Measurement Standards and Best Practices

GCW best practices for cryospheric measurements are currently being compiled. The Preliminary 2018 Edition of WMO-No. 8, Volume II, Measurement of Cryospheric Variables is available. Chapters 1 and 2 have been written and will be part of the 2018 Edition when finalized. Chapters 3-8 will be developed during the GCW pre-operational phase, tentatively scheduled for 2020-2023. GCW is drawing on existing measurement methods where possible and where a scientific consensus has been or can be reached. An initial inventory of existing documents describing measurement practices, or in some cases best practices for processing the observations, is given below.

  • Armstrong, R., K. Steffen, M. Monteduro, and R. Sessa, 2009, Assessment of the status of the development of the standards for the Terrestrial Essential Climate Variables – T5 - Snow. Global Terrestrial Observing System GTOS-60, Rome. (PDF)
  • CEN (European Committee for Standardization), 2010, Hydrometry - Measurement of snow water equivalent using snow mass registration devices. CEN/TR 15996:2010, Brussels.
  • Fierz, C., Armstrong, R.L., Durand, Y., Etchevers, P., Greene, E., McClung, D.M., Nishimura, K., Satyawali, P.K. and Sokratov, S.A. 2009, The International Classification for Seasonal Snow on the Ground. IHP-VII Technical Documents in Hydrology No. 83, UNESCO-IHP, Paris. 90 pp. (PDF)
  • MSC, 2012, Manual of Climatological Observations, Fourth Edition, Meteorological Service of Canada, Environment Canada, 27 pp., ISBN: 978-1-100-20938-8. ((PDF)
  • MSC, 2013, Manual of Surface Weather Observations, Seventh Edition, Amendment 18, Meteorological Service of Canada, Environment Canada, 500 pp., ISBN: 978-1-100-20937-1. (PDF)
  • UNESCO, IASH, and WMO, 1970, Seasonal snow cover, a guide for measurement compilation and assemblage of data. Technical papers in hydrology, a contribution to the International Hydrological Decade, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, Place de Fontenoy, 75 Paris-7e, 37 pp. (PDF)
  • Western Snow Conference Metrication Committee (P.E. Farnes, B.E. Goodison, N.R. Peterson, and R.P. Richards), 1983, Final Report: Metrication of Manual Snow Sampling Equipment, Available from Western Snow Conference, Spokane, Washington, USA. (PDF)

  • Kaser, G., Fountain, A., and Jansson, P., 2003, A Manual For Monitoring the Mass Balance of Mountain Glaciers. IHP-VI Technical Documents in Hydrology No. 59, UNESCO-IHP, Paris. (PDF)
  • Östrem G. and M. Brugmann, 1991, Glacier Mass Balance Measurements. A manual for field and office work. National Hydrology Research Institute (Canada), Science Report No. 4, 224 pp. (PDF)
  • Paul, F., R.G. Barry, J.G. Cogley, H. Frey, W. Haeberli, A. Ohmura, C.S.L. Ommanney, B. Raup, A. Rivera & M. Zemp, 2009, Recommendations for the compilation of glacier inventory data from digital sources, Annals Glaciol., 50(53), 119–126. (PDF)
  • Paul, F., A Kääb, M. Maisch, T. Kellenberger, W. Haeberli, 2002, The new remote-sensing-derived Swiss glacier inventory: I. Methods, Annals Glaciol., 34, doi: 10.3189/172756402781817941. (PDF)
  • Pfeffer, W.T., et al., 2014, The Randolph Glacier Inventory: a globally complete inventory of glaciers, J. Glaciology, Vol. 60, No. 221, 2014 doi: 10.3189/2014JoG13J176. (PDF)
  • Smith, T., B. Bookhagen, and F. Cannon, 2015, Improving semi-automated glacier mapping with a multi-method approach: applications in central Asia, The Cryosphere, 9, 1747–1759, doi:10.5194/tc-9-1747-2015. (PDF)
  • UNESCO and IASH, 1970a, Perennial ice and snow masses, a guide for compilation and assemblage of data for world inventory. Technical Papers in Hydrology No. 1, UNESCO/IASH. (PDF)
  • UNESCO and IASH, 1970b, Combined heat, ice and water balances at selected glacier basins. Part I: A guide for compilation and assemblage of data for glacier mass balance measurements. Part II: Specifications, standards and data exchange. UNESCO/ IAHS Technical Papers in Hydrology 5, Paris, 45 pp. (PDF)
  • WGMS, 2012, General Guidelines for Data Submission and Notes on the Completion of Data Sheets. World Glacier Monitoring Service, Zurich, Switzerland: 18 pp. (PDF)
  • Zemp, M. and others, 2009, Assessment of the status of the development of the standards for the Terrestrial Essential Climate Variables – T6 – Glaciers and Ice Caps. Global Terrestrial Observing System GTOS-61, Rome.(PDF)
  • Zemp, M., Thibert, E., Huss, M., Stumm, D., Rolstad Denby, C., Nuth, C., Nussbaumer, S.U., Moholdt, G., Mercer, A., Mayer, C., Joerg, P.C., Jansson, P., Hynek, B., Fischer, A., Escher-Vetter, H., Elvehøy, H., and Andreassen, L.M., 2013, Reanalysing glacier mass balance measurement series. The Cryosphere, 7, 1227-1245, doi:10.5194/tc-7-1227-2013. http://www.the-cryosphere.net/7/1227/2013/tc-7-1227-2013.html. (PDF)

