Cap Prud'homme (CAP) is located on the coast of the Antractic Ice sheet (Dumont d'Urville station). Mass balance is measured alo,g 3 different stake networks at the camp and over 150 km inland. Meteorological information are recorded at 2 stations. Dynamics of the ice is measured on the Astrolabe glacier. CAP is a part of the French Glacier Observatory GLACIOCLIM/CRYOBS-CLIM.

Cime bianche, Colle Superiore di Cime Bianche, (Valtournenche, Aosta), +398720 +5086095; Valle d'Aosta region

Antizana 15 alpha Glacier is one of the 17 tongues of the Antizana volcanoe in Ecuador, from 4820 to 5760 m a.s.l..

Zongo Glacier is located in the Huayna Potosi region (Cordillera Real, Bolivia) 30 km north of La Paz city, between the dry Altiplano plateau in the west and the wet Amazonian basin in the east, under outer tropics meteorological conditions (strong seasonality in precipitation, low seasonality in temperature).

Concordia is a joint French-Italian research facility opened in 2005 on the Antarctic Plateau, Antarctica (-75.1, 123.33), managed together by PNRA (Italian National Antarctic Programme) and IPEV (Institut Polaire Francais Paul Emile Victor). It is built at 3,233 m above sea level on the third highest summit of Antarctica: Dome C.

Mera glacier (MER) is located in Nepal, near the Khumbu valley. This glacier is free debris cover. Mas sbalance and dynaic measurements were initiaited in 2007. In addition, meteorological observations complete the data base. 2 weather stations are on the moraine and on the glacier itself. MER is a part of the French Glacier Observatory GLACIOCLIM/CRYOBS-CLIM. All the series on Mera glacier (MER) are unique and necessary for glaciological studies because Himalaya is still partly unknown in terms of future evolution. Data permit to calibrate models in order to determine future glacier evolution. Mera data are also unique to test hydrological model in the catchment.

Saint-Sorlin glacier (SSO) is located in the Arvan valley, between 2700 and 3400 m altitude. The glacier is situated in the Grandes Rousses massif, and one of the glaciers with longest records of glacier mass balance worldwide. Data series are continuous and cover few decades (more than 50 years of mass balance measurements).This site is also characterized by the complete glaciological parameters performed annually to complete annual and seasonnal mass balance : ice velocity, ice thickness variation, snout position.In addition, meteorological observations complete the data base. 1 weather station, running since 2005, is located on the moraine, close to the snout of the glacier. SSO is a part of the French Glacier Observatory GLACIOCLIM/CRYOBS-CLIM.

Argentiere glacier (ARG) is located in the Mont-Blanc valley (France), between 1500 and 3400 m altitude. The glacier is one of the glaciers with longest records of glacier mass balance worldwide. Data series are continuous and cover few decades.This site is also characterized by the complete glaciological parameters performed annually to complete annual and seasonnal mass balance : ice velocity, ice thickness variation, snout position.In addition, meteorological observations complete the data base. 1 weather station, running since 2006, is located on the moraine. ARG is a part of the French Glacier Observatory GLACIOCLIM/CRYOBS-CLIM.

The Col de Porte pilot site is located near Grenoble, in the Chartreuse massif (elevation : 1325m, latitude : 45°30’N, longitude : 5°77’ E). At this mountain site located in a grassy meadow surrounded by a coniferous forest; all the measurements are located within an flat area of 50 × 50 m. Meteorological and snow parameters are recorded hourly since 1961. These parameters are : - Air temperature and relative humidity of air - Incoming and outcoming short and long-wave radiations - Wind speed and direction - Precipitation - Snow depth, snow water equivalent - Settlements and snow temperatures of the different layers of the snowpack Weekly snowpack profiles are also carried out, including major stratigraphic properties of snow (temperature, density, liquid water content, snow type). All sensors are located within a radius of a few tens of meters. (1) Geonor precipitation gauges (3 sensors) and OTT2 (1 sensor), (2) PG2000 heated and non-heated precipitation gauges, (3) windspeed measurements at the top of the 10 m meteorological mast and at the same level of the precipitation gauges, (4) lysimeters (2 sensors), (5) snow depth and surface temperature sensors and settling disks, (6) temperature and relative humidity of air sensors placed in the shelter, (7) Incoming and outcoming longwave and shortwave radiation sensors placed on the rotating arm, (8) close-up on the 4 components radiation sensors, (9) building (cold room, data acquisition, lab space), (10) cosmic rays counter for SWE measurements, (11) former experimental area for the study of road/snow interactions, (12) automatic snow and weather station Nivose for testing purposes (generally used in remote mountain areas), (13) forest area impacted by the cut in 1999, (14) snow pit area, Fore more information refer to : Morin, S., Lejeune, Y., Lesaffre, B., Panel, J.-M., Poncet, D., David, P., and Sudul, M.: An 18-yr long (1993-2011) snow and meteorological dataset from a mid-altitude mountain site (Col de Porte, France, 1325 m alt.) for driving and evaluating snowpack models, Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 4, 13-21, doi:10.5194/essd-4-13-2012, 2012

Kevo Subarctic Research Institute of the University of Turku is a modern research institute (strict nature reserve in the immediate vicinity) with long-term ecological data-sets and field-experiments at the northernmost tip of the European Community. This facility provides excellent research possibilities for scientists interested in environmental, ecological and evolutionary work in the ecotone between northern Boreal and Subarctic/Arctic Biomes. Kevo has established a research network (in collaboration with Department of Geology, University of Turku) for a long-term on study on Northern Fennoscandic Quaternary glacial cycles and Holocene environmental change (palaeoecology and –stratigraphy, lacustrine strata), including a research programme on late Weichselian climatic variability. Kevo is famous for the long term ecosystem studies on herbivory dynamics of the mountain birch forests and the geo-referenced data-set about vascular plant distribution in over 5000 one sq-km grid cells in the northernmost Finland as well as for studies on annual and seasonal fluctuations in animal numbers (small rodents, moths, predatory mammals and birds and in plant phenology and performance). Several research projects are focused on the vegetation dynamics influenced by reindeer grazing. Kevo also provides integration with the Finnmark area in the northermost Norway and has an established collaboration with various Sámi organizations over the area.