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Introduction
Sea Ice Index
Monthly Sea Ice Images
Daily Sea Ice Images
Browse & Compare Images
Archived
Data & Images
Image
Derivation
Interpretation
Resources
Soil Temperature
Alaska
Russia
Snow Cover
Snow Off Day
Greenness
SINDVI
Nascence
Peak
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Introduction
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An image from the Sea
Ice section of this site. Median ice extent for February
shows the Odden, a sea ice feature off the east coast of Greenland that
has failed to form in recent years. |
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Mean annual soil temperature
profiles from the longest time series in the Soil
Temperature indicators. |
The Study of Environmental Arctic Change (SEARCH) research program seeks to
characterize and understand the pan-Arctic changes in land and ocean systems
that are engaging public as well as scientific attention. As a contribution
to SEARCH, we developed the cryospheric indicator time series. Products (trends
and anomalies for example) are kept up to date (when possible) and are displayed
with interpretive text and information about processing algorithms and uncertainties.
The images characterize, at a glance, the changes that are occurring, while
putting changes in a spatial and historical (within limits) context. We intend
for the material to provide non-scientists with a deeper understanding of the
interrelated Arctic changes, and to give scientists an up-to-date source for
information and illustrations of signal parameters.
Ideally, climate indicators are long records that are kept up to date. They
combine characteristics of climate data records,* from which trends can be derived,
and operational products. This combination is difficult to achieve. The team
at NSIDC hopes to continue working on the Cryospheric Indicators until this
ideal is realized.
The NOAA Arctic Research Program funds SEARCH elements that focus on observations.
The NSIDC indicator series supplements the NOAA Arctic Change site (www.arctic.noaa.gov/detect/),
which presents a principal component analysis of numerous parameters. See also State of the Cryosphere, for a scientific synopsis of changes in cryospheric parameters.
*Visit the National Academies Press (www.nap.edu/catalog/10944.html)
to download a free copy of Climate Data Records from Environmental Satellites:
Interim Report.
Acknowledgements
Funding from the NOAA Arctic Research Program and NOAA National
Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service, National Geophysical
Data Center, supported this work. Kenneth Knowles developed the NRTSI-G data
stream processing and programming behind the Sea Ice Index products. Mark Parsons
created the Soil Temperature indicator pages and assisted with Web site development.
Bruce Raup played a significant part in the early development of the snow cover
algorithm. Matt Savoie provided scientific programming and analysis for the
greenness and snow cover products. Jane Beitler and Kara Pharris improved the
site presentation and function over the original online version. Florence Fetterer
conceived the site and led the team that created these products. We thank external
reviewers of the Greenness indicator, particularly David C. Douglas, USGS Alaska
Science Center, and internal reviewers of the Snow Cover and Soil Temperature
sites, particularly Mary Jo Brodzik, Richard Armstrong, Oliver Frauenfeld,
and Tingjun Zhang.
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