Abstract:
This database incorporates glacier, glacierised volcano and climate properties from multiple sources for all glaciers listed in the Randolph Glacier Inventory (RGI) v.6.0. The database is presented as a single CSV file and comprises: glacier locations and geometric properties (from the year ~2000); glacierised volcano locations and properties (from the year ~2018); mean annual air temperatures and total annual precipitation for glaciers globally for the periods 1991-2020 and 2017-2018; and measurements of median velocity and thickness for glaciers globally for the period 2017-2018. The database was analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics by researchers in the Department of Natural Science at Manchester Metropolitan University to: (i) compare the properties of glaciers near active volcanos (i.e. within 5 km) and other glaciers (> 5 km from an active volcano) globally for the period 2017-2018; (ii) to investigate the extent of geometric, volcanic and climatic controls on glacier velocities, and; (iii) to investigate relationships between glacierised volcano properties and the velocities of glaciers near volcanoes.
This research was funded by a Leverhulme Trust Research Project Grant: RPG-2019-093.
Keywords:
climate, glacier thickness, glacier velocity, volcano
Mallalieu, J., Barr, I., Spagnolo, M., Mullan, D., Symeonakis, E., Edwards, B., & Martin, M. (2024). A database of global glacier and glacierised volcano properties, including measurements of glacier velocity, thickness and climate for the period 2017-2018 (Version 1.0) [Data set]. NERC EDS UK Polar Data Centre. https://doi.org/10.5285/ae909122-b59f-4245-8ce9-f063f837fdf3
| Access Constraints: | No restrictions apply. |
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| Use Constraints: | Data supplied under Open Government Licence v3.0 http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/. |
| Creation Date: | 2023-11-21 |
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| Dataset Progress: | Complete |
| Dataset Language: | English |
| ISO Topic Categories: |
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| Parameters: |
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| Personnel: | |
| Name | UK PDC |
| Role(s) | Metadata Author |
| Organisation | British Antarctic Survey |
| Name | Joseph Mallalieu |
| Role(s) | Technical Contact, Investigator |
| Organisation | University of Birmingham |
| Name | Iestyn D Barr |
| Role(s) | Investigator |
| Organisation | Manchester Metropolitan University |
| Name | Matteo Spagnolo |
| Role(s) | Investigator |
| Organisation | University of Aberdeen |
| Name | Donal J Mullan |
| Role(s) | Investigator |
| Organisation | Queen's University Belfast |
| Name | Elias Symeonakis |
| Role(s) | Investigator |
| Organisation | Manchester Metropolitan University |
| Name | Benjamin R Edwards |
| Role(s) | Investigator |
| Organisation | Dickinson College |
| Name | Michael D Martin |
| Role(s) | Investigator |
| Organisation | Manchester Metropolitan University |
| Parent Dataset: | N/A |
| Reference: | Associated papers: Mallalieu, J., Barr, I.D., Spagnolo, M. et al. Proximity to active volcanoes enhances glacier velocity. Commun Earth Environ 5, 679 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-024-01826-5 Methodology References: Edwards, B., Kochtitzky, W., Battersby, S. (2020). Global mapping of future glaciovolcanism. Global and Planetary Change, 195, 103356 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gloplacha.2020.103356 Millan, R., Mouginot, J., Rabatel, A. et al. (2022). Ice velocity and thickness of the world's glaciers. Nature Geoscience. 15, 124-129 https://doi.org/10.1038/s41561-021-00885-z Joughin, I. (2022). MEaSUREs Greenland Annual Ice Sheet Velocity Mosaics from SAR and Landsat, Version 4. Boulder, Colorado USA. NASA National Snow and Ice Data Center Distributed Active Archive Center. https://doi.org/10.5067/RS8GFZ848ZU9 |
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| Quality: | Note that these data are compiled from multiple sources and therefore have variable levels of quality and accuracy. Whilst the dataset is suited for providing global-scale overviews of glacier properties, we recommend that the data for individual glaciers is used with caution and, where possible, supported with additional glacier- or region-specific sources. For detailed data accuracy and quality information please refer to respective sources outlined in the Lineage/methodology section: Glacier shapefiles and geometry: RGI v.6.0 Glacierised volcano locations and properties: Edwards et al. 2020 Additional glacierised volcano properties: Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program Holocene Volcano List Mean annual air temperature and total annual precipitation for RGI v.6.0 glaciers: ECMWF ERA5 Global glacier velocities and thicknesses: Millan et al. 2022 Greenland peripheral glacier and ice cap velocities: MEaSUREs NSIDC-0725 Data in columns glacier.vel.count - glacier.term.type have been collated and/or processed by the authorship team, with missing data expressed as NA. Data in columns rgi.id - glacier.name are copied from the RGI v.6.0 in their original form and may contain spurious values. |
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| Lineage: | Glacier locations and geometric properties were sourced from the Randolph Glacier Inventory (RGI) v.6.0. Glacierised volcano locations and properties were sourced from Edwards et al. 2020 (Global mapping of future glaciovolcanism. Global and Planetary Change, 195, 103356) and supplemented with additional variables from the Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program Holocene Volcano List. The mean annual air temperature and total annual precipitation for glaciers in the database were extracted by the research team from ECMWF ERA5 reanalysis data for the periods 1991-2020 and 2017-2018 using the glacier centroids in the RGI. Measurements of median glacier velocity and thickness for the period 2017-2018 were calculated by the research team from the glacier velocity and thickness raster maps presented in Millan et al. 2022 (Ice velocity and thickness of the world's glaciers. Nature Geoscience. 15, 124-129) and Joughin 2022 (MEaSUREs Greenland Annual Ice Sheet Velocity Mosaics from SAR and Landsat: Version 4). Specifically, a single measurement of velocity and thickness for each glacier was calculated in QGIS v.3.22.8 by overlaying the respective velocity and thickness raster maps with the RGI glacier polygons, then applying zonal statistics to determine the median value within each polygon. | |
| Temporal Coverage: | |
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| Start Date | 2017 |
| End Date | 2018 |
| Start Date | 1991 |
| End Date | 2020 |
| Spatial Coverage: | |
| Latitude | |
| Southernmost | -78.2892 |
| Northernmost | 83.5542 |
| Longitude | |
| Westernmost | -179.9288 |
| Easternmost | 179.7458 |
| Altitude | |
| Min Altitude | 2 |
| Max Altitude | 7818 |
| Depth | |
| Min Depth | N/A |
| Max Depth | N/A |
| Location: | |
| Location | Global |
| Detailed Location | N/A |
| Data Collection: | Median glacier velocity and thickness measurements were calculated in QGIS v.3.22.8. ERA 5 climate data were processed in R v.4.2.1. |
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| Distribution: | |
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| Distribution Media | Online Internet (HTTP) |
| Distribution Size | 78.6 MB |
| Distribution Format | ASCII |
| Fees | N/A |
| Data Storage: | One CSV file comprising all data. |