Earth  ID: 3893

Sea Ice Yearly Minimum 1979-2011 (SSMI data)

Visualizations by Cindy Starr Released on December 2, 2011
There is a newer version of this story located here: https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/5036
The continued significant reduction in the area covered by the summer sea ice is a dramatic illustration of the pronounced impact increased global temperatures are having on the Arctic regions. There has also been a significant reduction in the relative amount of older, thicker ice. Satellite-based passive microwave images of the sea ice cover have provided a reliable tool for continuously monitoring changes in the Arctic ice cover since 1979. The ice parameters derived from satellite ice concentration data that are most relevant to climate change studies are sea ice extent and ice area. This visualization shows the annual September minimum sea ice area in the background and a graph of the ice area values foreground. The ice area provides the total area actually covered by sea ice which is useful for estimating the total volume and therefore mass, given the average ice thickness. For more information about these ice datasets, see The Journal of Geophysical Research VOL. 113, C02S07, doi:10.1029/2007JC004257, 2008

This visualization shows the annual Arctic sea ice minimum from 1979 to 2011. A graph is overlaid that shows the area in million square kilometers for each year's minimum day. The '1979','2007', and '2011' data points are highlighted on the graph.

Download Options
The Annual Arctic Sea Ice Minimum Area from 1979 to 2011 with the a graph overlay.
Download Options
Minimum Annual Sea Ice Sequence from 1979 through 2011 without the graph overlay.
Download Options
The graph overlay with transparency
Download Options
An image of the 2011 arctic sea ice minimum with the graph overlay at various resolutions.
Download Options
An image of the 2011 arctic sea ice minimum at various resolutions.
 

Newer Versions

Annual Arctic Sea Ice Minimum Area 1979-2022, With Graph
Annual Arctic Sea Ice Minimum Area 1979-2022
Annual Arctic Sea Ice Minimum 1979-2020 with Area Graph
Annual Arctic Sea Ice Minimum 1979-2019 with Area Graph
Annual Arctic Sea Ice Minimum 1979-2018 with Area Graph
Annual Arctic Sea Ice Minimum 1979-2016 with Area Graph
Annual Arctic Sea Ice Minimum 1979-2015 with Area Graph

Related

Annual Arctic Sea Ice Minimum 1979-2017 (SSMI data)
Vanishing

Visualization Credits

Cindy Starr (GST): Lead Visualizer
Lori Perkins (NASA/GSFC): Animator
Greg Shirah (NASA/GSFC): Animator
Josefino Comiso (NASA/GSFC): Scientist
James W. Williams (GST): Project Support
Please give credit for this item to:
NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center Scientific Visualization Studio Thanks to Rob Gerston (GSFC) for providing the data.

Short URL to share this page:
https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/3893

Data Used:
Comiso's September Minimum Sea Ice Concentration
Data Compilation - NASA/GSFC - 1979 - 2011
view all stories where this data set is used
DMSP/SSM/I/Sea Ice Concentration
view all stories where this data set is used
DMSP/SSM/I
Defense Meteorological Satellite Program Special Sensor Microwave Imager
view all stories where this data set is used
Note: 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.

This item is part of these series:
Arctic Annual Sea Ice Minimum with Graph Overlay
Arctic Sea Ice

Keywords:
DLESE >> Cryology
SVS >> HDTV
GCMD >> Earth Science >> Cryosphere >> Sea Ice
GCMD >> Earth Science >> Cryosphere >> Sea Ice >> Sea Ice Concentration
SVS >> Hyperwall
SVS >> iPod
NASA Science >> Earth

GCMD keywords can be found on the Internet with the following citation: Olsen, L.M., G. Major, K. Shein, J. Scialdone, S. Ritz, T. Stevens, M. Morahan, A. Aleman, R. Vogel, S. Leicester, H. Weir, M. Meaux, S. Grebas, C.Solomon, M. Holland, T. Northcutt, R. A. Restrepo, R. Bilodeau, 2013. NASA/Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Earth Science Keywords. Version 8.0.0.0.0