Disappearing Ice
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- Visualizations by:
- Cindy Starr
- View full credits
This visualization begins by showing the dynamic beauty of the Arctic sea ice as it responds to winds and ocean currents. Research into the behavior of the Arctic sea ice for the last 30 years has led to a deeper understanding of how this ice survives from year to year. In the animation that follows, age of the sea ice is visible, showing the younger ice in darker shades of blue and the oldest ice in brighter white. This visual representation of the ice age clearly shows how the quantity of older and thicker ice has changed between 1984 and 2016.
Complete transcript available.
In this visualization, the issue of the declining sea ice near the North Pole is set in its natural configuration. An analysis of the age of the Arctic sea ice indicates that it traditionally became older while circulating in the Beaufort Sea north of Alaska and was then primarily lost in the warmer regions along the eastern coast of Greenland. In recent years, however, warmer water in the Beaufort Sea, possibly from the Bering Strait, often melts away the sea ice in the summer before it can get older.
Credits
Please give credit for this item to:
NASA's Scientific Visualization Studio
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Visualizer
- Cindy Starr (Global Science and Technology, Inc.) [Lead]
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Scientist
- Walt Meier (NASA/GSFC)
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Producers
- LK Ward (KBRwyle)
- Stuart A. Snodgrass (KBRwyle)
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Narrators
- LK Ward (KBRwyle)
- Walt Meier (NASA/GSFC)
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Multimedia designer
- Horace Mitchell (NASA/GSFC) [Lead]
Series
This visualization can be found in the following series:Datasets used in this visualization
Weekly Sea Ice Age
SSMI-SSMIS passive microwave data, augmented with buoys, AVHRR, AMSR-E, and winds
See more visualizations using this data setSHIZUKU (GCOM-W1) 10 km Daily 89 GHz Brightness Temperature (Collected with the AMSR2 sensor)
Credit: AMSR2 data courtesy of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).
See more visualizations using this data setSHIZUKU (GCOM-W1) 10 km Daily Sea Ice Concentration (Collected with the AMSR2 sensor)
Credit: AMSR2 data courtesy of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).
See more visualizations using this data setNote: While we identify the data sets used in these visualizations, we do not store any further details, nor the data sets themselves on our site.
Related pages
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ID: 4750 Visualization
Weekly Arctic Sea Ice Age with Graph of Ice Age By Area: 1984 - 2019
Read moreThis visualization shows the age of the Arctic sea ice between 1984 and 2019. Younger sea ice, or first-year ice, is shown in a dark shade of blue while the ice that is four years old or older is shown as white. A graph displayed in the upper left corner quantifies the area covered sea ice 4 or more years old in millions of square kilometers.This video is also available on our YouTube channel. || One significant change in the Arctic region in recent years has been the rapid decline in perennial sea ice. Perennial sea ice, also known as multi-year ice, is the portion of the sea ice that survives the summer melt season. Perennial ice may have a life-span of nine years or more and represents the thickest component of the sea ice; perennial ice can grow up to four meters thick. By contrast, first year ice that grows during a single winter is generally at most two meters thick.Above is a visualization of the weekly sea ice age between 1984 and 2019. The animation shows the seasonal variability of the ice, growing in the Arctic winter and melting in the summer. In addition, this also shows the changes from year to year, depicting the age of the sea ice in different colors. Younger sea ice, or first-year ice, is shown in a dark shade of blue while the ice that is over four years old is shown as white. A color scale identifies the age of the intermediary years.Note that data for the sea ice age is not available along the coastlines. The region where data is not available is shown in a dark lavender color.A graph in the upper left corner the quantifies the change over time by showing the area covered by sea ice that is 4 years old or older in millions of square kilometers. This graph also includes a memory bar - the green line that indicates the maximum value seen thus far in the animation for the given week being displayed. For example, when viewing the sea ice age for the first week in September, the memory bar will display the maximum value seen for the first week of September in all prior years from the beginning of the animation (1984). In addition, a violet bar indicates the average area covered by sea ice greater than 4 years of age during the the 20-year time period from 1984 through 2003.Below are matching pairs of images showing identical weeks in two different years, where one year is late in the time series and the other is early. These matched images are labeled Pair 1A and Pair 1B. The caption below the image provides additional details. Each image is available with and without the graph. ||
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ID: 13300 Produced Video
