About NSIDC

In a nutshell

The National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) supports research into our world's frozen realms: the snow, ice, glaciers, frozen ground, and climate interactions that make up Earth's cryosphere.

NSIDC manages and distributes scientific data, creates tools for data access, supports data users, performs scientific research, and educates the public about the cryosphere.

NSIDC distributes more than 500 cryospheric data sets for researchers, from both satellite and ground observations. See Data at NSIDC to browse our holdings, get information, and download or order data sets.

Advancing knowledge of Earth's frozen regions

Data management: Our data management professionals and scientists work with data providers and users to create or publish data products, tools, and resources. We work to ensure that past, present, and future science data remain accessible for studying the Earth and its climate.

Scientific research: Scientists at NSIDC specialize in remote sensing of snow and ice, Arctic climate, frozen ground, ice sheets, glaciers, and more. Our researchers use the data products we offer, helping us better serve our research communities.

Experience: NSIDC began as an analog archive and information center, the World Data Center for Glaciology, to archive data and information from the 1957–1958 International Geophysical Year. Since then, NSIDC has evolved to manage cryosphere-related data ranging from the smallest text file to terabytes of remote sensing data from NASA’s Earth Observing System satellite program. Read more about NSIDC history.