A new phase of the Glacier Mass Balance Intercomparison Exercise (GlaMBIE) is underway. Following the success of its initial study (2022–2024), the GlaMBIE initiative has launched its second major project, GlaMBIE-2, in August 2025. This international collaboration aims to strengthen our collective understanding of glacier mass balance by building on lessons learned and refining how different measurement techniques are integrated.
Spanning from 2025 to 2027, GlaMBIE-2 brings together glacier researchers and data providers worldwide to jointly assess glacier mass changes across all 19 glacierized regions globally, from 1992 through 2025. In this new phase, the project will carry out two dedicated pilot studies: one focused on understanding methodological differences identified in the first GlaMBIE phase, and another exploring how glacier mass change assessments can support hydrological studies and contribute to future global assessments of glacier impacts on both sea-level rise and the water cycle.
A key feature of GlaMBIE-2 is its community-driven approach. The project relies on contributions from a wide range of observational and modelling techniques, which are analysed and combined to produce high-quality, consensus-based results. This phase will also take an important step forward by providing combined glacier mass change estimates at higher spatial and temporal resolutions, and addressing known biases between satellite radar altimetry and elevation change data.
Upcoming Info Meetings
The GlaMBIE team invites the glacier research community to join one of two upcoming information meetings about GlaMBIE-2, the second phase of the Glacier Mass Balance Intercomparison Exercise. These sessions will provide details on the project goals, planned activities, and how you can contribute data or expertise.
📅 24 September, 09:00–10:00 CEST
📅 24 September, 18:00–19:00 CEST
Both meetings will cover the same content, allowing participants from different time zones to join. Register your interest here and stay tuned for our call for data, which will be sent out later this year.
Call for Data Coming Soon
An official call for data will be published shortly. This will be an important opportunity for those working with glacier mass balance data to contribute to a global effort with real scientific and societal impact.
To stay up to date and receive announcements, including the upcoming call for data, we encourage you to sign up for the GlaMBIE mailing list.
If you’re involved in glacier monitoring, modelling, or data analysis, we strongly encourage you to get involved with this exciting initiative!
Photo by Kristaps Ungurs on Unsplash.