Scientific Theme: Advanced Modeling and Observing Systems

National Snow and Ice Data Center
Complementary Research: CIRES Scientific Centers
Description
The National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) supports research into our world‘s frozen realms: the snow, ice,
glacier, frozen ground, and climate interactions that make up Earth‘s cryosphere. Scientific data, whether taken in
the field or relayed from satellites orbiting Earth, form the foundation for the scientific research that informs the
world about our planet and our climate systems.
NSIDC manages and distributes scientific data, creates tools for data access, supports data users, performs scientific
research, and educates the public about the cryosphere. NSIDC has led the field of cryospheric data management
since 1976.
Accomplishments
In 2006, we added 35 new data sets to our online data offerings. We also continued to manage and disseminate the
more than 500 data sets we offer through the NSIDC web pages, responding to requests from more than 46,000
users and providing them with 5 million data files containing 6.4 TB of data. In addition, we continued to develop
our participation and interests in International Polar Year data management through the IPY Data and Information
Service.
Our researchers and service personnel delivered dozens of presentations to audiences around the world, and our
scientists spread word of our research through CNN, National Public Radio, the New York Times, British
Broadcasting Corporation, and dozens of other major media outlets. Our scientists also helped inform decision
makers through appearances at Congressional briefings in Washington, DC.
Research at NSIDC includes activities related to the cryosphere:
Ice sheets and glaciers: Glacier and ice sheet mass balance is an important and potentially variable contributor
to sea-level rise. NSIDC scientists developed a new map of Antarctica and have been documenting the rates of
movements of glaciers in critical parts of the Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets.
Sea ice: Sea ice is important both as an input to global climate models, and as an indicator of climate change.
The Sea Ice Index, developed by NSIDC to meet a need for tracking changes in the ice as they occur, has
indicated declines in Arctic sea ice extent and area during recent years.
Permafrost and frozen ground: Changes in the extent of permafrost and frozen ground are an indicator of
climate change and have an impact on native communities, terrestrial ecology, and the infrastructure of northern
lands. The carbon tied up in permafrost and frozen ground could affect the global carbon balance. Scientists at
NSIDC are integrating in situ data with numerical models to
refine predictions of frozen ground extent.
Snow cover and snow hydrology: Changes in the freshwater
contribution to the northern seas are affecting the dynamics of
ocean circulation. NSIDC‘s scientists are working with a
variety of widely distributed data, in conjunction with
synthesis and modeling approaches, to understand Arctic
hydrology issues.
Climate change in the cryosphere: Scientists working with
near real-time monitoring of snow, sea ice, and vegetation
under the Study of Environmental Arctic Change program are
making progress toward documenting that change by using
approaches such as the Sea Ice Index noted above.
The Arctic winter sea ice extent fell to a record low in March 2006,
indicated by the solid off-white color. The pink line indicates the
1979-2000 mean sea ice extent in winter.
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