Debris Thickness Measurements from Seven Alpine Glaciers in 2019-2020

Debris thickness measurements collected in 2019 and 2020 from seven debris-covered glaciers in Switzerland and Italy. The dataset was created by Leif S. Anderson of the University of Lausanne and includes mean, minimum, and maximum thickness estimates in centimeters, along with location data in decimal degrees and some elevation data in meters.

Use Cases

• Model glacier melt rates based on debris thickness measurements.
• Analyze spatial variability of debris cover across different glaciers.
• Validate remote sensing estimates of debris thickness using direct field measurements.

Strengths

• Measurements from seven distinct glaciers provide comparative data.
• Includes mean, minimum, and maximum thickness estimates derived from multiple field measurements per site.
• Data from two consecutive years (2019 and 2020) offers temporal insight.

Limitations

• Elevation data was only recorded for some measurements, limiting spatial analysis.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.

Provenance

Source

University of Lausanne

Collection Method

Field measurements collected by digging through debris and directly measuring thickness with a measuring stick.

Time Range

2019-2020

Geography

Seven glaciers in Switzerland and Italy (Western Alps)