Fact Check: DMSP satellites have tracked polar sea ice for over 40 years.

Fact Check: "DMSP satellites have tracked polar sea ice for over 40 years."

What We Know

The claim that "DMSP satellites have tracked polar sea ice for over 40 years" is supported by a variety of sources detailing the history and capabilities of satellite technology used for monitoring sea ice. The Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) has been operational since the late 1970s, and its satellites have been equipped with passive microwave sensors that are capable of observing sea ice conditions.

1. The continuous record of sea ice began with the Scanning Multichannel Microwave Radiometer (SMMR) on the Nimbus-7 satellite, which operated from 1978 to 1987. This was followed by the Special Sensor Microwave/Imager (SSM/I) and the Special Sensor Microwave Imager Sounder (SSMIS) on DMSP satellites, which have been operational since 1987 and continue to provide data today (NASA Earth Observatory [source-2]).

2. The National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) highlights that the modern satellite sea ice data record was initiated with the launch of Nimbus-7 in 1978, marking the beginning of a comprehensive satellite-based observation of sea ice that has continued for over four decades (NASA's NSIDC DAAC [source-1]).

3. The DMSP satellites have been critical in extending the sea ice record, allowing scientists to monitor changes in ice extent and concentration effectively since their inception (NASA Earth Observatory [source-2]).

Analysis

The evidence supporting the claim is robust, with multiple credible sources confirming the role of DMSP satellites in tracking polar sea ice for over 40 years. The NSIDC and NASA Earth Observatory are reputable organizations known for their scientific contributions and data integrity in climate and environmental monitoring.

• The NSIDC's documentation of the sea ice data record emphasizes the significance of the SMMR and subsequent DMSP sensors in establishing a long-term dataset that is essential for understanding climate change impacts on polar regions (NASA's NSIDC DAAC [source-1]).

• Furthermore, the NASA Earth Observatory notes that the DMSP satellites have been instrumental in providing reliable sea ice data, which is crucial for climate research (NASA Earth Observatory [source-2]).

• While there are discussions about the primary purpose of DMSP satellites being wind speed tracking, their passive microwave sensors are indeed well-suited for detecting sea ice, thus validating their use in this context (Science [source-8]).

Conclusion

Verdict: True
The claim that "DMSP satellites have tracked polar sea ice for over 40 years" is accurate. The operational history of the DMSP satellites, beginning with the Nimbus-7 in 1978 and continuing through the SSM/I and SSMIS sensors, provides a continuous record of sea ice conditions that has been utilized by scientists for climate research and monitoring.

Sources

1. NASA's NSIDC DAAC Celebrates 40 Years of Modern Satellite Sea Ice Data ...
2. Monitoring Sea Ice - NASA Earth Observatory
3. New Data From Old Satellites: A Nimbus Success Story
4. Data Products | Earth
5. PDF DMSP PDF copy for print - National Reconnaissance Office
6. Documenting Arctic sea ice dynamics with Global Fiducials ...
7. NASA SVS | Sea Ice Extent 1978-2025
8. U.S. military trims access to its critical sea ice measurements