Variability of sea ice as part of climatic change encompasses a range of conditions and processes, including areal extent of the ice cover, open water fraction within the ice pack, ice thickness and age, albedo and skin temperature, ice transport and kinematics, snow cover on the sea ice, size and persistence of open water areas (leads and polynyas), and duration and severity of sea ice seasons. Data sets describing these conditions are playing a key role in identifying the characteristics and mechanisms of changes in the polar environment. The planned Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS), currently transitioning from the National Polar–orbiting Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS) and its pilot effort, the NPOESS Preparatory Project (NPP), is intended to provide a suite of data sets: "Earth System Data Records" (ESDRs) or "Environmental Data Records" (EDRs) from which Climate Data Records (CDRs) are to be derived.

Among the planned NPP EDRs are sea ice products to be generated using data from a single sensor, the Visible Infrared Imager / Radiometer Suite (VIIRS). These include ice age (new/young ice and thick ice) and ice surface temperature (NPP EDRs), as well as ice concentration (an NPP "intermediate product").

Results from evaluating VIIRS proxy sea ice products, and recent VIIRS-produced products (if available), will be presented.