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Annex II. Details on Cryospheric Variables

Table 1 - Snow cover data requirements and priorities for system monitoring and climate change monitoring (Crane, 1993).

DATA CHARACTERISTICS

DATA APPLICATIONS

Parameters

Coverage

Duration

Frequency

Global Climate Monitoring

Earth System Models

Process Models

Snow cover extent

H/R

> 10 Years

Daily/Weekly

1

1

1

Snow water equivalent

H/R

> 10 Years

Daily/Weekly

2

1

1

Snow depth

H/R

> 10 Years

Daily/Weekly

1

2

2

Precipitation amount

H/R

> 10 Years

Daily/Weekly

2

1

1

Precipitation

H/R

> 10 Years

Daily/Weekly

2

1

1

Canopy (vegetation)

H/R

> 10 Years

Daily/Weekly

1

2

2

Albedo

H/R

> 10 Years

Daily/Weekly

2

1

2

Temperature

H/R

> 10 Years

Daily/Weekly

5

3

1

Melt (runoff)

H/R

> 10 Years

Daily/Weekly

5

3

1

H = Hemisphere

R = Regional

Ranking: 1 (high) to 5 (low).

Table 2 - Sea ice data requirements and priorities for system modelling and climate change monitoring (Crane, 1993).

DATA CHARACTERISTICS

DATA APPLICATIONS

Parameters

Coverage

Duration

Frequency

Global Climate Monitoring

Earth System Models

Process Models

Concentration

H/R

10 Years

Weekly/Monthly

1

1

1

Thickness

R/P

10 Years

Monthly/Seasonal

1

1

1

Met obs

R

10 Years

Daily

1

1

1

Surface radiation

R

5 Years

Hourly/Daily

1

1

1

Albedo

H/R

10 Years

Weekly

2

1

1

Snow depth

R/P

5 Years

Weekly

2

2

1

Extent

H/R

10 Years

Weekly/Monthly

1

1

5

Leads/Polynyi

R

5 Years

Weekly

4

2

1

Ice temperature

H/R

5 Years

Weekly/Monthly

3

2

2

Ice type

H/R

10 Years

Weekly/Monthly

2

5

1

Ice motion

H/R

5 Years

Weekly

5

2

2

Melt ponds

R

5 Years

Daily/Weekly

3

4

2

Flow size distribution

H/R

5 Years

Weekly

5

5

2

Ridge statistics

R

5 Years

Weekly

5

5

2

H = Hemisphere

R = Regional

P = Point

Ranking: 1 (high) to 5 (low).

Table 3 - Ice sheet and glacier data requirements and priorities for system modelling and climate change monitoring (Crane, 1993).

DATA CHARACTERISTICS

DATA APPLICATIONS

Parameters

Coverage

Duration

Frequency

Global Climate Monitoring

Earth System Models

Process Models

Snow accumulation

GL/A

> 10 Years

Annually

2

2

1

Ice extent

G

> 10 Years

Annually

1

5

5

Ice thickness

G

> 10 Years

Annually

1

5

1

Ice sheet DEM

GL/A

> 10 Years

Decadally

1

5

1

Ice velocity/surge activity

G

> 10 Years

Annually

2

5

2

Iceberg production

GL/A

> 10 Years

Annually

2

5

3

Mass balance

G

> 10 Years

Annually

1

5

5

Land ice fraction

G.5 ×.5

> 10 Years

Long-term mean

5

3

5

GL = Greenland

A = Antarctica

G = Global

Ranking: 2 (high) to 5 (low).

Table 4 - Permafrost data requirements and priorities for modelling and change detection.

PARAMETERS

APPLICATIONS


Process Understanding

Engineering Design

GCM Validation

Change Detection

Impact Evaluation

GEOMETRY

Permafrost extent

M

H

H

H

M

Permafrost thickness (shallow)*

H

H

H

H

H

Permafrost thickness (deep)*

M

M

L

H

L

Active layer thickness

H

H

M

H

H

Ground ice extent

H

H

M

M

H

Lateral/vertical displacement

H

H

L

H

H

THERMAL STATE

Temperature (shallow*)

H

H

H

H

H

Temperature (deep*)

M

M

M

H

L

PROPERTIES (SOIL/ROCK)

Moisture content (water/ice)

H

H

M

H

H

Bulk density

H

H

H

L

L

Texture

H

H

L

M

M

Chemistry (water/ice)

M

M

L

M

M

Trace gases

H

L

H

M

M

Site description: Location, geology, vegetation, geotechnical properties.

Metadata: Techniques, equipment, precision, post-processing, ownership, etc.

Notes: H, M, L = High, Moderate, and Low priority.

* For permafrost thickness and temperature, the demarcation between "shallow" and "deep" is taken as the local depth of zero annual amplitude.

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