Monthly Sea Ice Grids from 1850 with Historical Sources

Gridded monthly sea ice concentration and extent data begins in 1850, providing a long-term climate record. The dataset combines historical observations from ships, naval compilations, and ice services with satellite passive microwave data from 1979 onward. It is produced by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and distributed via multiple platforms, though service levels have been reduced.

Use Cases

• Analyzing long-term trends in sea ice concentration using the gridded concentration arrays.
• Tracing data provenance for specific grid cells using the 16-source indicator array.
• Validating climate model outputs against a historical observational record spanning over 170 years.
• Studying the transition from multi-source historical data to uniform satellite data post-1979.

Strengths

• Provides a continuous monthly record from 1850 onward, offering over 170 years of climate data.
• Integrates 16 distinct historical source types before the satellite era, documenting provenance.
• Uses a consistent 1/4 degree latitude by 1/4 degree longitude grid for spatial analysis.

Limitations

• Multiple platforms show conflicting last-updated dates: 2026-03-13 on Data.gov versus 2017-12-31 on NASA EarthData.
• Specific row counts, file sizes, and detailed column names are not provided across any source.
• The dataset has been moved to a 'Basic' Level of Service due to funding limitations, which may affect support.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Historical observations from ships, naval oceanographers, and national ice services, combined with satellite passive microwave data from 1979.

Time Range

1850 onward

Freshness

2026-03-13 01:39:10.192393

Geography

Global, gridded on a 1/4 degree latitude by 1/4 degree longitude system.