Minimum Sea Ice Concentration in the Canadian Beaufort Sea (1998-2020)

The Canadian Beaufort Sea is monitored with two-weekly minimum sea ice concentration images at 1.1 km resolution. The dataset contains 12 composite images per year from 1998 through 2020, derived from Canadian Ice Service charts. The data was created by Fisheries and Oceans Canada through synthesis of remote-sensed, ship, and airborne observations.

Use Cases

• Analyze long-term sea ice decline based on the 23-year time series mentioned in the description
• Model regional climate impacts based on the 1.1 km resolution geospatial imagery
• Validate remote sensing algorithms based on the synthesis of multiple observation sources
• Study seasonal ice patterns based on the two-weekly aggregation intervals

Strengths

• 23 years of consistent data from 1998 through 2020
• 12 composite images per year providing regular temporal coverage
• 1.1 km resolution offering detailed spatial analysis
• Derived from authoritative Canadian Ice Service charts

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment
• Data may reflect geographic bias inherent to the Canadian Beaufort Sea region

Provenance

Source

Fisheries and Oceans Canada

Collection Method

Gridded vector ice charts from the Canadian Ice Service Digital Archive, synthesized from remotely-sensed, ship and airborne observations

Time Range

1998 through 2020

Freshness

Last updated 2026-05-08 08:01:20.417700; freshness should be verified

Geography

Canadian Beaufort Sea