Twenty-year operation of the Cryospheric Environment Simulator

Abstract

The operational results for the Cryospheric Environment Simulator (CES) of the National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Resilience (NIED) compiled over a 20-year period from October 1997 to March 2017, during which a total of 598 projects were conducted, are reported herein. These projects were instigated by four types of institutions: official institutes, universities, companies, and the NIED itself. In terms of international cooperative use, 12 institutes or universities from 9 countries have conducted various investigations using the CES. The present specifications, performances, and operations of CES are described herein; some of the scientific results and future considerations are also presented.