Picture representing the Arctic Ocean and Polar Ice Cap

Advancing Polar Research: the conclusion of the OCRE CryoSSARinSAM+ Project

We are pleased to announce the conclusion of the CryoSSARinSAM+ project, an initiative funded by the European Commission’s OCRE (Open Clouds for Research Environments) program. Led by the Technical University of Denmark (DTU), the project set out to produce a single, open-access CryoSat-2 altimetry mission dataset created to become the reference standard for the radar altimetry research community to advance the knowledge of the polar oceans and ice cover, and the impact of climate change on them.

EarthConsole® by Progressive Systems, selected by DTU as service provider, supported the processing of these data and established a repository where researchers can now easily access and download the dataset.

Why Polar Regions Matter

The polar regions have always been a focal point for scientific research, and in today’s world, the need to monitor them has never been more urgent. With the accelerating effects of climate change, the melting of polar sea-ice is one of the most significant amplifiers of global warming with decreasing albedo. This makes tracking changes in the polar oceans essential for understanding long-term climate patterns, the opening of new arctic shipping routes, and the broader impact on the global ecosystem.

For years, different research groups independently processed CryoSat-2 radar altimetry data for the polar oceans, mainly covering the period 2010–2020. While these datasets were valuable for studying changes in these regions, the lack of coordination among the different research groups meant the data was fragmented. This project aimed to provide a more unified approach, also expanding the temporal and geographical coverage of these dataset.

The Expanded Cryosat-2 Dataset

The CryoSSARinSAM+ project aimed to grow and expand this vital dataset to create an Arctic and Antarctic dataset with full coverage from 2010-2024 for the Arctic region (50N-90N) and the Antarctic region (90S-50S).

The project added processing of C2 to create such. By using SARvatore for CryoSat-2 and SARINvatore for CryoSat-2 processors, the project focused on the:

  • the Subarctic region (180.00W, 50.00N, 180.00E, 65.00N) for the winter months from October 2010 to December 2020, as well as full-year data from 2021 up to January 2022, and
  • the Arctic (180.00W, 50.00N, 180.00E, 90.00N) and Antarctic (180.00W, 80.00S, 180.00E, 50.00S) regions from February 2022 up to September 2024.

A powerful dataset for many applications

The new CryoSat-2 dataset generated by the CryoSSARinSAM+ project holds immense potential for a wide range of applications. Some of the key areas of focus include:

  • Sea Level and Circulation: studying trends in sea level rise and ocean circulation in the polar regions.
  • Ice Thickness: estimating winter and summer sea ice thickness in the Arctic and Antarctic Ocean.

The dataset is designed to support a variety of research and monitoring efforts, and contribute to the global effort to understand and mitigate climate change.

Accessing the data: The Altimetry Virtual Lab repository

To download the CryoSat-2 dataset for free and explore its potential applications, simply:

  1. Register or login to EarthConsole®
  2. Request a free membership to the Altimetry Virtual Lab
  3. Navigate to folders 18 (SAR data) and 19 (SARIN data) within this repository.

The Altimetry Virtual Lab, hosted on EarthConsole®, provides processing services for CryoSat-2, Sentinel-3 and Sentinel-6-Michael-Frielich SAR (Syntethic Aperture Radar) altimeters data, such as the SARvatore for CryoSat-2 and SARINvatore for CryoSat-2 processors used for this project and much more. These services support data processing from L1A (FBR) products to SAR/SARin L2 geophysical products.

Beyond processing services, this virtual space also offers tools to facilitate the exchange of scientific knowledge, data, and resources.

Looking Ahead

The conclusion of the CryoSSARinSAM+ project marks a significant milestone in the ongoing exploration of Earth’s polar regions. We are excited to see how this expanded dataset will contribute to the growing body of knowledge about polar oceans, ice dynamics, and sea level change.

At EarthConsole®, we remain committed to supporting innovative research and providing the tools and infrastructure needed to tackle the challenges of climate change.

A Special Opportunity for Researchers

If you’re working on research, educational, or pre-commercial project and are interested in using one of the processing services available through the Altimetry Virtual Lab, you can apply for an ESA Network of Resources (NoR) sponsorship to cover the associated costs.

The NoR is an ESA initiative that provides sponsorship opportunities for users interested in utilizing services from innovative operational platforms and cloud services integrated into this framework, including EarthConsole®.

If ESA approves your sponsorship request, the NoR will provide a voucher of up to €5,000 for non-ESA projects (with no limits for ESA projects), which can be used to cover the cost of the Altimetry Virtual Lab services available through EarthConsole®.

To get started, simply request the desired service through our web app. After submitting your request, we’ll guide you through the process of applying for a sponsorship via the NoR.