Sea Ice Index Daily and Monthly Image Viewer

Arctic- and Antarctic-wide changes in sea ice

Current data

 Blue Marble View
  • Extent
  • Concentration
  • Anomalies

The monthly Sea Ice Index provides a quick look at Arctic-wide changes in sea ice. It is a source for consistently processed ice extent and concentration images and data values since 1979. Monthly images show sea ice extent with an outline of the 30-year (1981-2010) median extent for that month (magenta line). Other monthly images show sea ice concentration and anomalies and trends in concentration.

Monthly Sea Ice Extent Anomaly Graph

This graph shows monthly ice extent anomalies plotted as a time series of percent difference between the extent for the month in question and the mean for that month based on the January 1981 to December 2010 data. The anomaly data points are plotted as plus signs and the trend line is plotted with a dashed grey line. Read more ...
  • Extent
  • Concentration

The daily Sea Ice Index provides a quick look at Arctic-wide changes in sea ice. It provides consistently processed daily ice extent and concentration images and data since 1979. Daily extent images show ice extent at concentrations greater than 15% for a given day with an outline of the typical extent for that day based on a 30-year (1981-2010) median (orange line).

Daily Sea Ice Extent Time Series

This graph provides a snapshot of changes in ice extent for the last four months. The graph shows a time series for the Northern hemisphere (solid blue line). The graph also includes a comparison line for the 1981 through 2010 average (solid grey line) that is plotted for the previous four months as well as the upcoming month. The light gray area around the 1981-2010 average line shows the two standard deviation range of the data. The graph also includes lines for selected earlier years, for comparison (dashed green line). Read more ...
  • Extent
  • Concentration
  • Anomalies

The monthly Sea Ice Index provides a quick look at Antarctic-wide changes in sea ice. It is a source for consistently processed ice extent and concentration images and data values since 1979. Monthly images show sea ice extent with an outline of the 30-year (1981-2010) median extent for that month (magenta line). Other monthly images show sea ice concentration and anomalies and trends in concentration.

Monthly Sea Ice Extent Anomaly Graph

This graph shows monthly ice extent anomalies plotted as a time series of percent difference between the extent for the month in question and the mean for that month based on the January 1981 to December 2010 data. The anomaly data points are plotted as plus signs and the trend line is plotted with a dashed grey line. Read more ...
  • Extent
  • Concentration

The daily Sea Ice Index provides a quick look at Antarctic-wide changes in sea ice. It provides consistently processed daily ice extent and concentration images and data since 1979. Daily extent images show ice extent at concentrations greater than 15% for a given day with an outline of the typical extent for that day based on a 30-year (1981-2010) median (orange line).

Daily Sea Ice Extent Time Series

This graph provides a snapshot of changes in ice extent for the last four months. The graph shows a time series for the Southern hemisphere (solid blue line). The graph also includes a comparison line for the 1981 through 2010 average (solid grey line) that is plotted for the previous four months as well as the upcoming month. The light gray area around the 1981-2010 average line shows the two standard deviation range of the data. The graph also includes lines for selected earlier years, for comparison (dashed dark blue line). Read more ...

 


About the banner image: This photograph of sea ice was taken during the Multidisciplinary drifting Observatory for the Study of Arctic Climate (MOSAiC) expedition. The photographer, atmospheric scientist Ivo Beck, illuminated a ridge of sea ice from behind with a searchlight to produce the dramatic green/blue shine. The MOSAiC sea ice focus asks how local and regional energy exchanges are affected by changes in ice and snow. These exchanges affect what we see in larger scale monitoring tools like the Sea Ice Index.