Scientists
Research Grants
Scientific Publications
Informatics Research
NSIDC Scientific Expeditions
Scientists blog from Antarctica and provide a glimpse of what it's like to do research in the field. 
What's hot in the news around climate and sea ice and what are scientists talking about now? 
This data set contains observations of albedo, depth, and physical characteristics of melt ponds on sea ice, taken during the summer of 1994. The melt ponds studied were located just south of Cornwallis Island in the Barrow Strait, Nunavat, Canada. The reflectance spectra were acquired with a portable spectrometer. Cloud conditions and ice type were recorded as well.
Get Data
DOWNLOADING DATA VIA FTP
Data can be downloaded through a Web browser or command line via FTP. When using a Web browser, the FTP link first directs you to an Optional Registration Form that if filled out, will allow you to receive notifications about updates or processing changes related to that specific data set. After completing the Optional Registration Form, the FTP directory becomes available. For additional help downloading data through an FTP client, go to the How to access data using an FTP client support page.
Data Set ID:
G01169
Sea Ice Melt Pond Data from the Canadian Arctic, Version 1
Geographic Coverage
| Parameter(s): |
|
|---|---|
| Spatial Coverage: |
|
| Spatial Resolution: |
|
| Temporal Coverage: |
|
| Temporal Resolution: | 1 day |
| Data Format(s): |
|
| Platform(s) | GROUND-BASED OBSERVATIONS |
| Sensor(s): | SPECTROMETERS |
| Version: | V1 |
| Data Contributor(s): | Mike Morassutti |
| Metadata XML: | View Metadata Record |
Data Citation
As a condition of using these data, you must cite the use of this data set using the following citation. For more information, see our Use and Copyright Web page.
Morassutti, M. 1995. Sea Ice Melt Pond Data from the Canadian Arctic, Version 1. [Indicate subset used]. Boulder, Colorado USA. NSIDC: National Snow and Ice Data Center. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.7265/N55Q4T1C. [Date Accessed].Collapse All / Open All
Overview
This data set of melt pond observations from Barrow Strait, Nunavut, Canada, was provided to NSIDC by Mike Morassutti. The extensive measurements were acquired for use in climate studies and sea ice modeling. The reflectance spectra were acquired using a portable spectrometer. All data processing and quality control were completed at the Institute for Space and Terrestrial Science. The data are also in a report by Morassutti and LeDrew (1995). Please see this publication for more information.
Detailed Data Description
The data are stored in an ASCII file containing 22 columns. See sample data below.
| Column | Definition | Code Used | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Julian Day | I3 | |
| 2 | 2 Time of measurement (local time) | 0001-2400 | I4 |
| 3 | Field of view | see table 2 | A3 |
| 4 | Predominant observable cloud type | see table 3 | A3 |
| 5 | Degree of obscuration of solar disc | see table 4 | I1 |
| 6 | Ice type | see table 5 | I1 |
| 7 | Pond depth (m) | F5.3 | |
| 8 | Pond bottom texture | 0=smooth,1=rough | I1 |
| 9 | Indicates presence of ice layer | 0=no,1=yes | I1 |
| 10 | Indicates presence of debris in pond | 0=no,1=yes | I1 |
| 11 | Pond color | see table 6 | I2 |
| 12 | Broadband albedo (400-1000 nm) | F5.3 | |
| 13 | Visible albedo (400-700 nm) | F5.3 | |
| 14 | Near-infrared albedo (700-1000 nm) | F5.3 | |
| 15 | Band 1 albedo (blue, 400-500 nm) | F5.3 | |
| 16 | Band 2 albedo (green, 500-600 nm) | F5.3 | |
| 17 | Band 3 albedo (red, 600-700 nm) | F5.3 | |
| 18 | Band 4 albedo (near IR, 700-800 nm) | F5.3 | |
| 19 | Band 5 albedo (near IR, 800-900 nm) | F5.3 | |
| 20 | Band 6 albedo (near IR, 900-1000 nm) | F5.3 | |
| 21 | Thickness of ice layer (cm) | F3.1 | |
| 22 | Pond number | I3 |
| Code | Instrument FOV | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| CR | 180 degrees | ||
| B18 | 18 degrees | ||
| B5 | 5 degrees | ||
| Code | Cloud Type |
|---|---|
| AC | altocumulus |
| AS | altostratus |
| CC | cirrocumulus |
| CI | cirrus |
| CLR | clear skies |
| AC | altocumulus |
| FOG | foggy conditions |
| SC | stratocumulus |
| SCA | scattered conditions |
| ST | stratus |
| Code | Sun Obscuration |
|---|---|
| 1 | Full solar disc is visible |
| 2 | Bright sun with some obscuration (resulting from the presence of thin cirrus) |
| 3 | Noticeable reduction in solar disc brightness |
| 4 | Solar disc is faintly observable |
| 5 | Solar disc is totally occluded |
| Code | Ice Type |
|---|---|
| 1 | First-year ice |
| 2 | Multi-year ice |
| 3 | Landfast ice |
| Code | Color |
|---|---|
| 1 | white |
| 2 | white-grey |
| 3 | grey-white |
| 4 | grey |
| 5 | grey-blue |
| 6 | blue-grey |
| 7 | blue |
| 8 | blue-green |
| 9 | green-blue |
| 10 | green |
| 11 | green-brown |
| 12 | brown-green |
| 13 | brown |
| 14 | dark green |
| 15 | dark blue |
| 16 | dark grey |
| 17 | black |
The color codes specified were selected to match as closely as possible the color gradations occurring in the visible spectrum.
Sample Data Record
See Table 1 (above) for definitions of each column in the data, below.
147 1310 CR SC 5 3 0.090 1 0 1 7 0.402 0.619 0.184 0.702 0.682 0.519 0.256 0.198 0.140 0.0 01 147 1340 CR SC 5 3 0.002 1 0 1 6 0.508 0.640 0.377 0.694 0.674 0.607 0.489 0.375 0.261 0.0 02 148 1931 CR SC 5 1 0.025 1 0 0 4 0.483 0.673 0.292 0.733 0.712 0.633 0.437 0.296 0.154 0.0 03 148 1943 CR SC 5 1 0.030 1 0 0 4 0.423 0.593 0.253 0.649 0.630 0.551 0.373 0.260 0.146 0.0 04 148 2004 CR SC 5 1 0.040 1 0 0 4 0.431 0.556 0.305 0.613 0.595 0.522 0.380 0.314 0.248 0.0 05
Background color on
File Size
The data file is 67.4 KB.
Background color on
References and Related Publications
Contacts and Acknowledgments
Mike Morassutti
Earth Observations Laboratory,
Institute for Space and Terrestrial Science,
and the Department of Geography
University of Waterloo
Waterloo, Ontario, N2L 3G1
Canada
Acknowledgments:
This data set is maintained at NSIDC with support from the NOAA National Geophysical Data Center (NGDC).
Document Information
Document Authors
NSIDC staff
Document Creation Date
17 April 1996
Document Revision Date
January 2010, A. Windnagel added an NSIDC related data collection to that section.
July 2006, this document was reformatted. F. Fetterer reviewed this document.
No technical references available for this data set.
No FAQs or How Tos available for this data set.
Access complete Knowledge Base
Questions? Please contact:
NSIDC User Services
Phone: 1 303 492-6199
Email: nsidc@nsidc.org
NSIDC User Services
Phone: 1 303 492-6199
Email: nsidc@nsidc.org
