Data set update: Sea Ice Index, Version 3

NOAA@NSIDC is pleased to announce that the Sea Ice Index, Version 3 data set, accessible through the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC), has been updated from near-real-time data to final data for the period 01 January 2023 through 31 December 2024.

When first processed, the Sea Ice Index uses near-real-time (NRT) sea ice concentration as input. This NRT product may contain missing data and undergoes fewer quality control procedures compared to the final sea ice concentration data product from NASA Goddard. While the NRT product provides sea ice extent and concentration data for the previous day, the final input product typically lags behind the present by approximately one year or longer. Once the final NASA Goddard sea ice concentration product becomes available, NOAA@NSIDC reprocesses the data to incorporate the more thoroughly quality-controlled and gap-filled input data for the Sea Ice Index calculations. This reprocessing has now been completed for the years 2023 and 2024. 

Data set DOI: https://doi.org/10.7265/N5K072F8