Theme: Cryosphere

Details
Theme name Cryosphere
Description
Product link (PAG) Cryosphere products
Variables attributed to this Theme

Requirements defined for Variables related to Theme Cryosphere  (42)

This tables shows all related requirements. For more operations/filtering, please consult the full list of Requirements
Note: In reading the values, goal is marked blue, breakthrough green, threshold orange
Application-dependent Technical Priority (ATP) Magenta and Relative priority of the attributes Red

Id Variable Layer App Area ATP Uncertainty Layer/s Quality Coverage Quality Stability / decade Hor Res Ver Res Obs Cyc Timeliness Coverage Conf Level Val Date Source General Comment Application Area Comment Horizontal Coverage Comment Observation Comment Performance Comment
7 Sea-ice cover Sea surface CLIC (deprecated) 10 %
13 %
20 % 		1 km
2.2 km
10 km 		1 y
2 y
4 y 		30 d
43 d
90 d 		Global ocean tentative 1998-10-29 WCRP
8 Sea-ice cover Sea surface CLIC (deprecated) 5 %
7 %
10 % 		25 km
39.7 km
100 km 		24 h
46 h
7 d 		7 d
11 d
30 d 		Global ocean reasonable 1998-10-29 WCRP
9 Sea-ice elevation Sea surface CLIC (deprecated) 1 cm
1.4 cm
3 cm 		1 km
2.2 km
10 km 		1 y
2 y
4 y 		30 d
43 d
90 d 		Global ocean tentative 1998-10-29 WCRP
10 Sea-ice surface temperature Sea surface CLIC (deprecated) 1 K
1.3 K
2 K 		100 km
200 km
500 km 		12 h
15 h
24 h 		24 h
30 h
2 d 		Global ocean reasonable 1998-10-29 WCRP
11 Sea-ice thickness Sea surface CLIC (deprecated) 100 cm
126 cm
200 cm 		200 km
300 km
500 km 		7 d
12 d
30 d 		30 d
45 d
90 d 		Global ocean tentative 1998-10-29 WCRP
12 Snow cover Land surface CLIC (deprecated) 10 %
13 %
20 % 		1 km
2.9 km
25 km 		24 h
41 h
5 d 		7 d
11 d
30 d 		Global land reasonable 1998-10-29 WCRP
13 Snow water equivalent Land surface CLIC (deprecated) 5 mm
8 mm
20 mm 		10 km
13.6 km
25 km 		24 h
41 h
5 d 		7 d
11 d
30 d 		Global land tentative 1998-10-29 WCRP
47 Snow cover Land surface 2.9 Agricultural Meteorology 2 %
4 %
10 % 		1 km
2.2 km
10 km 		5 d
6 d
7 d 		24 h
44 h
6 d 		Global land reasonable 2003-10-20 ET ODRRGOS Evaluation of crop wintering
48 Snow water equivalent Land surface 2.9 Agricultural Meteorology 5 mm
23.2 mm
500 mm 		30 km
2.2 km
10 km 		7 d
11 d
30 d 		24 h
46 h
7 d 		Global land reasonable 2003-10-20 ET ODRRGOS Evaluation of soil water storage in spring
108 Snow cover Land surface Climate-AOPC (deprecated) 10 %
13 %
20 % 		100 km
200 km
500 km 		24 h
2 d
7 d 		6 h
12 h
24 h 		Global land firm 2007-07-19 AOPC For model assimilation. Decadal changes may be of order 5% (N. Nicholls et al. 1996 Observed Climate Variability and Change. Chapter 2 of Climate Change 1995 (IPCC Second Assessment).)
