The U.S. Department of Defense will stop providing its weather satellite data to scientists and forecasters.
This data has been used for over 40 years to track hurricanes in real time and measure sea ice in polar regions.
The Defense Department cites cybersecurity concerns for ending data sharing, not funding cuts.
NOAA says it can fill the gap but missing Defense data may create observation gaps during storms.
Without the Defense data, forecasters may miss rapid hurricane intensification and have less warning time.
Researchers tracking sea ice must quickly switch to alternate satellite sources before data access ends.
This change comes as the Atlantic hurricane season peaks and Arctic sea ice is at record lows.
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