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Dataset Overview | National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI)

Global Daily Sea Ice Concentration Reprocessing Data Set for 1978-2007 from the EUMETSAT Ocean and Sea Ice Satellite Application Facility (NCEI Accession 0068294)

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These data constitute the reprocessed sea ice concentration data set from the EUMETSAT Ocean and Sea Ice Satellite Application Facility (OSI SAF), covering the period from 1978-2007, with data from the Scanning Multichannel Microwave Radiometer (SMMR) and the Special Sensor Microwave/Imager (SSM/I). The data set provides daily, global coverage at 10 km and 12.5 km spatial resolution. Ice concentration is computed from atmospherically corrected brightness temperatures, using a combination of state-of-the-art algorithms and dynamic tie-points. The data set includes uncertainty estimates for each grid cell (error estimates). Version 1 of the data set was released in early 2010.
  • Cite as: Tonboe, Rasmus; Ocean and Sea Ice Satellite Application Facility (2010). Global Daily Sea Ice Concentration Reprocessing Data Set for 1978-2007 from the EUMETSAT Ocean and Sea Ice Satellite Application Facility (NCEI Accession 0068294). [indicate subset used]. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Dataset. https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/archive/accession/0068294. Accessed [date].
gov.noaa.nodc:0068294
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Distribution Formats
  • netCDF (Version: 3)
    • File Compression: GZIP
Ordering Instructions Contact NCEI for other distribution options and instructions.
Distributor NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information
+1-301-713-3277
NCEI.Info@noaa.gov
Dataset Point of Contact NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information
ncei.info@noaa.gov
Time Period 1978-10-25 to 2007-12-31
Spatial Bounding Box Coordinates
West: -180
East: 180
South: -90
North: 90
Spatial Coverage Map
General Documentation
Publication Dates
  • publication: 2010-11-01
Data Presentation Form Digital table - digital representation of facts or figures systematically displayed, especially in columns
Dataset Progress Status Complete - production of the data has been completed
Historical archive - data has been stored in an offline storage facility
Data Update Frequency As needed
Supplemental Information
ABOUT THE PROJECT:
Sea ice is a part of our changing climate system. Continuous monitoring of sea ice globally on a daily basis started with the launch of SeaSat in June 1978 and Nimbus-7 in October of the same year, both with a SMMR instrument on board. SMMR was the first multi-frequency and dual polarization microwave radiometer satellite instrument which was particularly well suited for sea ice monitoring. American satellite microwave radiometer instruments still provide sea ice observations today in an unbroken record since 1978. The Nimbus-7 SMMR brightness temperature data from October 1978 to August 1987 was provided by OSI-SAF's partner in the project, the U.S. National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC). EUMETSAT purchased the DMSP SSM/I data from Remote Sensing Systems.

EUMETSAT initiated the reprocessing of both microwave radiometer datasets in 2005 and the OSI-SAF team developed a new processing chain and selected new algorithms. The initial development has been done in cooperation with the Met Office and NSIDC. Further development is ongoing. Both the SMMR and SSM/I data sets from October 1978 to December 2007 for both hemispheres have been processed using a sea ice concentration algorithm and methodology which is consistent for all 7 sensors throughout the time series. The first version of the global sea ice concentration data set was complete in 2010. Updates are planned with current satellites.

DATA SET INFORMATION:
The data are available in two projections: Polar Stereographic and Lambert Azimuthal Equal Area. Polar Stereographic files are at 10km spatial resolution, and Lambert Azimuthal Equal Area files are at 12.5km spatial resolution. Both projections are stored in two files per day; one each for the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. All files are in Climate Forecast-compliant netCDF format.

CITATION INFORMATION:
When using these data, please acknowledge EUMETSAT by referring to:
EUMETSAT Ocean and Sea Ice Satellite Application Facility. Global sea ice concentration reprocessing data set 1978-2007 (v1, 2010), [Online]. Norwegian and Danish Meteorological Institutes. Available from http://osisaf.met.no.