  • Eicken, H., B.A. Bluhm, R.E. Collins, R.R. Gradinger, C. Haas, M. Ingham, A. Mahoney, M. Nicolaus, D. Perovich, 2014, Field Techniques in Sea-Ice Research, in Cold Regions Science and Marine Technology, [Ed. H. Shen], in Encyclopedia of Life Support Systems (EOLSS), Developed under the Auspices of the UNESCO, Eolss Publishers, Paris, France, [http://www.eolss.net] (PDF)
  • JCOMM, 2004, Ice chart colour code standard. JCOMM Technical Report No. 24, WMO/TD-No. 1215, 15 pp. (PDF)
  • Johnston, M.E. and G.W. Timco, 2008, Understanding and Identifying Old Ice in Summer. National Research Council Canada, Canadian Hydraulics Centre, Mational Research Council of Canada. (PDF)
  • MSC, 2005, MANICE: Manual of Standard Procedures for Observing an Reporting Ice Conditions, Ninth Edition, Meteorological Service of Canada, Environment Canada, 145 pp., ISBN: 0-660-62858-9. (PDF)
  • NOAA, 2007, Observers Guide to Sea Ice. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 30 pp. (PDF)
  • WMO, 2004, Sea-Ice Nomenclature, Volume III – International system of sea-ice symbols, WMO-No.259. Electronic version is available at http://www.aari.ru/gdsidb/XML/wmo_259.php. (PDF)
  • Worby, A. P. and I. Allison (1999), A technique for making ship-based observations of Antarctic sea ice thickness and characteristics, Part I: Observational technique and results, Antarctic CRC Research Report, 14, 68 pp. (PDF)
  • WMO, 2017, Sea-Ice Information Services in the World, WMO-No. 574, 111 pp. (PDF)

  • Streletskiy D., Biskaborn B., Smith S., Noetzli J, Viera G., Schoeneich P. 2017. Strategy and Implementation Plan 2016-2020 for the Global Terrestrial Network for Permafrost (GTN-P). The George Washington University, Washington D.C., 42 pp. (PDF)
  • Smith, S. and J. Brown, 2009, Assessment of the status of the development of the standards for the Terrestrial Essential Climate Variables - T7 - Permafrost and seasonally frozen ground. Global Terrestrial Observing System GTOS-62, Rome. (PDF)

  • Goodison B.E., P.Y.T. Louie, D. Yang, 1998, WMO Solid Precipitation Measurement Intercomparison- Final Report, WMO/TD - No. 872. (PDF)
  • MSC, 2012, Manual of Climatological Observations, Fourth Edition, Meteorological Service of Canada, Environment Canada, 27 pp., ISBN: 978-1-100-20938-8. ((PDF)
  • MSC, 2015, Manual of Surface Weather Observations, Seventh Edition, Amendment 19, Meteorological Service of Canada, Environment Canada, 478 pp., ISBN 978-1-100-25445-6. (PDF)
  • Nitu R. and Wong K., 2010, CIMO Survey on National Summaries of Methods and Instruments for Solid Precipitation Measurements at Automatic Weather Stations, WMO/TD-No. 1544. (PDF)
  • WMO, 2012 (2008 version updated in 2010), Guide to meteorological instruments and methods of observation, WMO-No. 8, World Meteorological Organization, Geneva, Switzerland, 716 pp. (PDF)

See Also