British Columbia glacier data includes estimates of ice coverage area for 1985 and 2005 in square kilometers, percent area change from 1985 to 2005, and glacier volume loss rate from 1985 to 2000 in cubic kilometers per year. The data is provided for the province as a whole and for each of its seven terrestrial ecoprovinces containing glaciers. This dataset supports an indicator published by Environmental Reporting BC and the Government of British Columbia.
Use Cases
- Calculate regional glacier area loss based on the 1985 and 2005 ice coverage estimates
- Model glacier volume loss trends based on the estimated annual loss rate from 1985 to 2000
- Compare glacier change across different ecoprovinces based on the province-level and ecoprovince-level data
- Support climate change indicator reporting based on the dataset's stated purpose
Strengths
- Provides data for a 20-year period (1985-2005) for glacier area change
- Includes estimates for glacier volume loss rate over a 15-year period (1985-2000)
- Offers data at two geographic scales: provincial and for seven ecoprovinces
Limitations
- Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download
- Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment
- Data freshness should be verified as the last metadata update is dated 2026-04-17
Provenance
- Source
- Government of British Columbia
- Collection Method
- Analysis supporting a published climate change indicator
- Time Range
- 1985-2005 for area change; 1985-2000 for volume loss rate
- Geography
- British Columbia and its seven terrestrial ecoprovinces containing glaciers