Schweiger is the chair of the Polar Science Center, a group in the University of Washington's Applied Physics Laboratory. He is an expert on polar sea ice and can assist with stories tracking the annual melt.

He developed the widely cited web site that depicts sea ice volume using data produced at UW known as PIOMAS, or the Pan-Arctic Ice Ocean Modeling and Assimilation System.

Schweiger's research focuses on the interaction of sea ice with clouds and radiation. He uses satellite data, models and in-situ observations to study sea ice and cloud variability.

Previous research includes work on microwave-based sea ice concentration algorithms and the application of artificial intelligence methods to remote sensing problems.

Find more information about Schweiger here: http://www.apl.washington.edu/people/profile.php?last_name=Schweiger&first_name=Axel

PIOMAS data is available here: http://psc.apl.washington.edu/wordpress/research/projects/arctic-sea-ice-volume-anomaly/