U.S. National Ice Center Sea Ice Charts in SIGRID-3 Format

U.S. National Ice Center charts provide total sea ice concentration, partial concentration, stage of development, and ice form as defined by the World Meteorological Organization. The dataset spans from 2003 to the present and is distributed in SIGRID-3 shapefile format. It is hosted by the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC).

Use Cases

• Analyzing spatial trends in total sea ice concentration over time.
• Studying the stage of development of sea ice to understand seasonal cycles.
• Mapping ice form types to assess navigational hazards for maritime operations.
• Correlating partial sea ice concentration data with other climate variables.

Strengths

• Data originates from the authoritative U.S. National Ice Center (USNIC).
• Provides long-term temporal coverage, with records starting in 2003.
• Includes multiple standardized ice attributes: concentration, stage, and form.

Limitations

• Specific column names and total row/file counts are not provided by any source.
• Sources conflict on license details, with one specifying 'other-license-specified' and another listing 'None'.

Provenance

Source

U.S. National Ice Center (USNIC)

Collection Method

Charts compiled and distributed in SIGRID-3 shapefile format.

Time Range

2003 to present

Freshness

2026-03-12 20:46:22.108859

Geography

Arctic and Antarctic regions