Rock-Ice Feature Inventory for the Sierra Nevada, California, USA  View Catalog Page
Identification Information:
Dataset Identifier:
GGD652
Citation:
Citation Information:
Originator: Millar C. and R. Westfall
Publication Date: 20090206
Title: Rock-Ice Feature Inventory for the Sierra Nevada, California, USA
Publication Information:
Publication Place: Boulder, Colorado USA
Publisher: NSIDC: National Snow and Ice Data Center
Online Linkage: http://nsidc.org/data/ggd652.html
Description:
Abstract:
The Sierra Nevada is a tectonic uplift mountain range with a gradual gain in elevation on the west side and a steep escarpment on the east. Most of the mapped locations are east of the Sierran crest. The climate in the region is Mediterranean, with most of the precipitation in the winter months coming as snow at high elevations, but with some monsoonal precipitation in the summer, particularly in the southern end of the range. There is a very steep gradient in decreasing precipitation eastward from the Sierran crest as a result of rain-shadow orographic effects from the predominately eastward-moving Pacific frontal storms. PRISM-estimated (Daly et al. 1994) annual precipitation for the RIF locations ranged from 580 to 1880 mm; July precipitation from 5 to 33 mm. Mean annual maximum temperatures ranged from 1.8 to 15.2 oC, January from -5.7 to 6.2 oC, and July from 11 to 26.3 oC. Mean annual minima ranged from -8.1 to -0.4 oC, January from -15 to -7 oC, and July from 1.2 to 8.9 oC. The highest temperatures and lowest precipitation were largely at relict Pleistocene rock glaciers, which tended to be farthest east of the Sierran crest and lower in elevation. We mapped over 430 RIFs, based on field surveys and grouped them into six classes based on morphology and location. These categories constitute a greater range of frozen-ground features than are commonly described in rock-glacier surveys. Although granitic substrates dominate the Sierra Nevada, they do not in the eastern escarpment, so substrates in the RIF database are about equally divided between granitic and metamorphic. Ages of rock glaciers ranged from current (active) to relict (late Pleistocene). We interpreted the presence of outlet springs, basal lakes, suspended silt in outlet streams, and fringing phreatophytic vegetation, in addition to morphologic indications of current rock movement, as evidence for interstitial ice, either persistent or seasonal.
One comma-delimited ASCII file containing information for 430 rock-ice features is available.
Purpose: scientific research
Documentation:
User's Guide:
Citation Information:
Originator: Millar C. and R. Westfall
Publication Date: 20090206
Title: Rock-Ice Feature Inventory for the Sierra Nevada, California, USA
Publication Information:
Publication Place: Boulder, Colorado USA
Publisher: NSIDC: National Snow and Ice Data Center
Online Linkage: http://nsidc.org/data/docs/fgdc/ggd652_rockice_inventory_sierra/index.html
Time Period of Content:
Time Period Information:
Range of Dates/Times:
Beginning Date: Unknown
Ending Date: Unknown
Currentness Reference: publication date
Status:
Progress: Complete
Maintenance and Update Frequency: Unknown
Spatial Domain:
Bounding Coordinates:
West Bounding Coordinate: -119.9°
East Bounding Coordinate: -118.2°
North Bounding Coordinate: 38.8°
South Bounding Coordinate: 34.5°
Keywords:
Theme:
Theme Keyword Thesaurus: NASA Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Science Keywords
Theme Keyword: EARTH SCIENCE Cryosphere Frozen Ground Rock Glaciers
Theme Keyword: EARTH SCIENCE Land Surface Frozen Ground Rock Glaciers
Theme:
Theme Keyword Thesaurus: None
Theme Keyword:
Place:
Place Keyword Thesaurus: NASA Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Location Keywords
Place Keyword: Continent North America United States Of America California Sierra Nevada
Access Constraints:
None
Use Constraints:
None
Point of Contact:
Contact Information:
Contact Person Primary:
Contact Person: Constance Millar
Contact Organization: USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Research Station
Contact Address:
Address Type: mailing
Address:
City: Berkeley
State or Province: CA
Postal Code: 94701
Country: USA
Contact Voice Telephone: 1 510 559 6435
Contact Facsimile Telephone: 1 510 559 6440
Contact Electronic Mail Address: cmillar@fs.fed.us
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Distribution Information:
Distributor:
Contact Information:
Contact Organization Primary:
Contact Organization: National Snow and Ice Data Center
Contact Person: NSIDC User Services
Contact Address:
Address Type: mailing
Address:
- National Snow and Ice Data Center
- CIRES, 449 UCB
- University of Colorado
City: Boulder
State or Province: CO
Postal Code: 80309-0449
Country: USA
Contact Voice Telephone: 1 303 492-6199
Contact Facsimile Telephone: 1 303 492-2468
Contact Electronic Mail Address: nsidc@nsidc.org
Resource Description:
GGD652
Distribution Liability:
NSIDC cannot assume liability for any damages caused by any errors or omissions in the data, nor as a result of the failure of the data to function on a particular system. NSIDC makes no warranty, expressed or implied, nor does the fact of distribution constitute such a warranty.
Standard Order Process:
Digital Form:
Digital Transfer Information:
Format Name: ASCII Text
Digital Transfer Option:
Online Option:
Computer Contact Information:
Network Address:
Network Resource Name: Click here.
Fees: None
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Metadata Reference Information:
Metadata Date:
20120828
Metadata Review Date:
20120828
Metadata Contact:
Contact Information:
Contact Person Primary:
Contact Person: NSIDC User Services
Contact Organization: National Snow and Ice Data Center
Contact Address:
Address Type: mailing
Address:
- National Snow and Ice Data Center
- CIRES, 449 UCB
- University of Colorado
City: Boulder
State or Province: CO
Postal Code: 80309-0449
Country: USA
Contact Voice Telephone: 1 303 492-6199
Contact Facsimile Telephone: 1 303 492-2468
Contact Electronic Mail Address: nsidc@nsidc.org
Metadata Standard Name:
FGDC Content Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata:
Extensions for Remote Sensing Metadata
Metadata Standard Version:
FGDC-STD-012-2002
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