1. March 2009

The first Norwegian permafrost database, NORPERM, is now online and ready for use!

Contact person for additional information: Hanne H. Christiansen

Text by Hanne H. Christiansen, UNIS

 

In the TSP NORWAY project we collect continuously data from our 24 instrumented boreholes and from more than 100 miniature temperature dataloggers in different permafrost landforms, all to better observe the permafrost and active layer temperature in our field observatories established in Troms and Svalbard . These data are now for the first time available through the TSP NORWAY project permafrost database called NORPERM. You find NORPERM at http://www.ngu.no/kart/permafrost for Norwegian sites and at http://www.ngu.no/kart/permafrost_svalbard for Svalbard sites. English versions are also available at http://www.ngu.no/kart/permafrost/?lang=English (Norway) and at http://www.ngu.no/kart/permafrost_svalbard/?lang=English (Svalbard). The two database startpages are shown below.

 

Startpage for the English version of the NORPERM database for Svalbard. Click here to open the English version of the database. Click here to open the Norwegian version.

 

Startpage for the English version of the NORPERM database for Norway. Click here to open the English version of the database. Click here to open the Norwegian version.

 

Using the NORPERM database, using a map, you can search the TSP NORWAY nvestigation area and find the location of the permafrost boreholes, and then directly also have the data presented either in table form or as graphs. You can also study photographs of the borehole sites and read a general description of the data. This will be a very powerful tool for our further permafrost temperature studies in the TSP Norway project.

The database development has been carried out by the Geological Survey of Norway (NGU). The TSP NORWAY post.doc responsible for the TSP database, Håvard Juliussen, UNIS, have worked with assisting the NGU in developing and adjusting the database almost since the beginning of IPY 2 years ago. Thus it is very nice that we, at the end of the observational IPY period in March 2009, have now reached the stage, where our first year of permafrost data is available for all interested.

Data from NORPERM can be quickly and directly exported to the international TSP database, Global Terrestrial Network on Permafrost (GTN-P). When using the data you will have to fully reference the TSP NORWAY responsible scientist(s).

IPY data policy

IPY-generated data are intended to be carefully and thoughtfully collected, used collaboratively, and adequately preserved. The IPY Data Policy state that to maximize the benefit of data gathered under the auspices of the IPY these data, including operational data delivered in real time, are made available fully, freely, openly, and on the shortest feasible timescale. To be considered as officially part of IPY, each project must follow the IPY Data Policy, including submission of metadata and data according to an agreed timetable, and must include an appropriately funded data management plan. In a similar fashion, to take part in an IPY Project, participants must agree to submit information and data from their component of the project and comply with the IPY 2007-2008 Data Policy.

To recognize the valuable role of data providers, including scientists who collect or prepare data, and to facilitate repeatability of IPY experiments in keeping with the scientific method, users of IPY data must formally acknowledge data authors/contributors and sources. Where possible, this acknowledgment should take the form of a formal citation, such as when citing a book or journal article.

The IPY Data Policy and Management Subcommittee of the ICSU/WMO Joint Committee for the IPY is responsible for this Data Policy.