News & Stories

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

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.

News and stories

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Spotlight
Thirty-four data sets from the Ice, Cloud, and land Elevation Satellite-2 (ICESat-2), and Ice, Cloud, and land Elevation Satellite/Geoscience Laser Altimeter System (ICESat/GLAS) collections are now available in the NASA Earthdata Cloud environment. These data sets will still continue to be available to users via their current and familiar workflows, while allowing users the opportunity to try new ways to download and access these data in the cloud. 
Sea ice concentration on globe
Ask a Scientist
NSIDC archives satellite data for polar sea ice dating back to November 1978. The sharpest declines have occurred in the summer and fall, including the time of year when sea ice reaches its annual minimum in September. Although Arctic sea ice extent has not declined as much during winter months, it has still shown a steadily decreasing trend. Arctic sea ice extent now exhibits long-term declines in all months, including the coldest, darkest months of the year.
Light reflects off Arctic sea ice.
News Release

Arctic sea ice has likely reached its minimum extent for the year at 4.67 million square kilometers (1.80 million square miles) on September 18, 2022, according to scientists at the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) at the University of Co

Figure 1a
Analysis - Ice Sheets Today
As most of the western United States baked under a prolonged, record-setting heatwave at the beginning of September, Greenland also underwent a very unusual late-season melt event.