These data are used as the auxiliary sea ice field for the AVHRR Pathfinder Version 6 Sea Surface Temperature product, which is produced as part of the Group for High Resolution Sea Surface Temperature (GHRSST).
Purpose Sea ice is part of our changing climate system. Continuous monitoring of global sea ice on a daily basis started with the launch of SeaSat in June 1978 and Nimbus-7 in October of the same year, both carrying the scanning multichannel microwave radiometer instrument. Since the start of the operational production of sea ice products in 2002, the growing user base has brought more focus on expanding the available data set. As a result, in 2006 EUMETSAT began an effort to reprocess historical passive microwave data to extend the OSI SAF sea ice data set.
Use Limitations
  • accessLevel: Public
  • Distribution liability: NOAA and NCEI make no warranty, expressed or implied, regarding these data, nor does the fact of distribution constitute such a warranty. NOAA and NCEI cannot assume liability for any damages caused by any errors or omissions in these data. If appropriate, NCEI can only certify that the data it distributes are an authentic copy of the records that were accepted for inclusion in the NCEI archives.
Dataset Citation
  • Cite as: Tonboe, Rasmus; Ocean and Sea Ice Satellite Application Facility (2010). Global Daily Sea Ice Concentration Reprocessing Data Set for 1978-2007 from the EUMETSAT Ocean and Sea Ice Satellite Application Facility (NCEI Accession 0068294). [indicate subset used]. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Dataset. https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/archive/accession/0068294. Accessed [date].
Cited Authors
Contributors
Resource Providers
Publishers
Theme keywords NODC DATA TYPES THESAURUS NODC OBSERVATION TYPES THESAURUS WMO_CategoryCode
  • oceanography
Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Science Keywords
Data Center keywords NODC COLLECTING INSTITUTION NAMES THESAURUS NODC SUBMITTING INSTITUTION NAMES THESAURUS Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Data Center Keywords
Platform keywords NODC PLATFORM NAMES THESAURUS Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Platform Keywords ICES/SeaDataNet Ship Codes
Instrument keywords NODC INSTRUMENT TYPES THESAURUS Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Instrument Keywords
Place keywords NODC SEA AREA NAMES THESAURUS Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Location Keywords
Project keywords NODC PROJECT NAMES THESAURUS Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Project Keywords
Stratum keywords Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Stratum Keywords
Keywords NCEI ACCESSION NUMBER
Use Constraints
  • Cite as: Tonboe, Rasmus; Ocean and Sea Ice Satellite Application Facility (2010). Global Daily Sea Ice Concentration Reprocessing Data Set for 1978-2007 from the EUMETSAT Ocean and Sea Ice Satellite Application Facility (NCEI Accession 0068294). [indicate subset used]. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Dataset. https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/archive/accession/0068294. Accessed [date].
Access Constraints
  • Use liability: NOAA and NCEI cannot provide any warranty as to the accuracy, reliability, or completeness of furnished data. Users assume responsibility to determine the usability of these data. The user is responsible for the results of any application of this data for other than its intended purpose.
Fees
  • In most cases, electronic downloads of the data are free. However, fees may apply for custom orders, data certifications, copies of analog materials, and data distribution on physical media.
Lineage information for: dataset
Processing Steps
  • 2010-11-01T19:12:23Z - NCEI Accession 0068294 v1.1 was published.
Output Datasets
Lineage information for: repository
Processing Steps
  • 2015-04-22T00:00:00 - NOAA created the National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) by merging NOAA's National Climatic Data Center (NCDC), National Geophysical Data Center (NGDC), and National Oceanographic Data Center (NODC), including the National Coastal Data Development Center (NCDDC), per the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2015, Public Law 113-235. NCEI launched publicly on April 22, 2015.
Acquisition Information (collection)
Instrument
  • SMMR
  • SSM/I
Platform
  • DMSP F11
  • DMSP F13
  • DMSP F14
  • DMSP F15
  • DMSP F8
  • Nimbus-7
Last Modified: 2023-08-07T13:13:47Z
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