GLIMS Regional Center Overview

The GLIMS project began by using imagery primarily from the ASTER instrument. ASTER has the capability of acquiring thousands of 60 km square images of land ice each year. Both detailed planning for data acquisition and analysis of these data are tasks too large for a single small group. We have thus developed the concept of "regional centers": each Regional Center consists of groups that carry out these tasks within a specific region.

Each Regional Center coordinated mission planning for ASTER for the entire region, including use of local knowledge of seasonal weather conditions, and coordinate analysis within the Region. The analysis of ASTER and other imagery is done by the Region associates themselves, or by "Stewards" (individuals or groups) interested in smaller areas within a Region, down to individual glaciers. The Regional Centers have formal direct access to the ASTER mission planning sequence and to the GLIMS database; all Stewards are associated with some Regional Center and interact with the overall GLIMS project through that Regional Center.

We have a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) which Regional Centers GLIMS Coordination Center signed during the initial formation of GLIMS RCs. This first MOU sets out agreements that involve planning for ASTER imagery acquisitions, a task that is mostly now in the past. If you would like to be involved with GLIMS and need a formal MOU, please contact us. Please see our Getting Involved page for more information on participating in the GLIMS project.