The National Snow and Ice Data Center and the cryosphere

Geology

What is the National Snow and Ice Data Center? What do they do?

The National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) is a division of the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences at the University of Colorado. They support research of frozen areas around the world. The study snow, ice, glaciers, frozen ground, and climate interactions. They administer and allocate scientific data; they produce tools for data access, they support data users, they undertake scientific research, and teach the public about the cryosphere.

What is the Cryosphere?

The cryosphere is the portions the surface of the Earth where water exists in a solid form. This comprises sea ice, lake ice, river ice, snow cover, glaciers, ice caps and ice sheets, and permafrost.

What is sea ice?

Sea ice seawater that is frozen and floats on the surface of the ocean. It shapes and melts in conjunction with the polar seasons, which affects both human doings and biological habitats.

7) Has the Arctic always had ice in the summer?

Some evidence from the age of the dinosaurs shows that there was a moderate climate that included ferns and other green vegetation. Derived from the paleoclimate record from ice and ocean cores, the last temperate period in the Arctic peaked about eight thousand years ago which leads experts to believe that the Arctic has not always had ice in the summer. A recent study though, suggests that over five thousand years ago, the Arctic had considerably less sea ice in the summertime than today, but it was not apparent whether the Arctic was totally free of sea ice in the summertime throughout that time.

8) What is the difference between the seasonal patterns of Arctic Ice in comparison to Antarctic Ice?

The model of Antarctic maximum sea ice is generally symmetric around the pole, shaping a circle around Antarctica. On the other hand, the Arctic is asymmetric, with a lot more ice in some longitudes than in others.

9) What is the explanation for these variations?

These variations take place because of the way the currents and winds move. In the Antarctic there are not disruptions in the currents and winds around the continent from the west to the east. This works as an obstacle to the warmer air and water that is in the north, which allows sea ice to form. On the other side, the Arctic region is open to the warmer waters that come from the south. These warmer waters flow into the Arctic and stop sea ice from forming in the North Atlantic. The waters that are off the eastern coasts of Canada and Russia are affected by the cold air that comes off the land from the west. The eastern Canadian coast is also subject to cold water that flows from the north which makes it easier for sea ice to from in that region.