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Across the globe, snow and ice play a vital role in regulating Earth’s climate and providing freshwater resources to people, plants, and animals.

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As Earth’s frozen regions change rapidly, NSIDC is committed to growing its research and open access data to better understand these changes. Read about NSIDC research and its contribution to science and policy making. Check out spotlights on how to use NSIDC data, tools, and resources. Learn about how we steward data and collaborate with scientists and organizations across the world to understand how the frozen parts of Earth affect the rest of the planet and impact society.

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A positively persistent, persistently positive Arctic Oscillation

Analysis - Sea Ice Today

Sea ice extent for February 2020 tracked below average, ranking as the thirteenth lowest monthly average in the satellite record. A brief pause in ice growth in the middle of February was related to the regional wind pattern.

This maps show trend for Arctic Sea Ice as part of the Sea Ice Analysis Tool

Seeing sea ice: A new tool shows dynamic changes

Feature Story

A new visualization tool, the Sea Ice Analysis Tool, has just been added to the NSIDC Arctic Sea Ice News & Analysis (ASINA) website that helps users customize the satellite data further, creating graphs or maps that show changes based on their chosen criteria.

Graph of snow-covered area in western US, January 2020

A dry January, except in the Northwest

Analysis - Snow Today

Introducing Snow Today, a scientific analysis website that provides a snapshot and interpretation of snow conditions in near-real time across the Western United States, told with a unique combination of satellite data and surface observations.

Plot shows average sea level pressure in the Arctic in millibars (hPa) from January 1, 2020 to January 31, 2020.

A mostly ho-hum January

Analysis - Sea Ice Today

Sea ice extent for January 2020 tracked well below average, with the monthly average tied at eighth lowest in the satellite record.

Team JANE assembled the AMIGOS towers on the top of the NSIDC building in Boulder, Colorado, so they could test it undisturbed. From left to right: Skylar Edwards, Raymie Fotherby, Emma Tomlinson, Coovi Meha, Ryan Weatherbee, and Jack Soltys.

Ice station: CU students contribute to Antarctic research

Feature Story

Seven engineering students from the University of Colorado (CU) Boulder spent a year working as part of the Thwaites-Amundsen Regional Survey and Network (TARSAN) project team for the International Thwaites Glacier Collaboration (ITGC).

Survival mode: Adaptability of phytoplankton in the changing Arctic Ocean

Feature Story

With the support of National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) sea ice concentration data, a team of researchers tries to catch another glimpse of an under-ice phytoplankton bloom that fuels the Arctic food web. The team aims to understand the survival mechanisms at play in this dark, harsh place.

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