The Retreat of Mountain Glaciers since the Little Ice Age: A Spatially Explicit Database

Most of the world’s mountain glaciers have been retreating for more than a century in response to climate change. Glacier retreat is evident on all continents, and rate has accelerated during recent decades. Accurate, spatially explicit information position glacier margins over time useful analyzing patterns measuring reductions surface area. This also essential evaluating how ecosystems are evolving due warming attendant retreat. Here, we present non-comprehensive dataset showing multiple positions fronts since Little Ice Age (LIA) maxima, including many data from pre-satellite era. The based historical archival records topographical maps; repeated photographs, paintings, aerial or satellite images with supplement geochronology; own field data. We provide ESRI shapefiles 728 past 94 except Antarctica, covering period between maxima present. On average, series span 190 years. From 2 46 per depicted (on average: 7.8).