109 Snow water equivalent Land surface Climate-AOPC (deprecated) 5 mm
6.5 mm
10 mm 		100 km
200 km
500 km 		24 h
2 d
7 d 		6 h
12 h
24 h 		Global land firm 2007-07-19 AOPC
202 Sea-ice cover Sea surface CLIVAR (deprecated) 2 %
3 %
5 % 		15 km
25 km
50 km 		24 h
36 h
3 d 		3 d
4 d
7 d 		Global ocean reasonable 1998-10-29 WCRP
220 Snow cover Land surface GEWEX (deprecated) 10 %
20 %
50 % 		15 km
50 km
250 km 		24 h
2 d
7 d 		30 d
45 d
90 d 		Global land reasonable 1998-10-29 WCRP
221 Snow water equivalent Land surface GEWEX (deprecated) 5 mm
10 mm
20 mm 		15 km
50 km
250 km 		12 h
24 h
7 d 		30 d
45 d
90 d 		Global land tentative 1998-10-29 WCRP
293 Sea-ice cover Sea surface 2.1 Global Numerical Weather Prediction and Real-time Monitoring 5 %
10 %
20 % 		5 km
15 km
100 km 		3 h
24 h
5 d 		3 h
24 h
5 d 		Global ocean firm 2009-02-10 John Eyre
294 Sea-ice surface temperature Sea surface 2.1 Global Numerical Weather Prediction and Real-time Monitoring 0.5 K
1 K
4 K 		5 km
15 km
250 km 		60 min
3 h
12 h 		6 min
30 min
6 h 		Global ocean reasonable 2009-02-10 John Eyre
295 Sea-ice thickness Sea surface 2.1 Global Numerical Weather Prediction and Real-time Monitoring 20 cm
50 cm
100 cm 		15 km
50 km
250 km 		24 h
5 d
30 d 		24 h
5 d
30 d 		Global ocean tentative 2009-02-10 John Eyre
296 Sea-ice type Sea surface 2.1 Global Numerical Weather Prediction and Real-time Monitoring 0.25 Classes -1
0.333 Classes -1
0.5 Classes -1 		10 km
25 km
100 km 		3 h
24 h
5 d 		3 h
24 h
5 d 		Global ocean tentative 2009-02-10 John Eyre
299 Snow cover Land surface 2.1 Global Numerical Weather Prediction and Real-time Monitoring 10 %
20 %
50 % 		5 km
15 km
100 km 		3 h
24 h
5 d 		3 h
24 h
5 d 		Global land firm 2009-02-10 John Eyre
300 Snow water equivalent Land surface 2.1 Global Numerical Weather Prediction and Real-time Monitoring 2 mm
10 mm
20 mm 		5 km
15 km
100 km 		3 h
24 h
5 d 		3 h
24 h
5 d 		Global land reasonable 2009-02-10 John Eyre
371 Sea-ice cover Sea surface 2.2 High-Resolution Numerical Weather Prediction 5 %
10 %
20 % 		5 km
10 km
40 km 		60 min
3 h
12 h 		60 min
2 h
6 h 		Global ocean reasonable 2011-07-29 JF Mahfouf
372 Sea-ice surface temperature Sea surface 2.2 High-Resolution Numerical Weather Prediction 0.5 K
1 K
4 K 		5 km
10 km
40 km 		60 min
3 h
12 h 		60 min
3 h
12 h 		Global ocean tentative 2011-07-29 JF Mahfouf
373 Sea-ice thickness Sea surface 2.2 High-Resolution Numerical Weather Prediction 20 cm
50 cm
100 cm 		2 km
10 km
40 km 		12 h
24 h
2 d 		12 h
24 h
3 d 		Global ocean speculative 2011-07-29 T Montmerle
375 Snow cover Land surface 2.2 High-Resolution Numerical Weather Prediction 5 %
15 %
20 % 		1 km
5 km
20 km 		60 min
3 h
12 h 		60 min
3 h
12 h 		Global land reasonable 2010-02-01 JF Mahfouf
376 Snow water equivalent Land surface 2.2 High-Resolution Numerical Weather Prediction 5 mm
8 mm
20 mm 		0.5 km
2 km
20 km 		60 min
3 h
6 h 		60 min
3 h
24 h 		Global land tentative 2010-02-01 JF Mahfouf
445 Sea-ice cover Sea surface 2.3 Nowcasting / Very Short-Range Forecasting 10 %
13 %
20 % 		5 km
10 km
50 km 		24 h
3 d
24 d 		24 h
2 d
7 d 		Global ocean firm 2013-04-03 P. Ambrosetti
446 Snow cover Land surface 2.3 Nowcasting / Very Short-Range Forecasting 10 %
13 %
20 % 		5 km
10 km
50 km 		60 min
6 h
24 h 		60 min
2 h
6 h 		Global land reasonable 2013-04-03 P. Ambrosetti
561 Sea-ice cover Sea surface Climate-OOPC (deprecated) 5 %
6 %
10 % 		12 km
25 km
100 km 		24 h
2 d
7 d 		3 h
6 h
24 h 		Global ocean firm 2007-07-19 OOPC
562 Sea-ice thickness Climate-OOPC (deprecated) 0.1 cm
0.2 cm
1 cm 		100 km
170 km
500 km 		24 h
2 d
7 d 		24 h
3 d