New NASA Images Show Summer Melting In The Arctic Live Shots
Read moreClick HERE for quick link to audio soundbites.Click for quick link to B-ROLL for these live shotsClick for quick link to canned interview with NASA Scientist Tom NeumannClick for quick link to canned interview with NASA scientist Nathan KurtzClick for quick lin to canned interview in Spanish with NASA Scientist Edil Sepulveda || Large Summer Ice Loss In The Arctic, With More Melting to Come New NASA Images Show Melting As Summer Heat Bakes The ArcticIt’s been a summer of record temperatures — and even the world’s coldest places have felt the heat. As the high temperatures bake the Arctic, the Greenland ice sheet is experiencing extreme levels of ice loss. Ice on the sea surrounding the Arctic also continues to retreat. Chat with NASA scientists on Friday, Sept. 6 from 6:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. EST to find out how the latest heatwave in Europe may impact the Arctic and how these dramatic changes in the Arctic can affect you. Arctic ice both on land and sea are melting at a rapid rate, and newer ice isn't sticking around for long. The rising temperatures are causing younger, thinner ice to cover less area than in the past. Since 1980, the Arctic has lost enough sea ice volume to equal all the water in Lake Superior — one of the largest lakes in the world. NASA is keeping a close eye on the Arctic from the ground, the air, and space to help understand how Arctic temperature change is affecting weather all around the globe. Whether 2019 will set a new record for Arctic ice loss remains to be seen, but it is tracking to be one of the top five lowest in the 40-year satellite record.To schedule an interview, please fill out this form: https://forms.gle/x6CXSkYwAfZsPn1Z6Interview Location: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, MDSuggested Questions1. This summer has been unusually warm around the world, but particularly in the Arctic. What do the latest images show us about this year’s summer in the Arctic? 2. One of the biggest stories this summer was the extreme melting in Greenland. How unusual has this summer been for the glaciers on land? 3. NASA’s newest Earth-observing satellite is measuring the sea ice thickness in the Arctic with unprecedented detail. What surprising things has it already discovered? 4.How do changes in the Arctic impact us when the Arctic is so far away?5. Where can we learn more? Satellite Coordinates: HD Satellite Coordinates for G17-K18/Lower: Galaxy 17 Ku-band Xp 18 Slot Lower| 91.0 ° W Longitude | DL 12051.0 MHz | Vertical Polarity | QPSK/DVB-S | FEC 3/4 | SR 13.235 Mbps | DR 18.2954 MHz | HD 720p | Format MPEG2 | Chroma Level 4:2:0 | Audio EmbeddedQuestions? Contact michelle.z.handleman@nasa.gov or 301-286-0918Check out this episode of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hrNRr4ChKWg&list=PL2aBZuCeDwlQqXdZ_hXEX0OSI1vX_p9Cj&index " target="_blank">NASA Explorers all about sea ice and why it's important. ||
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ID: 4489 Visualization
Yearly Arctic Sea Ice Age with Graph of Ice Age by Area: 1984 - 2016
Read moreOne significant change in the Arctic region in recent years has been the rapid decline in perennial sea ice. Perennial sea ice, also known as multi-year ice, is the portion of the sea ice that survives the summer melt season. Perennial ice may have a life-span of nine years or more and represents the thickest component of the sea ice; perennial ice can grow up to four meters thick. By contrast, first year ice that grows during a single winter is generally at most two meters thick.This animation shows the Arctic sea ice age for the week of the minimum ice extent for each year, depicting the age in different colors. Younger sea ice, or first-year ice, is shown in a dark shade of blue while the ice that is four years old or older is shown as white. A color scale identifies the age of the intermediary years.Correction: The original release on 10/28/2016 incorrectly labeled the oldest category on the graph as "5+". This was corrected to read "4+" on 10/30/2016. ||
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ID: 13075 Produced Video
![Music: Haunting Memories by Emmanuel David Lipszyc [SACEM], Franck Lascombes [SACEM], Sébastien Lipszyc [SACEM]Complete transcript available.](/vis/a010000/a013000/a013075/sea_ice_min_w_avg_print_res_print.jpg)
2018 Arctic Sea Ice Ties for Sixth Lowest Minimum Extent on NASA Record
Read moreMusic: Haunting Memories by Emmanuel David Lipszyc [SACEM], Franck Lascombes [SACEM], Sébastien Lipszyc [SACEM]Complete transcript available. || Arctic sea ice reached its annual minimum extent Sept. 19, and then again on Sept. 23, 2018. NASA works with the National Snow and Ice Data Center to track sea ice in the Arctic as it grows to a maximum extent through the winter and shrinks back to to its minimum extent in September. This year’s minimum sea ice extent reached 1.77 million square miles -- tied as the sixth lowest sea ice minimum since consistent satellite records began. ||
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ID: 4522 Visualization
Weekly Animation of Arctic Sea Ice Age with Two Graphs: 1984 - 2016
