Friday, May 6, 2016

Alternate source for sea ice data updates

Just an FYI for anyone looking for sea ice extent data while the NSIDC system is down.

Here is one source - it is from the University of Hamburg's ArtischePinguin page via The Great White Con blog.

Sunday, May 1, 2016

National Snow and Ice Data Center suspends reports due to satellite data problems

One of the main sources of data on sea ice extents in the Arctic and Antarctic has "temporarily suspended" providing reports since April 5, 2016. The reason given is that analysts detected spurious data possibly originating from satellite sensors. An article on the NSIDC's website describes the situation in more detail. They do not give any alternative sources or any estimate as to when the problem could be resolved. As seen on the NSIDC's website, this spring had been shaping up with extremely low ice coverage up until the suspension of reports. More info to be provided when available.