Satellite Observations of Arctic Change Maps

Satellite data from NASA illustrates changes taking place in the Arctic over time through a series of maps. The dataset is maintained by the NSIDC and was last updated in March 2026. It covers multiple Earth science variables including sea ice, snow cover, vegetation, and atmospheric conditions.

Use Cases

• Tracking sea ice concentration and extent over time.
• Analyzing changes in seasonal snow cover and vegetation indices.
• Monitoring atmospheric water vapor and surface temperature trends.
• Studying the state of seasonally frozen ground (permafrost).
• Visualizing multi-variable Arctic change through comparative maps.

Strengths

• Data originates from NASA satellite observations, providing authoritative remote sensing measurements.
• Covers at least seven distinct Earth science variables related to the cryosphere, atmosphere, and biosphere.
• Presented as a time-series to illustrate changes over time.

Limitations

• Critical metadata such as row count, column names, and exact data size are unknown across all platforms.
• A high-speed internet connection is recommended, indicating the map data may be large or complex to render.
• One source lists no license while others specify 'other-license-specified', creating a conflict.

Provenance

Source

NASA Earth Sciences, presented by the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC).

Collection Method

Satellite remote sensing observations.

Time Range

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Freshness

2026-03-12 22:01:39.364232

Geography

Arctic region.