Polar Darkness in The Arctic
VIIRS image of Arctic sea ice
Scientists watched the Arctic with particular interest in the summer of 2012 when the areal extent of Arctic sea ice set a new record low. The behavior of sea ice following such a low extent also interests scientists, but as Arctic sea ice was advancing in the autumn of 2012, so was polar darkness. Fortunately, the VIIRS DNB on the Suomi NPP satellite can see in the dark and acquired this nighttime view of sea ice north of Russia and Alaska on October 30, 2012. During polar darkness (i.e., winter months), VIIRS DNB data allow scientists to observe sea ice formation and snow cover extent at the highest latitudes and to identify clear water where ships can safely navigate.
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Credits
Please give credit for this item to:
NASA, Earth at Night book
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Technical support
- Amy Moran (Global Science and Technology, Inc.)
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Data visualizers
- Jesse Allen (SSAI)
- Robert Simmon (Sigma Space Corporation)
Release date
This page was originally published on Wednesday, February 12, 2020.
This page was last updated on Wednesday, November 15, 2023 at 12:43 AM EST.