Arctic Soil Temperature Data from Svalbard Permafrost Site

NSIDCV0's dataset records daily soil temperatures at an Arctic desert patterned ground site on Broeggerhalvoya, Svalbard. Measurements cover one year from July 1985 to July 1986, taken at 6 am at two depths (surface and 1.145 m) with high-resolution thermistors. The data document physical processes in the active layer and permafrost for a period representative of long-term climatic averages.

Use Cases

• Analyzing daily and seasonal active layer temperature dynamics at 0.0 m and 1.145 m depths.
• Calibrating or validating thermal models of permafrost and patterned ground formation.
• Studying the relationship between surface conditions and subsurface thermal regime in a vegetation-free Arctic site.
• Investigating the impact of specific climatic events, like rain-on-snow, on soil thermal properties.

Strengths

• Sensor resolution is 0.004°C with an estimated accuracy of 0.02°C near 0°C.
• Data completeness is high, with missing values accounting for less than 7% of the record.
• The 1985 1986 monitoring period is documented as close to the long-term (1975 1990) climatic averages for the site.
• Measurements are from a controlled site where plant influence on thermal properties is negligible.

Limitations

• Exact row count, column names, and file size are unspecified across all platforms.
• Sources conflict on the 'last updated' metadata, with dates ranging from 1986 to 2026.
• Data gaps were filled using a simple averaging method, which may smooth short-term variability.

Provenance

Source

NSIDCV0, presented on the CAPS Version 1.0 CD-ROM (June 1998).

Collection Method

Automated recordings from thermistors placed in an epoxy-filled PVC rod buried in a sorted circle.

Time Range

1985-07-01 to 1986-07-01

Freshness

2026-03-13 20:08:44.852356

Geography

Broeggerhalvoya, western Spitsbergen, Svalbard (78°57'29"N, 12°27'42"E), 45 m above sea level.