Satellite CryoSat from ESA detected that Arctic ice volume on November 2016 were the lowest and similar to records from the same month in 2011 and 2012. The ice has increased by only 10%, a low figure, for the beginning of the winter season.
CryoSat calculates surface height variation of ice with extreme precision thanks to tools like the radar altimeter that allow accurate documentation of changes in volume.
The National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) supports research into our world's frozen realms: the snow, ice, glaciers, frozen ground, and climate interactions that make up Earth's cryosphere.
NSIDC manages and distributes scientific data, creates tools for data access, supports data users, performs scientific research, and educates the public about the cryosphere.