24 d 		Global reasonable 2007-07-19 OOPC
665 Glacier cover Land surface Climate-TOPC (deprecated) 5 %
7 %
10 % 		30 m
45 m
100 m 		356 d
1 y
5 y 		360 d
1 y
2 y 		Global land firm 2007-07-19 TOPC Glacier inventory
666 Glacier topography Land surface Climate-TOPC (deprecated) 10 cm
22 cm
100 cm 		30 m
45 m
100 m 		356 d
1 y
5 y 		360 d
1 y
2 y 		Global land firm 2007-07-19 TOPC Glacier inventory
675 Permafrost Land surface Climate-TOPC (deprecated) 5 
7 
10  		0.25 km
0.85 km
10 km 		24 h
36 h
5 d 		24 h
36 h
5 d 		Global land firm 2007-07-19 TOPC Permafrost extent including seasonally-frozen ground
677 Snow cover Land surface Climate-TOPC (deprecated) 5 %
7 %
10 % 		0.1 km
0.45 km
10 km 		24 h
3 d
30 d 		30 h
3 d
15 d 		Global land firm 2007-07-19 TOPC For impact and hydrological cycle studies. Snow cover area
699 Snow depth Land surface 2.3 Nowcasting / Very Short-Range Forecasting 0.1 cm
0.5 cm
2 cm 		5 km
10 km
15 km 		10 min
60 min
24 h 		10 min
60 min
24 h 		Global land reasonable 2013-04-15 P. Ambrosetti Over populated area and along transport routes requirements are more strict than elsewhere.
758 Snow water equivalent 2.4 Sub-Seasonal to Longer Predictions 5 mm
10 mm
20 mm 		50 km
100 km
500 km 		24 h
2 d
7 d 		24 h
2 d
7 d 		Global land tentative 2009-01-19 Laura Ferranti
824 Snow cover Land surface 2.5 Atmospheric Climate Monitoring 0.5 5 % 4 % 0.1 km
1 km 		24 h Global reasonable 2025-08-08 GCOS-200: The Global Observing System for Climate: Implementation Needs (Published 2016) Requirements in the GCOS-200 IP, Annex A, are only specified at the goal level. 8 Aug 2025: PoC of AA 4.2 requested to archive these requirements under 2.5, because this GCOSTOPC variable will be moved under AA .4.2. The change was supported by PoC and the owner of AA 2.5.
825 Snow water equivalent Land surface 2.5 Atmospheric Climate Monitoring 0.5 10 mm 10 mm 1 km 24 h Global reasonable 2025-08-08 GCOS-200: The Global Observing System for Climate: Implementation Needs (Published 2016) Requirements in the GCOS-200 IP, Annex A, are only specified at the goal level. 8 Aug 2025: PoC of AA 4.2 requested to archive these requirements under 2.5, because this GCOSTOPC variable will be moved under AA .4.2. The change was supported by PoC and the owner of AA 2.5.
826 Glacier cover Land surface 2.5 Atmospheric Climate Monitoring 5 % 15 m
30 m 		1 y Global reasonable 2019-09-30 GCOS-200: The Global Observing System for Climate: Implementation Needs (Published 2016) Requirements in the GCOS-200 IP, Annex A, are only specified at the goal level.
846 Sea-ice cover Sea surface 2.5 Atmospheric Climate Monitoring 5 % 5 % 1 km
15 km 		7 d Global reasonable 2019-10-15 GCOS-200: The Global Observing System for Climate: Implementation Needs (Published 2016) Requirements in the GCOS-200 IP, Annex A, are only specified at the goal level.
847 Sea-ice thickness Sea surface 2.5 Atmospheric Climate Monitoring 10 cm 25 km 30 d Global reasonable 2019-10-15 GCOS-200: The Global Observing System for Climate: Implementation Needs (Published 2016) Requirements in the GCOS-200 IP, Annex A, are only specified at the goal level.
848 Sea-ice motion Sea surface 2.5 Atmospheric Climate Monitoring 1 km*d-1 5 km 7 d Global reasonable 2019-10-15 GCOS-200: The Global Observing System for Climate: Implementation Needs (Published 2016) Requirements in the GCOS-200 IP, Annex A, are only specified at the goal level.
860 Snow depth Land surface 2.5 Atmospheric Climate Monitoring 0.1 cm 0.1 cm 1 km 24 h Global reasonable 2020-03-05 TOPC GCOS-200: The Global Observing System for Climate: Implementation Needs (Published 2016)