Project no.: UMO-2022/43/7/ST10/00001
The acceleration of the Arctic warming causes significant changes in the cryosphere of Svalbard (faster melting of glaciers, thawing of the permafrost, changes in melting period onset and winter thaws) and stimulates faster energy exchange between atmosphere, cryosphere and ocean and mass transfer from land to the sea. The observed fluctuations in measured meteorological parameters demonstrate regional/local differences in climate warming and subsequently, response to other environmental factors. Thus, monitoring of such parameters and the environmental response has to be done in many localities in Svalbard. The distribution of long-term observational stations and sites of Polish and Norwegian institutions along the entire western Spitsbergen coast gives a chance for better quantification of observed changes and their more profound understanding.
This project aims to modernize and expand an automated monitoring network focused on the cryosphere of Spitsbergen as a calibration/validation system for indirect research (Figure 1). As a first step, we plan to harmonize and expand the monitoring systems in Hornsund, Longyearbyen and Ny-Ålesund (level I stations), the last two in cooperation with Norwegian partners. The second stage will be equipping all Research Infrastructures operated by Polish Research units (level II stations): Nicolaus Copernicus University Polar Station, Stanisław Baranowski Spitsbergen Polar Station of the University of Wroclaw, Adam Mickiewicz University Polar Station, Calypsobyen UMCS Polar Station with the newest cryosphere monitoring technologies. All measurement stations will operate following the standardized measurement protocols developed as part of joint workshops and training sessions based on the SIOS Core Data process. The key element of the observatory network will be real-time data transfer to the open repositories, following the FAIR principles, for researchers and policymakers.
