Sea Ice Concentrations from Nimbus-7 SMMR and DMSP SSM/I-SSMIS Passive Microwave Data
Entry ID:
NSIDC-0051
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Summary
Abstract:
This data set is generated from brightness temperature data derived from the following sensors: the Nimbus-7 Scanning Multichannel Microwave Radiometer (SMMR), the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) -F8, -F11 and -F13 Special Sensor Microwave/Imagers (SSM/Is), and the DMSP-F17 Special Sensor Microwave Imager/Sounder (SSMIS). The data are provided in the polar stereographic projection ... at a grid cell size of 25 x 25 km. This product is designed to provide a consistent time series of sea ice concentrations (the fraction, or percentage, of ocean area covered by sea ice) spanning the coverage of several passive microwave instruments. To aid in this goal, sea ice algorithm coefficients are changed to reduce differences in sea ice extent and area as estimated using the SMMR and SSM/I sensors. The data are generated using the NASA Team algorithm developed by the Oceans and Ice Branch, Laboratory for Hydrospheric Processes at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC). These data include gridded daily (every other day for SMMR data) and monthly averaged sea ice concentrations for both the north and south polar regions. Two types of data are provided: final data and preliminary data. Final data are produced at GSFC about once per year, with roughly a one-year latency, and include data since 26 October 1978. Final data are produced from SMMR brightness temperature data processed at NASA GSFC and from SSM/I and SSMIS brightness temperature data processed at the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC). Preliminary data are produced at NSIDC approximately every three months (quarterly) using SSM/I data acquired from Remote Sensing Systems, Inc. (RSS), and include roughly the most recent three to twelve months of processed data. Data are scaled and stored as one-byte integers in flat binary arrays. For each data file, a corresponding PNG browse image file is provided. Data are available via FTP. These data are offered free of charge. You may use these data freely, provided that you cite NSIDC
as the source, and provide an acknowledgment in any published papers. While the final and preliminary data are reasonably consistent, the particular type of data used for any publication, presentation, or other application should be clearly stated. 
Related URL
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Description:
Sea Ice Data at NSIDC
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Geographic Coverage
(Click for Interactive Map)
Spatial coordinates
Data Set Citation
Dataset Originator/Creator:
Meier, Walt
Dataset Title:
Sea Ice Concentrations from Nimbus-7 SMMR and DMSP SSM/I-SSMIS Passive Microwave Data
Dataset Release Date:
2006-01-01, updated quarterly
Dataset Release Place:
Boulder, Colorado USA
Dataset Publisher:
National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC)
Version:
Preliminary data
Data Presentation Form:
Digital media
Online Resource:
http://nsidc.org/data/nsidc-0051.html
Dataset Originator/Creator:
Cavalieri
Dataset Title:
Sea Ice Concentrations from Nimbus-7 SMMR and DMSP SSM/I-SSMIS Passive Microwave Data
Dataset Release Date:
1996-01-01, updated yearly
Dataset Release Place:
Boulder, Colorado USA
Dataset Publisher:
National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC)
Version:
Final data
Data Presentation Form:
Digital media
Online Resource:
http://nsidc.org/data/nsidc-0051.html
Data Resolution
Latitude Resolution:
25 km
Longitude Resolution:
25 km
Temporal Resolution:
Every other day
Quality
NSIDC staff visually checks the entire set of data files and selected graphics files. This includes checks for proper file structure, comparisons to existing SMMR-, SSM/I-, and SSMIS-derived sea ice concentration grids, masks, and information files, and examination of data quality. Some weather-related effects and land contamination are still present. The amount and spatial distribution of those ... remaining weather effects varies with season. Also, occasional bad scan lines still appear in the data. Based on NSIDC analyses (see NSIDC Special Report 5: An Intercomparison of DMSP F11- and F13-derived Sea Ice Products for summaries of differences among the SSM/I sensors), some sensor-to-sensor differences are likely to remain in these data, particularly for marginal ice zones. During May 1986, residual weather effects and processing errors result in large bands of very low ice concentrations over the open ocean in the Weddell, Bellingshausen, and Amundsen seas in the Southern Hemisphere. Although the magnitude of these
Access Constraints
No constraints
Use Constraints
Please cite service providers, Larry G. Mastin (USGS) and Mark S. Ghiorso
(University of Washington).
Distribution
Distribution Media:
Online (HTTP)
Distribution Size:
2.5 Mbytes
Distribution Format:
Executable program for Windows 95/98/NT
Fees:
None
Personnel
Role:
TECHNICAL CONTACT
Phone:
(360) 993-8925
Fax:
(360) 993-8980
Email:
lgmastin at usgs.gov
Contact Address:
Cascades Volcano Observatory
USGS
1300 SE Cardinal Court, Bldg. 10, Suite 100
City:
Vancouver
Province or State:
Washington
Postal Code:
98683
Country:
USA
Role:
SERF AUTHOR
Phone:
(301) 614-6898
Fax:
301-614-5268
Email:
Tyler.B.Stevens at nasa.gov
Contact Address:
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Global Change Master Directory
City:
Greenbelt
Province or State:
MD
Postal Code:
20771
Country:
USA
Creation and Review Dates
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