Read moreThis visualization shows the age of the sea ice between 1984 and 2016. Younger sea ice, or first-year ice, is shown in a dark shade of blue while the ice that is four years old or older is shown as white. Two bar graphs, described below, are shown in the lower left and right corners. This video is also available on our YouTube channel. || One significant change in the Arctic region in recent years has been the rapid decline in perennial sea ice. Perennial sea ice, also known as multi-year ice, is the portion of the sea ice that survives the summer melt season. Perennial ice may have a life-span of nine years or more and represents the thickest component of the sea ice; perennial ice can grow up to four meters thick. By contrast, first year ice that grows during a single winter is generally at most two meters thick.Below is an animation of the weekly sea ice age between 1984 and 2016. The animation shows the seasonal variability of the ice, growing in the Arctic winter and melting in the summer. In addition, this also shows the changes from year to year, depicting the age of the sea ice in different colors. Younger sea ice, or first-year ice, is shown in a dark shade of blue while the ice that is four years old or older is shown as white. A color scale identifies the age of the intermediary years.A graph in the lower, right corner the quantifies the change over time by showing the area in millions of square kilometers covered by each age category of perennial sea ice. This graph also includes a memory bar - the green line that here represents the current maximum value seen thus far in the animation for the particular week displayed. For example, when showing the first week in September, the memory bar will show the maximum value seen for all prior years' first week of September since the beginning of the animation (January 1, 1984).A graph in the lower, left corner the quantifies the change over time by showing each age category of sea ice as a percent of total ice cover in the Arctic Ocean. The lavender outline on the map indicates the spatial region covered by the Arctic Ocean and thus included in the graph. ||
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ID: 4509 Visualization
Weekly Animation of Arctic Sea Ice Age with Graph of Ice Age by Percent of Total: 1984 - 2016
Read moreOne significant change in the Arctic region in recent years has been the rapid decline in perennial sea ice. Perennial sea ice, also known as multi-year ice, is the portion of the sea ice that survives the summer melt season. Perennial ice may have a life-span of nine years or more and represents the thickest component of the sea ice; perennial ice can grow up to four meters thick. By contrast, first year ice that grows during a single winter is generally at most two meters thick.Below is an animation of the weekly sea ice age between 1984 and 2016. The animation shows the seasonal variability of the ice, growing in the Arctic winter and melting in the summer. In addition, this also shows the changes from year to year, depicting the age of the sea ice in different colors. Younger sea ice, or first-year ice, is shown in a dark shade of blue while the ice that is four years old or older is shown as white. A color scale identifies the age of the intermediary years.A graph in the lower, right corner the quantifies the change over time by showing each age category of sea ice as a percent of total ice cover in the Arctic Ocean. The lavender outline on the map indicates the spatial region covered by the Arctic Ocean and thus included in the graph.Correction: The original release on 10/28/2016 incorrectly labeled the oldest category on the graph as "5+". This was corrected to read "4+" on 10/30/2016. ||
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ID: 4510 Visualization
Weekly Animation of Arctic Sea Ice Age with Graph of Ice Age By Area: 1984 - 2016
Read moreOne significant change in the Arctic region in recent years has been the rapid decline in perennial sea ice. Perennial sea ice, also known as multi-year ice, is the portion of the sea ice that survives the summer melt season. Perennial ice may have a life-span of nine years or more and represents the thickest component of the sea ice; perennial ice can grow up to four meters thick. By contrast, first year ice that grows during a single winter is generally at most two meters thick.Below is an animation of the weekly sea ice age between 1984 and 2016. The animation shows the seasonal variability of the ice, growing in the Arctic winter and melting in the summer. In addition, this also shows the changes from year to year, depicting the age of the sea ice in different colors. Younger sea ice, or first-year ice, is shown in a dark shade of blue while the ice that is four years old or older is shown as white. A color scale identifies the age of the intermediary years.A graph in the lower, right corner the quantifies the change over time by showing the area in millions of square kilometers covered by each age category of perennial sea ice. This graph also includes a memory bar - the green line that here represents the current maximum value seen thus far in the animation for the particular week displayed. For example, when showing the first week in September, the memory bar will show the maximum value seen for all prior years' first week of September since the beginning of the animation (January 1, 1984).Correction: The original release on 10/28/2016 incorrectly labeled the oldest category on the graph as "5+". This was corrected to read "4+" on 10/30/2016. ||
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