SDC Project: Arctic MEaSUREsArctic MEaSUREs : Small-scale kinematics and deformation of Arctic sea ice

Earth is undergoing dramatic environmental change. Nowhere is this more acutely observed than in the Arctic. Increasing temperatures are impacting the seasonal variability of sea ice, the mass balance of glacial ice, the diversity and distribution of animal species, and the characteristic flora. Due to the fact that the impact of climate change is most severe in the Arctic, that region becomes a significant laboratory for monitoring and modeling our changing planet.

At this site, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and the Alaska Satellite Facility (ASF) present observations and analysis based on satellite remote sensing.The work is supported under NASA’s Making Earth System data records for Use in Research Environments (MEaSUREs) program and represents a continuation of work done as a NASA REASoN project. Using data from the RADARSAT-1, ERS-2, and ALOS PALSAR satellites, the Arctic Ocean and its environs are imaged, analyzed, and presented. Some of the data, such as the Lagrangian sea ice products, are of benefit to scientists studying sea ice dynamics, while other data, such as sea ice animations, will be of use to anyone interested in this dynamically changing part of the world.