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Tarfala Data

Permafrost

Monitoring data

The project PACE, (Permafrost and Climate in Europe) established a series of monitoring sites in a north-south transect across Europe. One selected site is located approximately 1 kilometer east of Tarfala Research Station. A 100 metres deep bore hole was drilled at a location approximately 1550 metres above sea level to monitor permafrost temperature. An accompanying 15 m deep bore hole was also drilled in which near surface temperature showing annual variations is monitored. At the Tarfala Research station (1130 metres above sea level) a third bore hole, 15 metres deep, was established to monitor ground temperature at lower elevations.

Data from PACE12 (100m + 15 metres bore hole at 1550 metres above sea level)

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Information about the data files

The data output conforms to standard PACE station output. The files are comma separated ascii-files.

  • Raw data logger output
    (This file has been split into its constituent time series, available as separate files below.)
  • 6 hour readouts the upper 11 thermistors in the 100 metres deep borehole
    Example of data string (6, borehole number, year, day-of-year number, time, battery voltage, logger temperature, control data 1, control data 2, T1 to T11 (20 values)):

    6,2099,2008,111,1201,14.06,6.029,-0.326,8.59,-5.89,-5.221,-4.674,-4.34,-4.133,-3.906,-3.641,-3.391,-3.159,-2.942,-2.594

    The thermistors T1 to T11 are located at 0.2, 0.4, 0.8, 1.2, 1.6, 2.0, 2.5, 3.0, 3.5, 4.0 and 5.0 metres depth.
  • 24 hour readouts from all 30 thermistors in the 100 metres deep borehole
    Example of data string (24, borehole number, year, day-of-year number, time, battery voltage, logger temperature, control data 1, control data 2, T1 to T30 (39 values)):

    24,2099,2008,175,1,13.27,0.213,-0.33,8.59,0.061,0.011,-0.079,-0.42,-0.86,-1.275,-1.674,-1.973,-2.18,-2.327,-2.491,-2.508,-2.456,-2.446,-2.465,-2.541,-2.644,-2.866,-2.995,-3.076,-3.133,-3.145,-3.1,-3.073,-2.969,-2.915,-2.845,-2.832,-2.786,-2.752

    The thermistors T1 to T30 are located at 0.2, 0.4, 0.8, 1.2, 1.6, 2.0, 2.5, 3, 3.5, 4, 5, 7, 9, 10, 11, 13, 15, 20, 25, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 85, 90, 95, 97.5 and 100 metres depth.
  • 24 hour readouts from all 17 thermistors in the 15 metres deep borehole
    Example of data string (206, borehole number, year, day-of-year number, time, battery voltage, logger temperature, control data 1, control data 2, T1(P2) to T17(P2) (25 values)):

    206,2199,2007,243,1201,14.06,7.35,-0.335,8.59,1.917,-0.433,-0.065,0.076,-0.05,-0.338,-0.721,-1.034,-1.33,-1.569,-1.993,-2.513,-2.752,-2.772,-2.824,-31.34,-2.876

    The thermistors T1 to T17 are located at 0.2, 0.4, 0.8, 1.2, 1.6, 2.0, 2.5, 3, 3.5, 4, 5, 7, 9, 10, 11, 13 and 15 metres depth.
  • Meteorological data collected at the site
    Example of data string (66, header, mean wind speed, mean wind direction, air temperature, relative humidity, shortwave incomming radiation, shortwave radiation balance, longwave incoming radiation, longwave radiation balance, surface temperature, snow depth):

    66,2008,189,1201,2099,0,0,4.523,54.17,0,0,0,0,0,0

    Note that the Tarfala PACE weather station lacks most sensors (values = 0).

The data files were updated in January, 2014. The following periods are recorded. All other data is currently missing.

  • 2000/89 – 2001/50
  • 2001/99 – 2001/230
  • 2002/111 – 2002/204
  • 2003/1 – 2003/10
  • 2003/91 – 2011/256
  • 2012/112 – 2012/113
  • 2012/134 – 2012/135
  • 2012/142 – 2012/252
  • 2013/193 – 2013/220
  • 2013/226 –
  • End date: 2013, day 241

The following data is "missing" and constitutes holes in the series.

  • Start date: 2000-89/1201
  • 2001-14/1801 – 2001-15/601
  • 2001-50/0001 – 2001-99/1201
  • 2001-266/1201 – 2001-111/601
  • 2002-204/601 – 2003-1/1201
  • 2003-10/1201 – 2003-91/1201
  • 2003-213/0001 – 2003-215/1801
  • 2011-257/0601 – 2012-111/0001
  • 2012-114/1201 – 2012-133/0001
  • 2012-136/0601 – 2012-141/0001
  • 2012-253/1801 – 2013-192/1201
  • 2013-221/1801 – 2013-225/0601
  • End date: 2013, day 241

Data from PACE3 (15 metres bore hole at 1330 metres above sea level)

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Information about the data files

  • 6 hour readouts the all 18 thermistors in the 15 metres deep borehole
    Column 1Bore hole ID
    Column 2Year
    Column 3Day
    Column 4HHMM
    Column 5Battery
    Column 6Logger temp
    Column 7Reference data 1
    Column 8Reference data 2
    Column 9–26Thermistor 1–18
    Example of data string (12, borehole number, year, day-of-year number, time, battery voltage, logger temperature, control data 1, control data 2, T1 to T17 (25 values)):

    12,2308,2008,187,600,12.4,3.65,-.339,8.59,6.675,8.39,6.089,2.543,.337,0,.079,.39,.742,.877,1.239,1.559,1.587,1.628,1.627,1.639,1.746,-231.5

The following periods are recorded (year/day-of-year number). All other data is currently missing.

  • 2008/188 – 2008/281
  • 2009/197 – 2009/267
  • 2010/184 – 2011/180
  • 2013/196 –
  • End date: 2013, day 247


Data logger enclosure and capped boreholes (foreground). Photo: Peter Jansson.