Why monitor lake ice?

Lake ice cover provides a variety of ecological and cultural ecosystem services, and its loss can lead to ecological consequences such as reduced water quality, oxygen depletion, and increased algal blooms. With increasing pressure from climate change, the timing of seasonal lake ice freeze-up and break-up—referred to as lake ice phenology (LIP)—is shifting. Research shows that lakes across the Northern Hemisphere are experiencing progressively earlier ice-off dates, later ice-on dates, and shorter ice durations, with some lakes failing to freeze entirely. Due to its critical importance in characterizing the Earth's climate, lake ice cover has been designated by the Global Climate Observing System (GCOS) as one of the Essential Climate Variables, making its measurement vital for understanding and predicting the Earth’s climate.