USGS

US Geological Survey

Cumulative mass balance of three U.S. glaciers (1958-2014). Negative values indicate a net loss of ice and snow. Meters of water equivalent represents changes in average thickness of a glacier. DATASOURCE: USGS/EPA. WIDGET: factgraphs.org

Cumulative mass balance is the amount of mass a glacier has lost or gained relative to an earlier time. It is calculated by adding up the annual mass balances of a glacier over a period of time.