1. Australian Antarctic Data Centre
2. Discover and Manage Data
3. Records
4. climate_sea_ice

Description

This dataset contains the digitisation of one U.S. Navy/NOAA Joint Ice Facility sea ice extent and concentration map monthly to give the latitude and longitude of the northern extent of the Antarctic sea ice. Maps were produced weekly, but have been digitised monthly, since distribution began in January 1973 (except August 1985), until December 1996. Maps were digitised at each 10 degrees of longitude, and the longitude, distance from the south pole to the northern edge of the sea ice at that longitude, and latitude of that edge is given, as well as the mean distance and latitude for that map. Summary tabulations (sea ice northern extent latitudes at each 10 degree of longitude each year, grouped by month) and mean monthly sea ice extent statistics are also available.

Quality

Monthly data produced since 1973, except August 1985, until December 1996. Sea ice concentration and extent maps are distributed weekly by the U.S. Navy/NOAA Joint Ice Facility. One map monthly was digitised by the Antarctic CRC (now ACE CRC)/Australian Antarctic Division. The maps were digitised in 10 degree longitude sections. Latitude of the ice edge at each longitude interval was provided to the nearest 0.1 degree, with an error of 0.2 degrees.

Access

These data are publicly available for download from the provided URL.

Temporal Coverages

• Start date: 1973-01-18 - Stop date: 1996-12-19

Spatial Coverages

Science Keywords

• EARTH SCIENCE > CRYOSPHERE > SEA ICE > ICE EXTENT
• EARTH SCIENCE > CRYOSPHERE > SEA ICE > SEA ICE CONCENTRATION

Use Constraints

This data set conforms to the CCBY Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

Please follow instructions listed in the citation reference provided at http://data.aad.gov.au/aadc/metadata/citation.cfm?entry_id=climate_sea_ice when using these data.