Ground Data Associated with Snow Cover and Land Ice Monitoring

K. SeidelImage Science Division - Communication Technology Laboratory ETHZGloriastr. 35, CH 8092 Zurich, SwitzerlandTel: +41-1-632 5284 - Fax: +41-1-632 1251Email: seidel@vision.ee.ethz.ch andM. KennettNorwegian Water Resources and Energy Administration (NVE)P.O. Box 5091 Majorstua 0301 Oslo, NorwayTel: +47-22-959595 - Fax: +47-22-959004Email: mike@nve.noAbstract -- Ground data on snow cover and land ice, together with related hydrological andmeteorological data, exist for many areas of the world. This paper gives an overview of availa-ble data in Switzerland and Norway, where snow cover and glacier monitoring are of consider-able scientific and economic importance.A Worldwide Glacier Inventory compiled by the World Glacier Monitoring Service (WGMS)in Switzerland is available. Standardized data on the distribution and characteristics of a largenumber of glaciers all over the world have been collected, and access to a relational databasesystem is now available using computer networks. In addition historical data on glacier massbalance and front positions have been collected for selected glaciers with long time series.Since 1930 ground measurements of snow cover have been collected regularly within a densenetwork in Switzerland. Data from hydrological and meteorological networks in Switzerlandare also available in digital form.Norway is covered by extensive current and historical glacier, snow cover, hydrological andmeteorological ground data networks, largely as a result of hydropower requirements. Almostall of this data can be ordered in digital form for transfer over computer networks. Overviewsof these data for browsing by network users should be available soon.