Loss of US government data on sea ice alarms scientists

Scientists analysing the impacts of record low levels of Antarctic sea ice say a loss of critical satellite data will make it harder to track the rapid changes taking place at the poles.

- Graham Readfearn

Researchers were told last week the US Department of Defense would stop providing data used in studies on the state of Arctic and Antarctic sea ice at the end of this month.

Tracking the state of sea ice is crucial for scientists to understand how global heating is affecting the planet. Sea ice reflects the sun's energy back out to space, but as long-term losses of it have been recorded more of the planet's oceans are being exposed to the sun's energy, causing more heating.

The National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC), based at the University of Colorado Boulder, maintains an index used to track the amount of sea ice around the globe.

In two updates in the past week, it said the US Department of Defense, which operates the satellites that carry instruments used to track sea ice, would stop "processing and delivering" the data on 31 July.

Scientists have said the Trump administration is targeting climate research across the US government, and there have been fears sea ice data could be at risk.