The NSIDC DAAC realizes how important it is to have the ability to understand, predict, and adapt to climate change and variability in order to protect the environment and maintain economic vitality for future generations. Thus, long-term climate observations sustained over decades are the first step in providing resilency to climate change and variability. Therefore, the NSIDC DAAC is currently in the planning phase to eventually create sea ice and snow satellite Climate Data Records (CDRs) in order to provide the climate data necessary for scientists, decision makers, and stakeholders to make adaptive choices regarding climate change and vulnerability.

Although the concept of a CDR has surfaced numerous times in recent literature, the climate community has yet to settle on a consistent definition. Thus, to generate the best possible plan for creating satellite CDRs, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) asked the National Academies to conduct a two-phase study to provide advice on creating CDRs. In their report, the committee defines a CDR as a time series of measurements of sufficient length, consistency, and continuity to determine climate variability and change. The committee further segments satellite-based CDRs into Fundamental CDRs (FCDRs), which are calibrated and quality-controlled sensor data that have been improved over time, and Thematic CDRs (TCDRs), which are geophysical variables derived from the FCDRs, such as sea surface temperature and cloud fraction (Climate Data Records from Environmental Satellites: Interim Report 2004).

The NSIDC DAAC plans to produce a snow and a sea ice CDR in the next couple of years. The criteria used to produce these CDRs are as follows:

• The data set must have enough longevity to detect significant trends or variability in climate, 30 years is a common minimum standard
• The data set must be of high quality
• The data set must be well validated
• There must be good knowledge about the data set's error sources
• The data set must have high quality and complete metadata for preservation
• The data set must be consistent and with little or no bias
• The CDR should consist of one authorative data set for a physical parameter, such as sea ice extent. The CDR may incorporate several sources, assimilated or fused in an optimal manner to create a single field.

NSIDC will update this Web page once the CDRs are ready for public use. If you have any questions regarding the creation of the snow or sea ice CDRs, please contact Walt Meier.