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If you haven't signed up for the monthly NSIDC newsletter yet, you can do so here: We use it to share new research, data news, and fun facts about the cryosphere. Photo credit: Matt Druckenmiller, NSIDC

Arctic sea ice extent tracked at near-record low levels through much of June, hitting daily record lows from June 20 to 26. Antarctic sea ice averaged third lowest for the month of June. Sea Ice Today will be switching its primary data source.

Rain on Snow events occur when rain falls onto an existing snowpack and freezes, forming an ice crust that can have severe consequences to wildlife, infrastructure, and communities. The Arctic Rain on Snow Study aims to better understand these events.

Have you tried our Browse Image Subset Tool? This tools allows you to display browse images from 5different NOAA@NSIDC Arctic sea ice products in a spreadsheet-like format to compare different time periods and regions in a tabular view.

Did you know the NSIDC DAAC provides a Python notebook demonstrating how to access ICESat-2 data in the NASA Earthdata Cloud via "direct S3 access" using the earthaccess library? This notebook is available at

Follow along with what's happening with Arctic and Antarctic sea ice extent using our Charctic tool!

The Sea Ice Index provides a quick look at Arctic- & Antarctic-wide changes in sea ice. It is a source for consistent, up-to-date sea ice extent & concentration images from November 1978 to the present.

The NASA Airborne Snow Observatory campaign collected hyperspectral and lidar data of snow melt in parts of Colorado, California, Oregon, and Washington. Data from the campaign are available at the NSIDC DAAC:

NASA Worldview is an easy-to-use visualization tool that allows users to interactively browse, compare, animate, and download over 1,200 visualized satellite data products, including some from the NSIDC DAAC. Check it out:

The Terra and Aqua MODIS instruments image the same area on Earth approximately three hours apart. The entire Earth's surface is imaged every one to two days, and the sensors work in tandem to optimize cloud-free surface viewing. Get MODIS data:

NSIDC champions open science. This is the concept that scientific research should be accessible, transparent & reproducible. Open science makes science more global and collaborative, and accelerates discovery. Learn more:

Scientists can use ICESat-2 data to monitor changes in sea ice thickness over time, to detect icebergs and forecast where they will travel, and to better predict how Earth’s melting glaciers will impact global sea rise in the future. Get data:

Ice Sheets Today offers the latest satellite data and scientific analyses on surface melting of Earth's two ice sheets. Find data tools from the project:

Scientific evidence shows that Arctic rain on snow events are becoming more frequent as a result of climate change. The Arctic Rain On Snow Study project aims to quantify these changes, assess their impacts, and more.

NASA’s OpenAltimetry is a free & powerful map-based data visualization and discovery tool for exploring surface elevation profiles from ICESat & ICESat-2 altimetry data. Check it out:

Like El Niño and La Niña, the Arctic Oscillation is a big-picture of atmospheric conditions that influence weather. It alternates between 2 distinct modes and describes how pressure patterns are distributed over the Arctic region and the mid-latitudes.

NASA initiated the SnowEx campaigns to fill knowledge gaps related to remote sensing of snow, aiming to more accurately measure snow characteristics in a variety of terrains & vegetation canopies, compare remote-sensing technologies, and more. Get data:

Permafrost, also known as frozen ground, is soil that remains at or below 0°C (32°F) for at least two years. When it thaws, permafrost contributes to global warming by releasing greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Learn more:

Thwaites Glacier is a mammoth glacier in Antarctica, about the size of Florida. It's also 1 of the fastest-retreating. @GlacierThwaites seeks to answer 2 questions about Thwaites Glacier: how much could it contribute to sea level rise & how soon? .

Sea ice melt near Greenland can affect ice on the island. As sea ice retreats from the fronts of marine-terminating glaciers, the glaciers lose stability and may flow faster. Learn more: