Deception Island, Antarctica, hosts raw active layer thickness (thaw depth) data from the PERMATHERMAL monitoring network. Measurements are taken manually once per year during the thaw season at the Crater Lake CALM site (A16) on a 100x100 meter grid with nodes every 10 meters. The network, led by Dr. Miguel Ángel de Pablo of Universidad de Alcalá, began in 2000 and was last updated in 2023.
Use Cases
- Modeling thaw depth variation over time using annual measurements from the Crater Lake CALM site.
- Analyzing spatial variability of active layer thickness across the 100x100 meter grid with 10-meter node spacing.
- Correlating annual thaw depth data with other PERMATHERMAL network measurements like permafrost temperature or snow depth.
- Assessing long-term trends in ground thaw for climate studies using the data series started in 2000.
Strengths
- Data collection follows GCOS (Global Climate Observing System) principles.
- Monitoring network has been operational since 2000, providing a multi-year time series.
- Spatial measurements are structured on a standardized 100x100 m grid.
Limitations
- Data is raw and unprocessed, requiring user-side cleaning and validation.
- Sample size is limited to annual manual measurements at a single CALM site (A16).
- Geographic scope is restricted to one location on Deception Island.
Provenance
- Source
- PERMATHERMAL monitoring network led by Dr. Miguel Ángel de Pablo, Universidad de Alcalá.
- Collection Method
- Manual mechanical probing during the thaw season at a CALM (Circumpolar Active Layer Monitoring) station grid.
- Time Range
- Annual measurements since network inception in 2000.
- Freshness
- Data was last updated in March 2023, with annual collection frequency.
- Geography
- Crater Lake CALM site (A16), Deception Island, South Shetland Archipelago, Antarctica.