and Applications Program Projection: Polar stereographic projection true at 70 degrees North, and rotated by 45 degrees to match the SSM/I grid; Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM)
Temporal Coverage: Select days between 25 August 1997 and 03 October 1998 Temporal Resolution: Not applicable
Spatial Coverage: Arctic Ocean (74°N, 180°W to 90°N, 180°E) Spatial Resolution: Approximately 1 m by 1 m
Data Format: GeoTIFF; BSQ binary; ERDAS Imagine
  • Summertime visible band imagery of Beaufort Sea ice has a resolution of about 1 m, making it suitable for studies of small-scale surface characteristics, including melt ponds.
  • Images are of variable size and do not necessarily cover the same ice over time or the same geographical area.
  • Most imagery has some cloud contamination.
  • The imagery is not calibrated.