CRYONET Site Questionnaire
Site specific metadata:
Name of site: GLACIOCLIM
GLACIOCLIM is a system of observation systems on several alpines glaciers and Antarctica, using common
protocols to monitor mass balance and related variables including meteorology and hydrology.
GLACIOCLIM currently monitors 5 glaciers in the French Alps, 2 in the Andes, and part of Antarctica.
Additional monitoring is being deployed in Himalaya, not yet with perennial / long term support.
Latitude/Longitude/Altitude:
1. Alps
Saint Sorlin glacier: 45°09'N / 06°10'E / Altitude between 2700 and 3400 m a.s.l.
Sarennes: 45°07'N / 06°07'E / Altitude between 2850 and 3150 m a.s.l.
Gébroulaz: 45°19'N / 06°40'E / Altitude between 2600 and 3500 m a.s.l.
Mer de Glace: 45°55'N / 06°57'E / Altitude between 1600 and 000 m a.s.l.
Argentière: 45°55'N / 06°57'E / Altitude between 1600 and 3600 m a.s.l.
2. Andes:
Zongo: 16°15’S / 68°10’W / Altitude between 6000 and 4900 m a.s.l.
Antisana 15: 0°29’S / 78°09’W / Altitude between 5760 and 4850 m a.s.l.
3. Antarctica:
Adélie Land: Between 66°42'S / 139°55'E / 30 m a.s.l. and 67° 40'S / 137° 31' / 1818 m a.s.l.
Antarctic plateau (Dome C): 75°07'S / 123°20' ; 74°53S / 123°24E ; 75°19'S / 123°24'E. 3230 m.a.s.l.
Landscape type (e.g. arctic coastal, tundra, alpine…):
1. Alpes: Alpine
2. Andes: Alpine
3. Antarctica: Coastal (snow and ice) and high Antarctic plateau (snow)
Onsite technical staff: Yes for Alps and Andes, winter over staff allowing very limited operations in winter
(main activities in Austral summer) for Antarctica.
All-year round observations y/n: Yes for automatic observations. Monthly to seasonal / annual for
manual observations
Year established: 1960 (Alpes), 1991 (Andes), 2004(Antarctica)
Link to website if available: http://lgge.osug.fr/article84.html
Station manager (Email):
Alpes: Delphine Six (six@lgge.obs.ujf-grenoble.fr)
Andes: Antoine Rabatel (rabatel@lgge.obs.ujf-grenoble.fr)
Antarctica: Vincent Favier (favier@lgge.obs.ujf-grenoble.fr)
Organisation in charge of station:
Laboratoire de Glaciologie et Géophysique de l'Environnement, CNRS / UJF
Other information
Monitoring of the atmosphere:
Solid precipitation: Yes for Alps and Andes
Snowfall: Yes for Alps and Andes
Trace gases: No
Aerosols: No
UV, stratospheric ozone: No
Radiation (longwave, shortwave): Yes
Others:
- Automatic weather station on or near each glacier, wind, temperature, moisture, radiation
- Blowing snow observations in coastal Antarctica, not yet with perennial support.
Snow cover
Physical parameters: Yes. Daily photograph for albedo monitoring. Density.
Chemical parameters: No
Others: Blowing snow observations in coastal Antarctica, not yet with perennial support.
Glaciers and ice caps
Mass balance (measured parameters): Yes, monthly surface mass balance measurements in the Andes,
monthly summer measurements, at end of accumulation season and ablation season in the Alps.
Ice flow (measured parameters): Yes, yearly measurement using DGPS for alpine glaciers.
Basal water pressure (measured parameters): No
Others: Contourline of the glacier tongue (measured yearly with a DGPS), Mapping of the bedrock by
radar measurements
Sea ice
Mass balance (measured parameters):
Meteorology: radiation, air temperature, humidity, wind speed and direction, air pressure (measured
parameters):
Snow on ice (measured parameters):
Ice chemistry (measured parameters):
Others:
Permafrost
Borehole measurements (measured parameters):
Meteorology: radiation, air temperature, humidity, wind speed and direction, air pressure (measured
parameters):
Snow on ground (measured parameters):
Active layer thickness (measured parameters):
GST:
Others:
Ice sheet
Mass balance (measured parameters): Yearly survey of stakes networks, surface mass balance in Adélie
Land (blue ice area, 160 km line from the coast inland), yearly survey of stakes networks on the Antarctic
plateau (Dome C Concordia, 25 km north and south), more frequent in summer and for those networks
accessible by winter-over staff.
Meteorology: shortwave and longwave radiation, air temperature, humidity, wind speed and direction
Snow on ice (measured parameters):
Ice chemistry (measured parameters):
Others: Blowing snow in Adélie Land, monitoring not yet with perennial support.
Other measurements (hydrological, ecological, oceanographic, etc)
Hydrology (measured parameters):
YES (streamflow measurements on alpine glaciers)
Ecology (measured parameters)
Oceanography (measured parameters):
Other thematic linkages:
Linkages to satellite data (describe validation programs, applications of satellite data, etc.)
Glacier volume changes computed by aerial photogrammetry
Equilibrium line altitude measurement using satellite images
Mass balance changes in Antarctica (GRACE)
Participation in international monitoring programmes such as GAW, GTN-G, GTN-P, ….
Networks and start of contribution:
World Glacier Monitoring Service