Free Glacier, Snow Cover and Sea Ice Data Sources for GIS

Cryosphere data is essential for climate change research, hydrological modeling, and polar science. Here are the best free global glacier, snow, and sea ice datasets.

Randolph Glacier Inventory (RGI)

The Randolph Glacier Inventory is the most comprehensive global dataset of glacier outlines, covering over 200,000 glaciers worldwide with area, length, elevation, slope, and classification attributes.

• Coverage: Global
• Format: Shapefile / GeoJSON
• License: CC BY 4.0
• Best for: Glacier change analysis, sea level rise research, hydrological modeling

MODIS Snow Cover (MOD10A1)

The MODIS Snow Cover dataset provides daily global snow extent at 500m resolution from 2000 to present. The Normalized Difference Snow Index (NDSI) method classifies each pixel as snow, no snow, or cloud.

• Coverage: Global
• Resolution: 500m (daily), 500m (8-day composites)
• Best for: Snow cover monitoring, hydrological modeling, climate research

NSIDC Sea Ice Extent & Concentration

The NSIDC Sea Ice dataset provides satellite-derived sea ice concentration for the Arctic and Antarctic at 25km resolution from 1979 to present.

• Coverage: Arctic and Antarctic
• Resolution: 25km grid
• Temporal: Daily, weekly, monthly since 1979
• Best for: Sea ice monitoring and climate change research

Global Lakes and Wetlands Database (GLWD)

The GLWD provides comprehensive global polygonal data on lakes, reservoirs, and wetlands at three levels of detail, covering over 250,000 water bodies.

• Coverage: Global
• Best for: Limnology, wetland conservation, and surface water mapping

Working with Cryosphere Data

1. Use the RGI for a complete global glacier baseline — it’s the IPCC standard reference for sea level rise studies.
2. Combine MODIS Snow Cover with ArcticDEM for high-latitude elevation analysis.
3. Compare sea ice trends over multiple decades using the NSIDC 45+ year record.
4. Use GeoDataViewer Studio to visualize and compare these raster and vector datasets.