This data set consists of AVHRR imagery selected from hard copy 'quick look' images to provide the best coverage possible over the Arctic approximately every three days for a three-year period. Level-1B data from NOAA/SDSD have been calibrated and mapped to earth locations, then gridded to 1 km pixels on a basin scale to the polar stereographic projection. The projection is similar to that used by NSIDC to produce DMSP SSM/I polar brightness temperature and sea ice products. Each image was ranked for areal coverage of particular seas and for degree of cloud coverage. Passes covering a large area are generally favored over shorter passes with less cloud cover. The data set was developed in support of the Office Of Naval Research Arctic Leads Accelerated Research Initiative (Arctic Leads ARI). The aim of the Initiative was to develop a more thorough understanding of the oceanography, meteorology, and ice dynamics surrounding formation and evolution of leads in sea ice. The leads ARI field experiment took place from March to April 1992.

A spreadsheet containing the image rankings is available in hard copy (NOARL Tech. Note 118, April 1991); paper copies of the spreadsheet are available on request. Data set information is available on-line. Data are available via FTP.