This week’s interactive exercise will use EO data to look at ice thickness and extent.

For this exercise, we will use the Sea Ice mobile app or web app from CPOM.

Follow the steps below and then join the discussion to compare results and discuss ideas with other learners. Once you feel confident with the tool, you can explore other locations and data sets of your choice.

You may find it helpful to open the exercise in a separate window if you are using the web app.

For Android and iOS:

1. Search for Sea Ice in the Apple app store or Android Play Store, and Download the Sea Ice App by CPOM. Alternatively follow these links:

iOS

Android

1. Once you have opened the app press ‘View Arctic Sea Ice Data’. Then press ok after you have read the information box.

2. Move the time line using the slider to Oct 2016, then slowly move it along each month until you get to Feb 2017. Are the results what you would expect? Discuss below.

3. Now look at the data for Mar 2016, March 2015 and March 2014. March is the month with the highest maximum sea ice extent. Can you see any differences in sea ice thickness and extent between these years? Discuss your findings below.

4. Feel free to play around comparing different months and years, and discuss anything interesting you find below!

For web:

1. Visit CPOM’s sea ice interactive website

2. The map that you can see firstly on this page is the latest sea ice thickness and extent data taken from CryoSat. The data stops for the summer melt each year.

3. Above the data map, change the season to spring, under ‘Final Precise Data’, (these are the averages for March and April) then look at the results for each year, from 2010 until 2014. Can you see any differences? Discuss below.

4. Now do the same for the autumn data (these are the averages from October and November), and discuss what you find out below.

5. If you hover your mouse over the app you can choose the different arctic basins and view their time series, which you can see on the right in the graph. Play around with the data and discuss anything interesting you spot in the comments below!

Take the test

You can take the end of week test by clicking on the test button located on the top-right.