WMO GCW home

Glaciers and Ice Caps - Capabilities and Requirements (from IGOS Cryosphere Theme Report)

Parameter

 

CT

O

Measurement Range

Measurement Accuracy

Resolution

Comment / Principal Driver

Spatial

Temporal

L

H

U

V

U

V

U

V

U

Area

C

 

 

 

1

%

5

m

30

a

airborne

O

 

 

 

3

%

30

m

5

a

Landsat etc.

T

0.01

 

km2

3

%

50

m

5

a

Hi-res optical

 

O

0.01

 

km2

1

%

15

m

1

a

Topography

O

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Airborne

C

0

8500

m sl.

5

m

100

m

5

a

For models

T

0

8500

m sl.

0.1

m

30

m

1

a

Mass balance

Velocity

O

 

 

 

1

%

point

 

1

a

In situ

C

0

10

km/a

5

%

10

m

1

a

InSAR, hi res. optical, etc.

T

0

10

km/a

1

%

20

m

1

m

Glacier dammed lakes

O

 

 

 

1

%

1

m

1

a

airborne

C

0.05

10

km2

3

%

50

m

1

m

SAR, hi-res optical

T

0.01

10

km2

1

%

15

m

5

d

Facies, snowline

 

C

 

 

 

 

 

point

 

 

 

In situ

T

 

 

class

200

m

100

m

1

m

Position of boundary

O

 

 

class

30

m

30

m

10

d

Accumulation

C

 

 

 

5

%

point

 

 

 

In situ

T

0.05

8

m

10

%

500

m

1

a

Ku-, X-SAR

O

0.10

5

m

5

%

100

m

1

m

Mass balance

C

 

 

 

0.10

m

point

 

 

 

In situ

T

0

±5

m

0.20

m

500

m

1

m

process model & SAR

O

0

±5

m

0.05

m

100

m

1

a

Ice thickness

C

0

200

m

2-5

m

100

M

30

Yr

In situ, airborne

Codes are as follows: C = Current Capability, T = Threshold Requirement (Minimum necessary), O= Objective Requirement (Target), L = Low end of measurement range, U = Unit, H = High end of measurement range, V = Value, cl = climate, op = operational.

 

(Back)