Arctic Weekly Sea Ice Motion Vectors from SSMI/S and Buoys

Weekly sea ice motion vectors for the Arctic, derived from near-real-time SSMI/S satellite data, IABP buoy measurements, and NCEP/NCAR Reanalysis forecasts. This dataset is the quicklook version of the Polar Pathfinder Daily 25 km EASE-Grid product, provided by the NSIDC. It includes vector data and corresponding browse images for visualization.

Use Cases

• Analyzing weekly Arctic sea ice drift patterns and speeds.
• Validating sea ice models using in-situ buoy (IABP) and satellite (SSMI/S) data.
• Studying long-term changes in polar ice motion linked to climate variables.
• Creating visual representations of ice flow using the included browse images.

Strengths

• Data fusion from multiple sources: satellite (SSMI/S), in-situ buoys (IABP), and reanalysis forecasts.
• Provides a consistent 25 km EASE-Grid spatial structure for analysis.
• Available as a near-real-time quicklook product for timely monitoring.

Limitations

• Key metadata such as row count, file size, and specific column names are unavailable across all platforms.
• License information is inconsistently reported as 'other-license-specified' or null.
• The dataset's exact temporal coverage is not specified.

Provenance

Source

NSIDC (National Snow and Ice Data Center)

Collection Method

Derived from near-real-time SSMI/S data sets, IABP buoys, and NCEP/NCAR Reanalysis forecasts.

Time Range

Weekly data; specific date range not provided.

Freshness

2026-03-12 22:39:04.677141

Geography

Arctic region, using a 25 km EASE-Grid.