Development of a homogeneous air temperature series for Barentsburg (Spitsbergen) for the period from 1911
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: The Russian Barentsburg Hydrometeorological Observatory has provided the longest series of continuous instrumental air temperature observations on Spitsbergen Archipelago, starting in 1932. To extend this record further back in time, measurements from the Norwegian Green Harbour station (1911–1930) can be utilized. However, despite the proximity of the two sites (about 1.5 km), a direct merger of the data is invalid owing to substantial microclimatic differences. These differences stem from the unequal distances of the sites from Grønfjorden and from their distinct topographic settings — a low-lying area at the foot of a slope at Green Harbour versus a steep slope at Barentsburg. A method is presented for reconciling mean monthly air temperature values recorded at the Norwegian meteorological station Green Harbor (Spitsbergen Archipelago, Grønfjorden Bay, Cape Finneset) for the period 1911–1930 with observations from the Barentsburg Hydrometeorological Observatory. The corrections applied to the mean monthly temperatures at Green Harbor were negative for temperatures above –5 °C, owing to the warming influence of Grønfjorden, which is most pronounced at this site because of its cape location. At lower temperatures, the corrections become positive, presumably as a result of the formation of stable snow-ice cover (fast ice) in the fjord. The appearance of ice significantly restricts heat transfer from the seawater to the surface atmosphere, while the ice-covered surface itself becomes an area for the accumulation of cold air draining from the adjacent slopes and for its subsequent radiative cooling. Once Grønfjorden freezes, an inverted temperature profile develops along the slope. The resulting composite series of monthly mean air temperatures for Barentsburg was repeatedly tested for homogeneity using the standard normal homogeneity test (SNHT) across time windows of varying widths. No inhomogeneity was detected at the junction points between the calculated and measured data.
Source: Arctic and Antarctic Research
Language: English
Subfield: Global and Planetary Change
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
SDG: Climate action
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W7215112546