Monthly Sea Ice Concentration Grids from AMSR2 Satellite

Global sea ice concentration data derived from the AMSR2 sensor aboard the JAXA GCOM-W satellite. The dataset provides monthly statistical means, including Sea Ice Concentration percentage, its standard deviation, and data count metrics, on a 0.1-degree grid. It is produced by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) from observations beginning after the satellite's launch in May 2012.

Use Cases

• Modeling Arctic sea ice decline trends by analyzing the monthly Sea Ice Concentration (SIC) percentage values over time.
• Assessing data reliability for specific grid cells using the provided Standard_Deviation and Average_Number columns.
• Calculating total sea ice extent by aggregating SIC values across the Arctic or Antarctic ocean coverage area.
• Comparing ascending versus descending satellite track observations to identify potential diurnal effects in the ice concentration data.

Strengths

• Global coverage of Arctic and Antarctic oceans on a consistent 0.1-degree grid.
• Provides multiple data quality metrics per pixel, including Standard_Deviation, Average_Number, and Total_Number.
• Data is part of a long-term record from an instrument launched in 2012, supporting trend analysis.

Limitations

• Data is provided as monthly aggregates, losing higher-frequency daily or sub-daily variability.
• The spatial resolution of 0.1 degrees may be too coarse for studying small-scale ice features or narrow waterways.
• The description notes separate processing for ascending and descending tracks, which may require careful merging for full analysis.

Provenance

Source

Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)

Collection Method

Satellite remote sensing via the AMSR2 microwave radiometer on the GCOM-W platform, with Level 3 processing calculating monthly statistical means from daily inputs.

Time Range

From May 2012 onward

Freshness

null

Geography

Global ocean coverage, specifically the Arctic and Antarctic seas.