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.

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Analysis - Sea Ice Today

Arctic sea ice extent was the third lowest for the month of January. Ice extent remained lower than average in the Bering Sea and Sea of Okhotsk, while ice in the Barents Sea was near average.

Figure 6b
Analysis - Ice Sheets Today
Melt extent in Greenland was well above average in 2014, tying for the 7th highest extent in the 35-year satellite record. Overall, climate patterns favored intense west coast and northwest ice sheet melting, with relatively cool conditions in the southeast.
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Feature Story
In 1996, NSIDC received ninety-nine canisters of ungainly film rolls. Each stored hundreds of photographs, most of sea ice, but also glaciers, land, snow cover, and coastlines dating as far back as 1962. The photographs, part of the U.S. Navy-initiated Project Birdseye, offered never before seen images of the Arctic.
Analysis - Sea Ice Today

Arctic sea ice extent remained about a standard deviation below average for the month of December. Compared to recent years, 2014 as a whole was rather unremarkable.

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Feature Story
When ice shelves retreat, the brakes are lifted and glaciers begin to accelerate. “The Antarctic Peninsula is a natural laboratory, a kind of glimpse into the future of Antarctica,” says Ted Scambos, lead researcher at NSIDC.