Fresh Eyes on Ice
The freshwater ice on which Arctic ecosystems and communities depend is changing–with major implications for residents’ safety. The Fresh Eyes on Ice project asks you to make observations of river ice in Canada, Alaska, and other parts of North America to enable community safety and climate science. Your observations provide information for fishers, hunters, and travellers. They yield vital data for flood forecasting, for comparing with past and future observations, and for verifying (or “ground-truthing”) satellite measurements.
Safety First: Learn how to safely check the thickness of ice over freshwater by watching this video.
AGES
18 and up
DIVISION
Earth Science
WHERE
Northern North America
LAUNCHED
2020
What you'll do
- Take pictures of ice on rivers and lakes.
- Submit your observations to the science team and the National Weather Service using a website or cell phone app.
- View the latest ice data taken by other volunteers.
- In Alaska, Community-Based Monitoring Teams team with local scientists to collect ice data and promote ice safety.
Requirements
- Time to get started: Minutes
- Equipment: Smartphone with a camera
- Knowledge: None. Video tutorials are available.
Get started!
- Go to the project website.
- Download the GLOBE Observer mobile phone app.
- Head to any river or lake to make observations! Freeze-up and break-up are critical observation periods, but mid-winter thaw events or open holes in the ice are also important to capture. Repeat photos of the same place are particularly valuable.
- Share your observations of ice and snow conditions using either the GLOBE Observer mobile phone app or the Fresh Eyes On Ice portal webpage.
Learn More
Join the project’s Facebook group or follow is on Twitter at @FreshEyesonIce to get updates about ice conditions and see the latest shared images and videos.
Educators: Download lesson Fresh Eyes on Ice lesson plans.
![This true color map shows Alaska and the surrounding seas - the Bering Sea to the west, the Chuckchi Sea to the northwest, and Beaufort Sea to the north - and neighboring land masses - Russia across the water to the west, Canada to the east, and a corner of the continental US to the southeast. 46 colored dots are sprinkled over Alaska, in an irregular rainbow of colors from reds in the north to blues in the southeast roughly indicate the ice thickness. No legend is provided (visit the website!).](https://cdn.statically.io/img/science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/screenshot-feoi-iceportal.jpg?w=4096&format=jpeg)
![](https://cdn.statically.io/img/science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/logo-fresheyes.png?w=4096&format=png)
![a lone snowmobile, tiny in the big landscape, travels away from us on an ice and snow-covered river. Low sunlight casts long shadows out onto the snow of the pine trees lining the riverbank. The sky is pale blue. The tree-covered hills on the far side of the river have fresh snow in their branches.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/kuskokwim-river-at-sleetmute-20230215200119.jpg?w=4096&format=jpeg)
![Photo of a man in snow gear standing on ice.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/chris-arp.jpeg?w=4096&format=jpeg)
![Photo of a woman with long red hair and wearing overalls talking to kids in a classroom.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/laura-oxtoby.jpeg?w=4096&format=jpeg)
![Photo of a woman in cold weather gear holding a clipboard and talking to students outdoors on the snow covered ground.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/katie-spellman.jpeg?w=4096&format=jpeg)
![Photo of a woman standing waist deep in marshy water.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/dana-brown.jpeg?w=4096&format=jpeg)
![Portrait photo of a woman with long dark black hair wearing a red hat and matching red sweater which contrasts with the snowy white background.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/elena-sparrow.jpeg?w=4096&format=jpeg)
![Photo of a woman wearing heavy winter clothing, a large furry hat, standing on an ice and snow covered lake.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/brooke-woods.jpeg?w=4096&format=jpeg)