Welcome to the National Snow and Ice Data Center

Advancing knowledge of Earth's frozen regions since 1976

Stay current with our expert analyses

Sea ice in all types of shapes
Greenland and Antarctic Ice Sheets
skiers drop in from a cliff in Silverton, Colorado
Analysis - Ice Sheets Today
July 10, 2025
Surface melting on the Greenland Ice Sheet is on a slightly above-average track for the 2025 melt season, with melt along the western coast leading the way. Overall, total melt-day extent as of June 20 is thirteenth highest in the 47-year satellite record. However, ongoing changes in the operation and data transfer from our main Special Sensor Microwave Imager/Sounder (SSMIS) satellite system for melt observations is leading to frequent gaps in coverage. Overview of conditions Melting so far this year on the Greenland Ice Sheet has been limited to coastal areas but extends to the lower

Data, research & analysis updates

With the migration of GLAS/ICESat data to the NASA Earthdata Cloud, transformation services will be retired and no replacement services in the cloud are planned for GLAS/ICESat L1B Global Elevation Data (HDF5), Version 34 (GLAH06). As a result, downloading a subsetted GLAH06 file in HDF5 format is no longer an option within the OpenAltimetry web application.

Data management programs at NSIDC

A satellite view of Malaspina Glacier in Alaska

NASA National Snow and Ice Data Center Distributed Active Archive Center (NSIDC DAAC)

Open access cryosphere and related geophysical data from NASA Earth-observing satellite missions, airborne campaigns, and field observations.
methane bubbles frozen in lake in Canada

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) at NSIDC

A NOAA-funded program providing open access data from satellites, field instruments, weather stations, historical records, and rescued data.
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Exchange for Local Observations and Knowledge of the Arctic (ELOKA): Data Curation for Indigenous Communities

Working with Indigenous communities in the Arctic to preserve and promote their data and knowledge for use in scientific studies.