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| GLIMS | |
|---|---|
| Name | GLIMS |
| Type | Scientific database |
| Focus | Glacier inventory and monitoring |
| Established | 2003 |
| Managed by | National Snow and Ice Data Center |
| Partners | United States Geological Survey, World Glacier Monitoring Service, European Space Agency, National Aeronautics and Space Administration |
GLIMS
GLIMS is an international glacier inventory and monitoring initiative that aggregates satellite imagery, field observations, and national surveys to map and track glaciers worldwide. It provides standardized glacier outlines, attributes, and time-series products supporting research on cryosphere change, hydrology, and sea-level contributions. The project links institutional partners, remote sensing platforms, and scientific communities to produce interoperable geospatial datasets.
GLIMS produces a multi-temporal glacier dataset integrating imagery from platforms such as Landsat, Sentinel-2, ASTER, MODIS, and missions by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the European Space Agency. The database supports regional and global synthesis used by research centers like the National Snow and Ice Data Center, the World Glacier Monitoring Service, and university groups at institutions such as University of Colorado Boulder and University of Zurich. GLIMS employs standards compatible with inventories like the Randolph Glacier Inventory and contributes to assessments by panels including the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and programs such as the Global Climate Observing System.
The initiative emerged in the early 2000s through collaboration among agencies including the United States Geological Survey and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, building on legacy mapping efforts from organizations like the International Hydrological Programme and national glacier surveys in countries such as Norway, Japan, and Switzerland. Early contributions incorporated datasets derived from Landsat 7 and ASTER to extend inventories begun by the World Glacier Monitoring Service. Over successive funding cycles and technical developments—drawing on projects supported by the European Space Agency and national programs at the National Science Foundation—GLIMS expanded its scope to include high-resolution sensors like Sentinel-2 and commercial imagery used by agencies such as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
GLIMS aims to create standardized glacier outlines, attribute tables, and time-series records to support scientific assessments, policymaking, and resource management in regions including the Himalayas, Alaska, the Andes, and the European Alps. The project provides baseline data used in climate assessments by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and contributes to hazard analyses conducted by agencies like the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction and national services such as the Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate. Scope includes mapping glacier extent, elevation change, and dynamics across continental regions and remote archipelagos such as Svalbard and the Aleutian Islands.
GLIMS combines automated and manual interpretation of optical and radar imagery, integrating techniques used in studies from groups at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, ETH Zurich, and the University of Innsbruck. Methods include band-ratio algorithms applied to Landsat and Sentinel-2 multispectral data, glacier surface classification informed by field campaigns associated with institutions like the Scott Polar Research Institute, and DEM differencing using products from Shuttle Radar Topography Mission and TanDEM-X. Quality control protocols draw on standards from the International Organization for Standardization and best practices developed in workshops hosted by entities such as the National Snow and Ice Data Center and the World Glacier Monitoring Service.
GLIMS distributes vector glacier outlines, attribute tables, and time-series change maps compatible with GIS platforms used by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley and the Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research. Tools include web-based viewers and catalogs interoperable with services from the Group on Earth Observations and data portals run by the National Snow and Ice Data Center and the United States Geological Survey. Ancillary products include glacier velocity fields derived using interferometric techniques pioneered in studies at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and mass-balance proxies used in analyses by the European Geosciences Union community.
Datasets generated through GLIMS underpin research on sea-level rise reported by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and hydrological modeling in basins such as the Indus River and Mekong River. They support glacier hazard assessments informing emergency planning by organizations like the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction and national agencies including the U.S. Geological Survey and the British Geological Survey. Scientific outputs using GLIMS data appear in journals and conferences organized by professional societies such as the American Geophysical Union and the European Geosciences Union, and inform international policy dialogues at forums like the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
GLIMS operates through a distributed network of partners including the National Snow and Ice Data Center, the World Glacier Monitoring Service, national mapping agencies such as the Norwegian Mapping Authority, and research groups at universities including University of Washington and University of Oslo. Governance involves steering committees, data contributors, and working groups coordinated with international programs like the Global Cryosphere Watch and funding agencies such as the National Science Foundation and European Commission research initiatives. Collaborative protocols emphasize open data sharing, attribution, and alignment with standards promoted by the Group on Earth Observations and the Committee on Earth Observation Satellites.