Seasonal sea ice and snow cover visualizations

Credits

• Visualizers

  • Helen-Nicole Kostis (USRA) [Lead]
  • Cindy Starr (Global Science and Technology, Inc.)

• Scientist

  • Thorsten Markus (NASA/GSFC)

Related Pages

• Related

  • 

    ID: 3944 Visualization

    Pulse of Snow and Sea Ice

    May 14th, 2012
    (updated May 3rd, 2023)

    Snow and sea ice in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres pulse at exact opposite times of year, constantly out of phase. ||

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• Used as a Source In

  • 

    ID: 4742 Visualization

    SVS Demo Reel

    July 25th, 2019
    (updated May 3rd, 2023)

    This is the SVS Demo Reel presented at SIGGRAPH 2019 in Los Angeles, CA. || svs_siggraphreel2019_print.jpg (1920x1080) [319.8 KB] || svs_siggraphreel2019_print_searchweb.png (320x180) [36.2 KB] || svs_siggraphreel2019_print_thm.png (80x40) [3.3 KB] || svs_siggraphreel2019.mp4 (1920x1080) [298.4 MB] || svs_siggraphreel2019.webm (1920x1080) [18.6 MB] || svs_siggraphreel2019.en_US.srt [38 bytes] || svs_siggraphreel2019.en_US.vtt [51 bytes] ||

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  • 

    ID: 10881 Produced Video

    Snow Leads, Sea Ice Follows

    Dec. 29th, 2011
    (updated May 3rd, 2023)

    Seen from the vantage point of a satellite, snow covers much of North America for half the year like a white curtain that begins its descent in fall and isn't drawn up until spring. Lagging behind the snow by a month or so, sea ice spreads across the Arctic Ocean and infiltrates the channels, islands and bays of Alaska and Canada. Snow and sea ice share this leading-and-lagging relationship because of the different rates at which the ground and oceans absorb and emit heat. Land temperatures drop more quickly, and extensive snow cover settles in by October. The ocean has a longer memory of temperature. Arctic waters retain enough heat in fall to keep ice from forming well after snow has accumulated on solid ground at the same latitude. Likewise, Arctic sea ice doesn't reach its annual maximum extent until late March, typically more than a month after the snow cover peak. In the visualization below, keep an eye on the massive Hudson Bay in northern central Canada: Snow encircles the frigid body of water before the first sea ice creeps into the bay. In spring, snow retreats past the bay completely before its sea ice even begins to dissipate. ||

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  • 

    ID: 10850 Produced Video

    Let It Snow

    Dec. 27th, 2011
    (updated May 3rd, 2023)

    Seasonal snow cover, the cold mantle that wraps up to 40 percent of the land surface in the Northern Hemisphere during winter, does more than cause rejoicing for those who dream of a White Christmas. Snow plays a key role in the Earth's energy balance, reflecting most of the sunlight that reaches its surface back to space, preventing warming of the ground beneath. Snow also absorbs energy from the atmosphere during spring melt, keeping temperatures moderate. Satellite measurements of snow extent began in the 1960s, and this lengthy record shows a 10 percent decline in annual snow cover since 1966, mainly due to earlier spring melting. Darker, snow-free ground absorbs more solar radiation and emits more warmth to the atmosphere. The snow cover loss is also a concern for those who depend on snowmelt for drinking water. Watch the visualizations below, based on data from NASA's MODIS instrument, to see the dramatic variation in a year of Earth's snow cover. In the Northern Hemisphere, the first flakes fall in mid-September over Siberia and Alaska. By the end of February, snow cover starts its retreat northward. Antarctica is home to most of the Southern Hemisphere's snow, except for some white-capped peaks and seasonal mountain snowfall in South America and Africa. ||

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