Zemp et al. 2019: Global Glacier Mass Changes 1961-2016

Supplementary data tables from Zemp et al. (2019) in Nature provide annual glacier mass change results from 1961 to 2016. The dataset includes results for 20 glaciological clusters and 19 regions plus a global sum, derived from a variance decomposition model. It offers corrected results for Iceland and examples of multi-year error calculations for Central Europe.

Use Cases

• [Assessing regional contributions to sea-level rise] based on [annual mass change results for 19 regions and global sum]
• [Analyzing temporal variability in glacier behavior] based on [results for 20 glaciological clusters from a variance decomposition model]
• [Evaluating uncertainty in long-term mass balance trends] based on [examples of multi-year error calculations provided for Central Europe]
• [Validating glacier models] based on [publicly available glaciological and geodetic observations from the World Glacier Monitoring Service]

Strengths

• [Provides corrected data for region Iceland and the global sum] based on [version 1.1 update and author correction in Nature]
• [Covers a long and critical period for climate studies] based on [explicit temporal coverage from 1961 to 2016]
• [Structured at multiple scales of analysis] based on [results for 20 glaciological clusters, 19 regions, and a global sum]

Limitations

• [Specific column names, row counts, and file sizes are not provided in the available metadata]
• [The dataset's last update date is unknown, limiting assessment of freshness]
• [Version 1.0 contained erroneous pre-release results for most glaciological clusters, though version 1.1 provides corrections]

Provenance

Source

Michael Zemp, University of Zurich, associated with the World Glacier Monitoring Service.

Collection Method

Results derived from a variance decomposition model applied to glaciological and geodetic observations.

Time Range

1961 to 2016

Geography

Global, with regional breakdowns corresponding to 19 RGI 6.0 regions and a focus on Central Europe.