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These articles provide answers to frequently asked questions related to Earth's frozen realms. Questions range from general background information and detailed science processes to the data gathered and archived at the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) and its data management programs including NOAA@NSIDC, the NASA NSIDC Distributed Active Archive Center (DAAC), and the Exchange for Local Observations and Knowledge of the Arctic (ELOKA). If you have a question that is not answered here, please contact NSIDC User Services.
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In the Rocky Mountains, as in many mountain ranges worldwide, snowpack is getting dirtier. Winds carry fine sediment particles from arid regions, and dust lofted high enough into the atmosphere can travel hundreds or even thousands of miles. Contents
Yes, satellite sensors sometimes observe sea ice in locations where there is no ice. This problem most often arises along rivers and near coastlines, and it results from limitations in sensor resolution. Ups and downs of passive microwave NSIDC
Sea ice melt near Greenland can affect ice on the island in a couple ways. As sea ice retreats from the fronts of marine-terminating glaciers, the glaciers lose stability and may flow faster. In addition, earlier onset of sea ice melt near Greenland
Satellites have continuously monitored sea ice since 1979. To gauge what Arctic sea ice was like before then, scientists use a combination of historical records and proxy measurements such as marine sediment cores. Taken together, these records
The Arctic ice cover plays an important role in maintaining Earth’s temperature—the shiny white ice reflects light and heat that the ocean would otherwise absorb, keeping the Northern Hemisphere cool. The continued loss of Arctic sea ice will include
Despite year-to-year variability, Arctic sea ice has steadily dropped during all seasons since the start of the satellite record in 1979. However, the changes are especially pronounced around the time of the sea ice minimum in September, when sea ice