Established by the National Oceans and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in 1982 as an information and referral center for glaciological research, the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) maintains data information on "snow cover and avalanches, glaciers and ice sheets, floating ice, ground ice and permafrost, atmospheric ice, paleoglaciology and ice cores." In addition to its role as an information resource, NSIDC "archives analogue and digital snow and ice data, creates and distributes data products, and maintains a large library collection in support of snow and ice research." From Global Annual Freezing and Thawing Indices to the Former Soviet Union Monthly Precipitation Archive, users may explore myriad snow and ice data. For information on current research and available data, or answers to frequently asked questions, see the NSIDC's Notes and Updates sections.