Sea ice edge and type

This dataset provides daily gridded data of sea ice edge and sea ice type derived from brightness temperatures measured by satellite passive microwave radiometers. Sea ice is an important component of our climate system and a sensitive indicator of climate change. Its presence or its retreat has a strong impact on air-sea interactions, the Earth’s energy budget as well as marine ecosystems. It is recognized by the Global Climate Observing System as an Essential Climate Variable. Sea ice edge and type are some of the parameters used to characterise sea ice. Other parameters include sea ice concentration and sea ice thickness, also available in the Climate Data Store.