Photo: Helge T. Markussen (NPI)
Monitoring in Ny-Ålesund Research Station
At Ny-Ålesund research station, national and international institutions collaborate to collect long-term data on a wide range of climate- and environmental variables. Here we present an interactive report to explore metadata from Ny-Ålesund Research Station making it easier to discover what is being monitored and how the data can be used.
Ny-Ålesund is one of the most important Arctic research stations and a key reference site for long-term climate- and environmental monitoring. Several national and international research institutions are active here, contributing to the collection of data that helps us understand climate change, ecosystems, and environmental processes in one of the most sensitive regions of the planet.
Over the past years, the NySMAC has worked actively to improve access to information about the data collected in Ny-Ålesund. While several dedicated data centers host parts of these research datasets, NySMAC has placed particular emphasis on making metadata easily accessible and searchable. A central part of this effort is the focus on Observed Variables, making it easier for users to navigate and identify relevant information.
On this page, you will find an interactive report that provides an overview of available metadata. Use the filters to browse by Topic, Term, and finally Observed Variable in order to narrow down your search.
The report is based on the database behind the thematic layer “Ny-Ålesund Research” in the Svalbardkartet —often referred to as the Ny-Ålesund GIS. For each object, additional metadata can be retrieved directly from Svalbardkartet (a quick quick user guide is available here).
Observed Variable Specifies which data are collected, using the NASA GCMD (Global Change Master Directory) keywords: Topic>Term>Observed Variable (under EARTH SCIENCE).
Object name Name of object or instrument used for data collection.
Owner Institution responsible for the object and the data collection.
Start Year Year when data collection began.
Data availability Where the data can be found (DOI or link to data center).
Monitoring Indicates whether the data collection is part of the institution’s monitoring activities in Ny-Ålesund. According to NySMAC, monitoring should meet three criteria: i) Time Series Length – Typically more than five years. Shorter series may also qualify if the data are particularly valuable and there is an intention to continue collection. ii) Quality and Standards – Data must meet high-quality standards, follow consistent and well-documented methodologies, and preferably comply with international standards. A defined data collection protocol is required. iii) Open Access – Data should be openly accessible in standard formats and made available in a timely manner for reuse by the wider research community.
Part of Network Specifies whether the data are part of a national or international network or system. If yes, which one.
RiS ID Unique identifier of the project associated with the data collection, as listed in the Research in Svalbard portal.
Object ID Unique identifier of the object. Additional metadata can be found in Svalbardkartet.
An overview of ongoing monitoring in Ny-Ålesund per March 2025 can be found in the report here.
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