Snow Today | National Snow and Ice Data Center
Jun 5, 2024 · Snow Today is a NASA-funded research project that examines where snow is present, where it has snowed recently, and how much water is in the snow, while also comparing between snow today, snow yesterday, snow last year, and snow over the last few decades. You can find the following resources on our website: The Snow Today project is a ...
Science of Glaciers - National Snow and Ice Data Center
Glaciers move by internal deformation of the ice, and by sliding over the rocks and sediments at the base. The weight of overlying snow, firn, and ice, and the pressure exerted by upstream and downstream ice deforms glacier ice, in a phenomenon known as creep. A glacier may slide on a thin layer of water at its base.
Glacier Quick Facts - National Snow and Ice Data Center
A glacier is an accumulation of ice and snow that slowly flows over land. Alpine glaciers are frozen rivers of ice, slowly flowing under their own weight down mountainsides and into valleys. Ice sheets exist only on Greenland and Antarctica, and they spread out in broad domes in multiple directions. A group of people explore the Perito Moreno ...
Ice Sheets Today - National Snow and Ice Data Center
Aug 14, 2024 · Together, the Antarctic and Greenland Ice Sheets contain more than 99 percent of freshwater ice on Earth. If they both completely melted, they would raise sea level by an estimated 67.4 meters (223 feet). Long-term satellite data indicate that through most of the twentieth century, the ice sheets made very little contribution to sea level, and ...
Science of Snow - National Snow and Ice Data Center
Science. For snow to fall, moisture must be present in the atmosphere. Snowstorms also rely heavily on temperature, but not necessarily the temperature we feel on the ground. Snow forms when the atmospheric temperature is at or below freezing (0°C or 32°F). If the ground temperature is at or below freezing, the snow will reach the ground.
Arctic Weather and Climate - National Snow and Ice Data Center
Arctic temperatures are higher in summer, when there is more sunlight, and lower in winter, when the region is dark. Scientists also use temperature for monitoring changes in climate. Long-term measurements of air temperatures over many years are important for scientists to …
Arctic Weather and Climate | National Snow and Ice Data Center
Near the ocean, a maritime climate prevails. In coastal Alaska, along with Iceland and Scandinavia, the winters are stormy and wet, with snow and rainfall reaching 60 centimeters (24 inches) to 125 centimeters (49 inches) each year. Summers in the coastal regions tend to be cool and cloudy; average temperatures hover around 10 °C (50 °F).
Glaciers - National Snow and Ice Data Center
A glacier is an accumulation of ice and snow that slowly flows over land. At higher elevations, more snow typically falls than melts, adding to its mass. Eventually, the surplus of built-up ice begins to flow downhill. At lower elevations, there is usually a higher rate of melt or icebergs break off that removes ice mass.
Sea Ice Today - National Snow and Ice Data Center
Sea Ice Today began as a way to make sea ice science and analysis more relevant and accessible. In combination, NASA data and NSIDC expertise provide easy-to-use resources and tools to increase our understanding of climate change in the Arctic. Since 2007, this site has been a go-to source for blog-like insights, analysis, and data ...
Why Glaciers Matter - National Snow and Ice Data Center
Why they matter. Glaciers, slow-moving rivers of ice, have sculpted mountains and carved valleys throughout Earth's history. They continue to flow and shape the landscape in many places today. But glaciers affect much more than the landscape. Glacier melt delivers nutrients into lakes, rivers, and oceans. Those nutrients can drive blooms of ...