A new webpage developed through SEARCH provides access to early-release datasets on ice thickness, snow depth, and ice characteristics collected in March/April of 2012 in the North American Arctic. The webpage is available at:
http://www.arcus.org/search/seaiceoutlook/ice-thickness-data.
Data were obtained by different projects, centering around the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) Operation IceBridge survey flights, with key contributions from NSF-funded activities of the interagency Arctic Observing Network (AON). The goal of this early release of preliminary data is to provide timely information to the international sea-ice prediction community for initialization of seasonal ice predictions, including those for the SEARCH Sea Ice Outlook.
The data release includes contributions from different U.S. federal agency, private industry, and international partners to provide timely sea-ice data of broader relevance in the North American Arctic. The data acquisition reflects collaboration with local government and co-management boards to avoid interfering with subsistence hunting activities and provide information of relevance to coastal communities.
Datasets available through this webpage include:
- NASA Operation IceBridge Quicklook Data
- Seasonal Ice Zone Observing Network (SIZONet) Airborne Electromagnetic Induction Ice Thickness Surveys Quicklook Data
- Fugro Earth Data, Inc. Airborne P-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) Survey Quicklook Data
- Naval Research Laboratory Tandem Flight Airborne LiDAR and Radar Altimeter Surveys
- SIZONet Surface-based EM Survey Data (Barrow Landfast Ice Region and Drifting Multiyear Ice Site)
- Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (CRREL)-Arctic Observing Network Ice Mass-balance Buoy Data
- SIZONet Snow and Ice Property Measurements
The full webpage, including contact information, is available at:
http://www.arcus.org/search/seaiceoutlook/ice-thickness-data.