Cryosphere

Cryospheric variables include sea ice concentration, sea ice thickness, snow cover, glacier extent, and more. Overview pages summarize and compare selected datasets of a given variable.

To find a specific dataset or variable, jump to the search box below or click your desired variable from among the blue sub-category buttons.

To view only the datasets with commentaries from experts, select the "Datasets with guidance" button when using the search box.

Climate datasets

Has expert guidance
From Petty et al. (2020); provided by Rachel Tilling Sea Ice Thickness Data Sets: Overview & Comparison Table

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While satellite observations of sea ice extent and concentration are available from 1979, long-term high quality (daily and high spatial resolution) observations of sea ice…

Main variables and Earth System components

Cryosphere Sea Ice Thickness
Daily Arctic sea ice volume from PIOMAS for each year from January 1, 1979 to November 30, 2022 using shades of blue to red in sequential order for every line. The decadal averages are annotated on the right side. (contributed by Z. Labe) Pan-Arctic Ice Ocean Modeling and Assimilation System (PIOMAS)

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The Pan-Arctic Ice-Ocean Modeling and Assimilation System (PIOMAS) is a reanalysis data set that uses a coupled ice and ocean model to provide daily and monthly estimates…

Main variables and Earth System components

Cryosphere Sea Ice Thickness Ocean
The World Glacier Monitoring Service Network of Reference glaciers Observations of Glacier Mass Balance: The World Glacier Monitoring Service

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Mountain glaciers and ice caps have been studied as sensitive indicators of climate since the 19th century. The recognition of glacier sensitivity to climate led to the…

Main variables and Earth System components

Cryosphere Glaciers