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

Years of record
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This data set comprises global, monthly satellite-derived snow water equivalent (SWE) climatologies from November 1978 through May 2007, and is updated with more…
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Formats
- binary
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Timestep
- Monthly
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Collections
- N/A
Experts contributing reviews
- N/A

Years of record
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The Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer-Earth Observing System (AMSR-E) distributes daily, weekly, and monthly products which includes snow water equivalent.…
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Formats
- HDF-EOS
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Timestep
- Daily, Monthly, Weekly
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Domain
- NH - Northern Hemisphere
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Collections
- N/A
Experts contributing reviews
- N/A

Years of record
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The Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) refers to a pair of NASA satellites that has flown in low-Earth orbit since 2002. The satellites use a…
Main variables and Earth System components
Cryosphere Glaciers Ice Sheet Mass Land Groundwater Water Storage surface water Ocean Bottom pressure-
Timestep
- Daily, Monthly
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Domain
- Global
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Collections
- Diagnostic Data Sets, NCAR-DOE-CESM, landdiagnostics, landicediagnostics
Experts contributing reviews
- Swenson, Sean

Years of record
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Developed by Dr. Peter E Thornton to fulfill the need for daily climatological data necessary for plant growth model inputs, Daymet generates daily, gridded…
Main variables and Earth System components
Atmosphere Maximum Air Temperature Minimum Air Temperature Precipitation Radiation Water Vapor Cryosphere Snow Water Equivalent-
Timestep
- Climatology, Daily
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Domain
- North America
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Collections
- N/A
Experts contributing reviews
- N/A