Nina Kirchner, Jamie Barnett, and TRS staff
This dataset contains monthly mean air temperatures from Tarfala Research Station, acquired since 1965 and updated annually. For the years 1946 – 1964, monthly averaged June, July and August air temperatures are reported. The dataset therefore provides important climatological information in itself, and also context for a wide range of other climate system components in the Tarfala Valley, such as glaciers, streams, permafrost, etc., and their dynamic change over time.
The instrumentation with which air temperatures were acquired has varied over the years. The most recent instrumentation is described below. For older instrumentation, references to the literature describing the instrumentation is cited.
Parts of this dataset have been published previously (for links, see below), however, the present dataset is the first comprehensive one, collecting all data in one file at one location. Importantly, this dataset contains also previously unpublished data from the year 2014, and from the years 2021 onward.
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Citation
Nina Kirchner, Jamie Barnett, and TRS staff (2023) Monthly mean air temperatures from Tarfala Research Station, Kebnekaise Mountains, 1965 – 2022. Dataset version 1. Bolin Centre Database. https://doi.org/10.17043/tarfala-kirchner-2023-monthly-temperature-1
References
Grudd, H., & Schneider, T. (1996). Air Temperature at Tarfala Research Station 1946-1995. Geografiska Annaler. Series A, Physical Geography, 78, 115–120. doi.org/10.2307/520973
Jonsell U., Hock R., & Duguay M. (2013). Recent air and ground temperature increases at Tarfala Research Station, Sweden. Polar Research, 32. doi.org/10.3402/polar.v32i0.19807
Mean monthly data for June, July, August 1946-1964: bolin.su.se/data/tarfala/climate.php
Mean monthly data 1965-2012: bolin.su.se/data/tarfala/climate.php
Mean daily data for 2013: bolin.su.se/data/tarfala/climate.php
Mean daily data for 2015-2020: https://data.fieldsites.se/portal/
Data description
The dataset consists of a csv-file containing 3 values each for the years 1946 – 1964, representing monthly averaged June, July and August air temperatures. Missing values are indicated by NaN. Further, the file contains 12 values each for the years 1957 – 2022, representing monthly averaged temperatures for all months of the year. Missing values are indicated by NaN and occur in the years 2009 and 2022.
Currently, air temperatures at Tarfala Research Station are acquired by a HC2S3 temperature and relative humidity sensor manufactured by Rotronic as part of the station’s automated weather station. Measurements are taken hourly, from which daily and further, monthly, averages were computed. The sensor is mounted approximately 2 m above ground, at an elevation of 1143 m above sea level, and at geographical coordinates N 7537422, E 651517 (SWEREF99 TM coordinate system).
Comments
This dataset allows to calculate annual and seasonal averages, among others. Excluding the years for which data is partially missing (2009, 2022), annual averages temperature was lowest in 1966 (-5.9 °C), and warmest in 2016 (- 1.7 °C). The summer season – June, July, August – was coldest in 1975 (3,3 °C) and warmest in 2002 (8,7 °C). Mean July temperatures have been above 10 °C in the years 2003 (11,7 °C), 2014 (12,6 °C), 2018 (12,8 °C) and 2021 (10,2 °C): This is of interest as one of the definitions of “Arctic” is that July average temperatures do not exceed 10 °C.