TITLE: Historical Sea Temperature Time Series from the Atlantic Arctic
AUTHOR:
Martin Miles, Compiler (PI)
Environmental Systems Analysis Research Center
4450 Arapahoe Ave. Ste. 100, Boulder, CO 80303
Telephone: 303 415 2521; Fax: 303 415 2500
WWW: www.esarc-colorado.org
E-mail: martin.miles@esarc-colorado.org

FUNDING SOURCE AND GRANT NUMBER:
National Science Foundation, Arctic System Science (ARCSS) program, Award #0531286

DATA SET OVERVIEW:
The 'Historical Sea Temperature Time Series from the Atlantic Arctic' data set is a compilation of selected existing multidecadal to century-scale sea temperature time series, derived from historical measurements from various sources. These data were compiled and analyzed within the ARCSS project "Collaborative Research: Synthesis of Modes of Ocean-Ice-Atmosphere Covariability in the Arctic System from Multivariate Century-Scale Observations", following upon data collection efforts supported by the Norwegian Research Council and the Nordic Council of Ministers.

The purpose of the data set is to provide a convenient compilation and consistent description of these data that are published though scattered. The original time series were produced by researchers and institutions in Denmark, Faroe Islands, Norway and Russia. Acknowledgement is due to the researchers (see data remarks and references below) and institutions that have put forth these data.

Spatial and temporal coverage varies. Spatially, the data range from west Greenland to the Barents Sea. The representativeness of these point or transect data is typically sub-regional (10s of km). Temporally, the time series range from several decades to about one century. There are few years with missing values, usually in the early part of the series. Provided here are typically monthly data. 

DATA COLLECTION and PROCESSING:
Data set is a collection/compilation of existing published time series. Processing performed here is limited to consistent formatting, checking for outliers and re-coding missing data values.

DATA FORMAT:
Data file is column-delimited ASCII text. Each data file is from one station or composite, named after the location. The values are either sea-surface temperature (SST) or temperature at a specific depth or depth range, as specified in the header record of each data file.

The following is a list of data filenames:

- sst_mykines.txt
- sst_ona.txt
- sst_papey.txt
- sst_skrova.txt
- sst_teigarhorn.txt
- sst_torshavn.txt
- st0-40_fylla.txt
- st0-200_kola.txt
- st50_stationM.txt

Within each data file, Column 1 is Year and other columns are mean temperature for month (or other aggregation as specified in the header record). Missing data = -999.9.

The following is a list of column definitions for monthly data:
- Column 1 year: Year.
- Column 2 jan: Mean temperature for January
- Column 3 feb: Mean temperature for February
...and so on to...
- Column 13 dec: Mean temperature for December


DATA REMARKS:
The values may be SST or temperature at a specific depth or depth range, as specified in the header of each data file. Details of source material, methods and quality assessment are available for some series in the references below. Acknowledgement is due to those who have put forth these data, including Eric Buch (Danish Meteorological Institute), Trausti Jonsson (Icelandic Meterological Office), Bogi Hansen (Faroese Fisheries Laboratory), and Knud Simonsen (University of the Faroe Islands) and Harold Loeng (Marine Research Institute, Norway). In addition to the Icelandic time series included here, there exists a useful composite time series developed by Hanna et al. (2006), available from the lead author.  A time series from one measurement station may end while a time series from a comparable nearby station may start; a merged or 'spliced' composite series based on the overlap period can be constructed, comparable to Hanna et al. (2006). Questions may be addressed to the compiler at the contact address above. 


REFERENCES:
Buch, E., 2000. A Monograph on the Physical Oceanography of the Greenland Waters. Danish Meteorological Institute, Scientific report, 00-12, 405 pp. Data updated.
Hanna, E., T. Jonsson, J. Olafsson and H. Vladimarsson, 2006. Icelandic coastal sea surface temperature records constructed: putting the pulse on air-sea-climate interactions in the Northern North Altantic. Part I: Comparison with HadISST1 open-ocean surface temperatures and preliminary analysis of long-term patterns and anomalies of SSTs around Iceland, J. Clim. 19, 5652-5666.
Hansen, B. and J. Meincke, 1984: Long-term coastal sea surface temperature observations at the Faroe Islands. Rapp. P.-v. RÈun. Cons. Int. Explor. Mer 185, 162-169.
JÛnsson, T., 2003: LangtÌmisveiflur III. Veurstofa Õslands Greinarger 03013, VÕ-⁄R13, Icelandic Meteorological Office, ReykjavÌk, 15 pp. (Long time series III: Sea temperature, In Icelandic).