From the Arctic to the Antarctic, snow and ice play a vital role in regulating Earth’s climate and providing freshwater resources to people, plants, and animals. The National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) at the University of Colorado Boulder (CU Boulder), part of the CU Boulder Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES), conducts innovative research and provides open data to understand how the frozen parts of Earth affect the rest of the planet and impact society. Research studies and data are primarily focused on the snow, ice, glaciers, frozen ground and climate interactions that make up Earth’s cryosphere.
Through a unique combination of data management and scientific research, NSIDC enables scientists, educators, students, journalists and many others to better understand the cryosphere, why it’s important and how it’s changing.