Earthdata Forum

Good morning,
NSIDC would like to request six science keywords be added to GCMD. We'd like all six to be placed at the Variable Level 2 after EARTH SCIENCE > CRYOSPHERE > GLACIERS/ICE SHEETS > GLACIERS >. The keywords are:

... > GLACIER ABLATION
... > GLACIER ACCUMULATION
... > GLACIER AREA
... > GLACIER MASS
... > GLACIER MELT
... > GLACIER REFREEZE

These keywords are for a High Mountain Asia data set that projects these specific parameters through 2100 for glaciers in the Randolph Glacier Inventory. Some suggested descriptions:

GLACIER ABLATION: Mass lost by a glacier from all processes
GLACIER ACCUMULATION: Mass gained by a glacier from all processes
GLACIER AREA: Total area of a glacier
GLACIER MASS: Total mass of a glacier
GLACIER MELT: Mass lost by a glacier due to melting
GLACIER REFREEZE: Mass gained by a glacier due to refreezing

Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns. Thanks!

@todd.nsidc Thank you for your keyword request. We will review it and let you know when it is complete.

@todd.nsidc
In regard to GLACIER ABLATION and GLACIER ACCUMULATION, we already have

CRYOSPHERE > GLACIERS/ICE SHEETS > ABLATION ZONES/ACCUMULATION ZONES. See https://gcmd.earthdata.nasa.gov/KeywordViewer/scheme/Earth Science/95fbaefd-1afe-4887-a1ba-fc338a8109bb.

LAND SURFACE > GEOMORPHIC LANDFORMS/PROCESSES > GLACIAL PROCESSES > ABLATION. See https://gcmd.earthdata.nasa.gov/KeywordViewer/scheme/all/ad793d5e-b75d-4d3e-a542-ad4b4075b141

SOLID EARTH > GEOMORPHIC LANDFORMS/PROCESSES > GLACIAL PROCESSES > ABLATION. See https://gcmd.earthdata.nasa.gov/KeywordViewer/scheme/all/99db4dca-4d07-48fd-8ba3-393532d04aa6

TERRESTRIAL HYDROSPHERE > GLACIERS/ICE SHEETS > ABLATION ZONES/ACCUMULATION ZONES. See https://gcmd.earthdata.nasa.gov/KeywordViewer/scheme/all/a994a6f6-cfcd-45d2-95a4-0f8455a9454d

For consistency with the Science keywords, I suggest that the keywords also get added under:
TERRESTRIAL HYDROSPHERE > GLACIERS/ICE SHEETS. See https://gcmd.earthdata.nasa.gov/KeywordViewer/scheme/all/a994a6f6-cfcd-45d2-95a4-0f8455a9454d

Re: ABLATION ZONES/ACCUMULATION ZONES, these keywords refer to specific areas on a glacier, as opposed to the processes themselves. As to the other instances of ABLATION under different hierachies, NSIDC prefers to use keywords within the CRYOSPHERE hierarchy when possible. And in particular, this data set projects variables related to mass balance for each glacier in the Randolph Glacier Inventory. Its primary use is assessing the status of individual glaciers over the next century and isn't particularly applicable to GEOMORPHIC LANDFORMS/PROCESSES. As such, we feel the most appropriate hierarchy would be CRYOSPHERE > GLACIERS/ICE SHEETS > GLACIERS >... Of course we have no problem if you would like to also add them under TERRESTRIAL HYDROSPHERE.

Thanks!

@todd.nsidc Thank you for the explanation. I have added the keywords under Cryosphere. Please review:

CRYOSPHERE > GLACIERS/ICE SHEETS > GLACIERS > GLACIER ABLATION: https://gcmd.earthdata.nasa.gov/kms/concept/b09f0809-2686-4e2b-bacf-e192760ca297?version=draft

CRYOSPHERE > GLACIERS/ICE SHEETS > GLACIERS > GLACIER ACCUMULATION: https://gcmd.earthdata.nasa.gov/kms/concept/7b8ad020-7eff-4639-b8c1-8b22e1535c00?version=draft

CRYOSPHERE > GLACIERS/ICE SHEETS > GLACIERS > GLACIER AREA: https://gcmd.earthdata.nasa.gov/kms/concept/ae4be026-7471-4301-9264-675accce8340?version=draft

CRYOSPHERE > GLACIERS/ICE SHEETS > GLACIERS > GLACIER MASS: https://gcmd.earthdata.nasa.gov/kms/concept/52d6b4d1-2daf-4e19-8129-c3e2dbf812d0?version=draft

CRYOSPHERE > GLACIERS/ICE SHEETS > GLACIERS >GLACIER MELT :https://gcmd.earthdata.nasa.gov/kms/concept/6bd14a79-ac70-4f99-9107-a4c036d33bd7?version=draft

CRYOSPHERE > GLACIERS/ICE SHEETS > GLACIERS > GLACIER REFREEZE: https://gcmd.earthdata.nasa.gov/kms/concept/399025f7-315e-47db-af48-67771318a70b?version=draft

These look great. Thanks!

Thank you @todd.nsidc . These keywords will be published during our next keyword release on 4/14/23.