East Siberian Air, Ground Temperature, and Snow Depth Measurements, 1882-1994

Summary

This dataset contains historical data for 35 Russian stations located between approximately 117-145 E and 56-72 N. The data represent air temperature, ground temperature and snow depth measurements collected between 1882-1994, but the time period covered by each station and quantities measured are variable.

Measurements were taken as part of the Land-Atmosphere-Ice Interactions - Arctic Transitions in the Land-Atmosphere System (LAII-ATLAS) program. The research project was funded by the Arctic System Sciences (ARCSS) Program, grant numbers OPP-9721347 and OPP-9732126.

Data are available for ordering through NCAR.

Citing These Data:

Romanovsky, V.E., editor. 2003. East Siberian air, ground temperature, and snow depth measurements, 1882-1994. Boulder, CO: National Center for Atmospheric Research, ARCSS Data Archive.

Overview Table

Table of Contents

1. Contacts and Acknowledgments:

Investigator(s) Name and Title:

2. Detailed Data Description:

Format:

Data are available as tab-delimited text files.

File Naming Convention:

Each file is named according to the name of the station where the data were collected. For example, "Amga.txt" contains data from the Amga region.

File Size:

File sizes range from 6 KB to 102 KB.

Spatial Coverage:

Data were collected from 35 Russian stations within the following geographic coordinates:

Southernmost Latitude: 55.58 N
Northernmost Latitude: 71.59 N
Westernmost Longitude: 145.21 E
Easternmost Longitude: 116.55 E

Spatial Resolution:

Data were collected as a time series of point data. Daily measurements of snow cover depth were taken from three snow measuring rods placed in a meteorological enclosure (size unknown). In individual cases, when the meteorological enclosure was unrepresentative of the surroundings in respect to snow cover formation, the snow measuring rods were placed near the station (distance unknown) on a specially selected plot.

Temporal Coverage:

The data were collected from 1882-09-01 to 1998-09.

Temporal Resolution:

The daily measurements of snow cover depth were averaged at the end of a 10-day period into a single value. This averaging was done three times per month, with the final period in the month containing from eight to 11 days of data, depending on the month.

Parameter or Variable:

Parameter Description:

The parameters measured were air temperature, ground temperature, and snow depth.

The following Station Information Table includes detailed information for each of the 35 stations.

Unit of Measurement:

The daily mean snow depth was calculated by averaging the readings on the three rods, rounded to the nearest whole cm. If the average was less then .5 cm, the mean was considered zero, and if it was greater than or equal to .5 cm , it was considered 1 cm. If snow, ice, or melt water was absent at one of the rods, then the mean depth was calculated by dividing the sum of the readings by three.

Temperatures are in degrees Celsius, to 0.1 degree of accuracy.

Parameter Source:

Snow depth measurements were collected with measuring rods; air and ground temperature measurements were taken with mercury thermometers with high inertia.

Parameter Range:

Refer to the data files for ranges of snow depth, air, and ground temperatures.

Sample Data Record:

Data are in tables. The number and types of columns vary across stations and may include the following:

Station_ID = Station ID number
Date = Date
mean AT = mean monthly air temperature in degrees Celsius
SD-I = number of days with snow on the ground
SD-II = mean snow depth for the first ten days of the month
SD-III = mean snow depth for the second ten days of the month
SD mean = mean snow depth for the last eight to eleven days of the month
D0_2 = monthly mean Ground temperature at 0.2m depth
D0_4 = monthly mean Ground temperature at 0.4m depth
D0_8 = monthly mean Ground temperature at 0.8m depth
D1_6 = monthly mean Ground temperature at 1.6m depth
D3_2 = monthly mean Ground temperature at 3.2m depth

Missing data are indicated by the value 99.99.

Sample Data Table:

Quality Assessment:

Many of the stations have been moved one or more times and the coordinates given in this document are approximate.

Some of the location descriptions in the Station Information Table, in the Station Name column, do not include cardinal direction details. For example, the Amga station (number 001), is described as being located within the Amga region, on the second terrace of the left side of the Amga River valley. No further information is available to determine the cardinal direction of the left side of the Amga River Valley.

3. References and Related Publications:

Klimatologicheskii spravochnik SSSR, vypusk 24,po Yakutskoi ASSR, severnoi chasti Khabarovskogo kraya, Magadanskoi oblasti i severnoi chasti Kamchatskoi oblasti. Meteorologicheskie dannye za otdel'nye gody, chast' VII, Temperatura pochvy, tumany, grozy, meteli i grad. Gidrometeoizdat, Leningrad, 1963.

English: Climatological reference of the USSR, issue 24. Yakut ASSR (Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic), northern part of the Kaborovski territory, Magadanski region and northern Kamchatka region. Meteorological data for separate years, part VII, including soil temperature, humidity, rainfall, snow, and hail. Hydrometrology, Leningrad, 1963.

Spravochnik po klimatu SSSR, vypusk 24, Yakutskaya ASSR, Meteorologicheskie dannye za otdel'nye gody, chast' VII, Temperatura pochvy. Yakutsk, 1975.

English: Reference book of Climate for the USSR, issue 24, Yakut ASSR, Meteorological data of separate years, part VII, soil temperature. Yakutsk, 1975.

World Meteorological Organization. 1984. Weather Reporting Vol. A, Handbook No. 9.

4. Document Information:

Document Creation Date:

2003-02-04

Document Revision Date:

2005-05-19

Document Review Date:

Document URL:

http://data.eol.ucar.edu/codiac/dss/id=106.ARCSS902