News & Stories
Across the globe, snow and ice play a vital role in regulating Earth’s climate and providing freshwater resources to people, plants, and animals.
As Earth’s frozen regions change rapidly, NSIDC is committed to growing its research and open access data to better understand these changes. Read about NSIDC research and its contribution to science and policy making. Check out spotlights on how to use NSIDC data, tools, and resources. Learn about how we steward data and collaborate with scientists and organizations across the world to understand how the frozen parts of Earth affect the rest of the planet and impact society.
News and stories
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Analysis - Ice Sheets Today
While most of the 2022 Greenland melt season was near average, September set records for high temperatures, melt extent, and ice loss.
Feature Story
Through partnerships with community members and vital climate information recorded by volunteers in local observer networks, NSIDC's Arctic Rain on Snow Study (AROSS) aims to better understand rain on snow events and other winter precipitation changes—with a focus on how they impact peoples in the Arctic.
Analysis - Sea Ice Today
After reaching the minimum on September 18, Arctic sea ice extent has been steadily increasing. With the passage of the equinox, the sun has set at the North Pole.
Spotlight
Thirty-four data sets from the Ice, Cloud, and land Elevation Satellite-2 (ICESat-2), and Ice, Cloud, and land Elevation Satellite/Geoscience Laser Altimeter System (ICESat/GLAS) collections are now available in the NASA Earthdata Cloud environment. These data sets will still continue to be available to users via their current and familiar workflows, while allowing users the opportunity to try new ways to download and access these data in the cloud.
Ask a Scientist
NSIDC archives satellite data for polar sea ice dating back to November 1978. The sharpest declines have occurred in the summer and fall, including the time of year when sea ice reaches its annual minimum in September. Although Arctic sea ice extent has not declined as much during winter months, it has still shown a steadily decreasing trend. Arctic sea ice extent now exhibits long-term declines in all months, including the coldest, darkest months of the year.