NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration

I n recent decades, sea ice and snow cover extent has declined across the Arctic. The melting has been confirmed using numerous observational tools. While climate models also tend to predict melting trends, a wide range of projections manifest due to uncertainties in Arctic processes. Causes for the rapid loss of sea ice are complex and linked to the surface radiation budget, possibly through cloud and sea ice feedbacks. Furthermore, the rapid degradation (through warming and melting of permafrost) of delicate ecosystems that lock vast quantities of carbon dioxide under the crust of the Arctic demands urgent attention. It is therefore essential to monitor and improve current assessments of the surface energy budget in order to gain a better understanding of how climate change may manifest in the future. To improve assessments of the Arctic energy budget for validation and scientific study, we have developed the Arctic Observation and Reanalysis Integrated System (ArORIS), which merges numerous state-of-