Global Annual Freezing and Thawing Indices View Catalog Page Entry ID
NSIDC-0063
Summary
The total annual freezing and thawing indices are defined as the cumulative number of degree-days when air temperatures are below and above zero degrees Celsius. The total annual freezing index has been widely used to predict permafrost distribution; estimate the maximum thickness of sea, lake, and river ice, and the maximum depth of ground-frost penetration; and classify snow types. The annual total thawing index has been used to predict permafrost distribution and to estimate the maximum depth of thaw in frozen ground. Both total freezing and thawing indices are important parameters for engineering design in cold regions.
Data coverage is global. The data set contains the total annual freezing and thawing indices with a spatial resolution of 0.5 degrees latitude by 0.5 degrees longitude. Two data files are available, for the freeze and thaw indices respectively, in flat binary format. Each file is approximately 1 MB in size. The total annual freezing and thawing indexes were calculated based upon the monthly mean air temperature by Legates and Willmott (1990).
Geographic Coverage
Spatial Coordinates: N: 90°
S: -90°
E: 180°
W: -180°
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Data Set Citation
Dataset Creator: Zhang, T. Dataset Title: Global Annual Freezing and Thawing Indices Dataset Release Date: 1998-01-01 Dataset Release Place: Boulder, Colorado USA Dataset Publisher: NSIDC: National Snow and Ice Data Center Online Resource: http://nsidc.org/data/nsidc-0063.html
Location Keywords
- GEOGRAPHIC REGION
GLOBAL
Science Keywords
- Atmosphere
Atmospheric Temperature Air Temperature
- Cryosphere
Snow/Ice Freeze/Thaw
- Cryosphere
Snow/Ice Permafrost
- Land Surface
Soils Permafrost
- Terrestrial Hydrosphere
Snow/Ice Freeze/Thaw
- Terrestrial Hydrosphere
Snow/Ice Permafrost
Ancillary Keywords
- Air Temperature
- Cryosphere
- Degree Days
- Freeze
- Frozen Ground
- Frozen Soil
- Ice Growth
- Ice Melt
- Permafrost
- Snow Melt
- Thaw
Instrument
Project
- EOSDIS
Earth Observing System Data Information System
- ESIP
Earth Science Information Partners Program
Data Set Progress
complete
Data Center
NASA DAAC at the National Snow and Ice Data Center Data Center URL: http://nsidc.org/daac/index.html
Data Center Personnel
Name: NSIDC User Services Phone: 1 303 492-6199 Fax: 1 303 492-2468 Email: nsidc@nsidc.org Contact Address:
- National Snow and Ice Data Center
- CIRES, 449 UCB
- University of Colorado
City: Boulder Province or State: CO Postal Code: 80309-0449 Country: USA
National Snow and Ice Data Center Data Center URL: http://nsidc.org
Data Center Personnel
Name: NSIDC User Services Phone: 1 303 492-6199 Fax: 1 303 492-2468 Email: nsidc@nsidc.org Contact Address:
- National Snow and Ice Data Center
- CIRES, 449 UCB
- University of Colorado
City: Boulder Province or State: CO Postal Code: 80309-0449 Country: USA
NSIDC Frozen Ground Data Center Data Center URL: http://nsidc.org/fgdc/
Data Center Personnel
Name: NSIDC FGDC User Services Phone: 1 303 492-6199 Fax: 1 303 492-2468 Email: nsidc@nsidc.org Contact Address:
- National Snow and Ice Data Center
- CIRES, 449 UCB
- University of Colorado
City: Boulder Province or State: CO Postal Code: 80309-0449 Country: USA
Distribution
Distribution Media: FTP
Personnel
Tingjun Z Zhang Role: INVESTIGATOR Phone: 1 303 492-6199 x Fax: 1 303 492-2359 x Email: nsidc@nsidc.org Contact Address:
- University of Colorado
- National Snow and Ice Data Center/World Data Center for Glaciology
- UCB449
City: Boulder Province or State: Colorado Postal Code: 80309-0449 Country: USA
NSIDC User Services Role: TECHNICAL CONTACT Phone: 1 303 492-6199 x Fax: 1 303 492-2468 x Email: nsidc@nsidc.org Contact Address:
- National Snow and Ice Data Center
- CIRES, 449 UCB
- University of Colorado
City: Boulder Province or State: CO Postal Code: 80309-0449 Country: USA
Reference
Legates, D. R. and C. J. Willmott, 1990: Mean Seasonal and Spatial Variability in Global Surface Air Temperature, Theoretical and Applied Climatology, 41(1-2).
Metadata Name and Version
Metadata Name: CEOS IDN DIF Metadata Version: 9.7
Creation and Review Dates
DIF Creation Date: 1998-01-01 Last DIF Revision Date: 2012-07-26
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