Cryosphere
Cryospheric variables include sea ice concentration, sea ice thickness, snow cover, glacier extent, and more. Overview pages summarize and compare selected datasets of a given variable.
To find a specific dataset or variable, jump to the search box below or click your desired variable from among the blue sub-category buttons.
To view only the datasets with commentaries from experts, select the "Datasets with guidance" button when using the search box.
Climate datasets
![Snow Cover Extent (Northern Hemisphere) Climate Data Record, by Rutgers Snow Cover Extent (Northern Hemisphere) Climate Data Record, by Rutgers](/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/2022-03/Rutgers-snow-cover-extent.png?itok=TdcgapuL)
Years of record
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The Snow Cover Extent Climate Data Record extends from the late 1960s to present. Historical analyses based on visual inspection have been digitized and combined with modern…
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Timestep
- Monthly, Weekly
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Domain
- North America
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Collections
- Climate Data Record, Diagnostic Data Sets, NCAR-DOE-CESM, landdiagnostics
Experts contributing reviews
- Estilow, Thomas W. | Robinson, David
![MEaSUREs Northern Hemisphere Terrestrial Snow Cover Extent Daily 25km EASE-Grid 2.0 MEaSUREs Northern Hemisphere Terrestrial Snow Cover Extent Daily 25km EASE-Grid 2.0](/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/2022-03/MEaSures_SNE.daily.NSIDC.png?itok=_i1xoQFH)
Years of record
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"This data set offers users 25 km Northern Hemisphere snow cover extent represented by four different variables. Three of the snow cover variables are derived from the…
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Formats
- netCDF
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Timestep
- Daily
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Domain
- NH - Northern Hemisphere
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Collections
- N/A
Experts contributing reviews
- N/A
![MEaSUREs: Northern Hemisphere Terrestrial Snow Cover Extent Weekly 100km EASE-Grid 2.0 MEaSUREs: Northern Hemisphere Terrestrial Snow Cover Extent Weekly 100km EASE-Grid 2.0](/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/2022-03/MEaSures_SNE.NSIDC.png?itok=DILj0VR1)
Years of record
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"This data set offers users weekly 100 km Northern Hemisphere snow cover extent represented by three different variables. Two of the variables are derived from individual…
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Formats
- netCDF
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Timestep
- Weekly
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Domain
- NH - Northern Hemisphere
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Collections
- Climate Data Record
Experts contributing reviews
- N/A
![From Petty et al. (2020); provided by Rachel Tilling](/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/2023-08/Petty_snippet.png?itok=tTodpOxT)
Years of record
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While satellite observations of sea ice extent and concentration are available from 1979, long-term high quality (daily and high spatial resolution) observations of sea ice…
Experts contributing reviews
- Labe, Zachary | Tilling, Rachel
![Global Monthly EASE-Grid Snow Water Equivalent Climatology: SSMR, SSMI Global Monthly EASE-Grid Snow Water Equivalent Climatology: SSMR, SSMI](/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/2022-03/teaser_images_554.png?itok=ENSFXWUO)
Years of record
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This data set comprises global, monthly satellite-derived snow water equivalent (SWE) climatologies from November 1978 through May 2007, and is updated with more recent data…
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Formats
- binary
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Timestep
- Monthly
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Collections
- N/A
Experts contributing reviews
- N/A
![NSIDC Sea Ice Index NSIDC Sea Ice Index](/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/2022-03/NSIDC-Sea-Ice-Index.png?itok=Yq926eQX)
Years of record
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The NSIDC Sea Ice Index is a suite of easy-to-use sea ice analyses to track changes in Arctic and Antarctic sea ice. The product is produced and supported by the NOAA at…
Experts contributing reviews
- Meier, Walter
![Global Permafrost Zonation Index Map Global Permafrost Zonation Index Map](/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/2022-03/teaser_images_612.png?itok=VH-AaxYN)
Years of record
- N/A
This data set contains a global (excluding Antarctica) 1 km map of permafrost zonation. It is an estimate of to what degree permafrost exists in a region nearly everywhere,…
Experts contributing reviews
- Gruber, Stephan
![(credit: Signe Aaboe and Thomas Lavergne)](/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/2023-08/osisaf_sh_sie_daily-all.png?itok=H49eDJhw)
Years of record
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The Ocean and Sea Ice Satellite Applications Facility (OSI SAF) of EUMETSAT provides sea ice concentration products for the Arctic and Antarctic based on satellite passive…
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Formats
- netCDF
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Timestep
- Daily
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Collections
- N/A
Experts contributing reviews
- Aaboe, Signe | Lavergne, Thomas
![Sea Ice Concentration: NOAA/NSIDC Climate Data Record Sea Ice Concentration: NOAA/NSIDC Climate Data Record](/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/2022-03/teaser_images_632.png?itok=_uomqSgw)
Years of record
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The NOAA/NSIDC Climate Data Record (CDR) of sea ice concentration is available at 25 x 25 km spatial resolution in daily or monthly timesteps for 1987-2014. It provides a…
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Formats
- netCDF
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Timestep
- Daily, Monthly
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Collections
- Climate Data Record
Experts contributing reviews
- Meier, Walter
![SST data: NOAA High-resolution (0.25x0.25) Blended Analysis of Daily SST and Ice, OISSTv2 SST data: NOAA High-resolution (0.25x0.25) Blended Analysis of Daily SST and Ice, OISSTv2](/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/2022-03/teaser_images_558.png?itok=ws8Fqqtp)
Years of record
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"NOAA’s Optimum Interpolation Sea Surface temperature (OISST, also known as Reynolds’ SST) is a series of global analysis products, including the weekly OISST on a 1° grid…
Main variables and Earth System components
Cryosphere Sea Ice Concentration Ocean SST - sea surface temperatureExperts contributing reviews
- Banzon, Viva | Reynolds, Richard