Soil Temperatures for Happy Valley and Barrow, Alaska, USA

Summary

This data set contains hourly and daily-averaged soil temperatures from Happy Valley and Barrow, Alaska, from 19 August 1993 to 31 July 2004. Data are in comma-delimited or space-delimited ASCII text format, and are available via FTP.

Citing These Data:

Hinkel, K.M. 1998, updated 2004. Soil temperatures for Happy Valley and Barrow, Alaska, USA. Boulder, CO: National Center for Atmospheric Research. Digital media.

Overview Table

Category Description
Data format Data are in comma-delimited or space-delimited ASCII text format.
Spatial coverage and resolution Data were collected from Happy Valley, Alaska (69° 08.811'N, 148° 51.193'W) and Barrow, Alaska (71°18'N, 156° 47'W). Sensors are vertically spaced at 7 cm from a depth of 1 cm to 50 cm; then spacing is every 25 cm to a depth of 100 cm. Nominal temperature resolution at the ice point os 0.015°C.
Temporal coverage and resolution Hourly and daily-averaged soil temperatures were collected from 19 August 1993 to 31 July 2004.
File size File sizes range from 15 KB to 722 KB.
Parameter(s) Soil temperatures (°C)
Procedures for obtaining data Data are available via FTP.

Table of Contents

1. Contacts and Acknowledgments
2. Detailed Data Description
3. Data Access and Tools
4. Data Acquisition and Processing
5. References and Related Publications
6. Document Information

1. Contacts and Acknowledgments

Investigator(s) Name and Title

Kenneth Hinkel
Department of Geography
University of Cincinnati
Cincinnati, OH 45221-0131

Technical Contact

Acknowledgments

The National Science Foundation (NSF) Geography and Regional Sciences and Arctic System Science (ARCSS) programs funded data collection. The following grants apply:

National Science Foundation Grant OPP 9214897; Active Layer/Landscape Interactions: A Retrospective and Contemporary Regional Approach in Arctic Alaska. Ohio State University.

National Science Foundation Grant SES 9308334; Monitoring Heat Transfer Across the Active Layer Above Permafrost in Alaska.

National Science Foundation Grant OPP 9529783; Detection of Heat and Moisture Movement in the Upper Permafrost, Northern Alaska.

National Science Foundation Grant OPP 9732051; Response of the Global Active Layer-Permafrost System to Climate: CALM - The Circumpolar Active Layer Monitoring Program.

2. Detailed Data Description

The data structure differs for files from 1993 to 1997 and files from 1998 to 2002. Each of the data files for 1993 through 1997 has nine columns. The first column contains the hourly time index. Columns 2-9 contain soil temperatures in °C at the following depths:

Column 2: probe 1 at 1 cm
Column 3: probe 2 at 8 cm
Column 4: probe 3 at 15 cm
Column 5: probe 4 at 22 cm
Column 6: probe 5 at 29 cm
Column 7: probe 6 at 50 cm
Column 8: probe 7 at 75 cm
Column 9: probe 8 at 100 cm

The first lines of the 1998 through 2002 data files are header records that specify individual file structures.

1993 and 1994 data

Happy Valley data ("hap93-94.dat") contain 8,545 hourly soil temperatures from 19 August 1993, 12:00 Aleutian Daylight Time (ADT) to 10 August 1994, 12:00 ADT. Row length is variable.

Barrow data ("bar93-94.dat") contain 8,545 hourly soil temperatures from 17 August 1993, 12:00 ADT to 08 August 1994, 12:00 ADT. Row length is variable.

Because of thermal disturbance during probe installation, the first two weeks of data should be considered suspect and eliminated from any analysis. Rows represent hourly measurements, using an integer time index beginning with zero.

1995 data

Happy Valley data ("hap95.dat") contain 8,920 hourly soil temperatures from 12 August 1994, 00:00 ADT to 18 August, 15:00 ADT.

Barrow data ("bar95.dat") contain 9,134 hourly soil temperatures from 10 August 1994, 00:00 ADT to 25 August 1995, 13:00 ADT.

1996 data

Happy Valley data ("hap96.dat") contain 8,449 hourly soil temperatures from 19 August 1995, 00:00 ADT to 05 August 1996, 00:00 ADT.

Barrow data ("bar96.dat") contain 8,401 hourly soil temperatures from 26 August 1995, 00:00 ADT to 10 August 1996, 00:00 ADT.

1997 data

Data from Happy Valley were not recovered due to vandalism.

Barrow soil temperature data ("bar97t.dat") and log-C indices ("bar97c.dat") contain 8,928 hourly observations from 10 August 1996, 12:00 ADT to 17 August 1997, 10:00 ADT. The files "bar97tav.dat" and "bar97cav.dat" contain nine columns with 371 average daily soil temperatures and log-C indices, respectively.

1998 data:

Happy Valley daily-averaged soil temperature data ("hap98tav.dat") and log-C indices ("hap98cav.dat") are derived from 8,809 hourly observations from 12 August 1997, 11:00 ADT to 14 August 1998, 11:00 ADT. These files have 366 average daily values; columns represent depths of 1 cm, 8 cm, 15 cm, 22 cm, 29 cm, 50 cm, 75 cm, and 100 cm.

Barrow daily-averaged soil temperature data ("bar98tav.dat") and log-C indices ("bar98cav.dat") are derived from 8,859 hourly observations from 17 August 1997, 12:00 ADT to 21 August 1998, 14:00 ADT. These files have 368 average daily values; columns represent depths of 1 cm, 8 cm, 15 cm, 22 cm, 29 cm, 50 cm, 75 cm, and 100 cm.

1999 data

Happy Valley daily-averaged soil temperature data ("hap99tav.dat") and log-C indices ("hap99cav.dat") are derived from 8,684 hourly observations from 14 August 1998, 13:00 ADT to 10 August 1999, 20:00 ADT. These files have 360 average daily values; columns represent depths of 1 cm, 8 cm, 15 cm, 22 cm, 29 cm, 50 cm, 75 cm, and 100 cm.

Barrow daily-averaged soil temperature data ("bar99tav.dat") and log-C indices ("bar99cav.dat") are derived from 8,684 hourly observations from 21 August 1998, 16:00 ADT to 18 August 1999, 11:00 ADT. These files have 362 average daily values; columns represent depths of 1 cm, 8 cm, 15 cm, 22 cm, 29 cm, 50 cm, 75 cm, and 100 cm.

2000 data

Happy Valley soil temperature data ("hap00t.dat") and log-C indices ("hap00c.dat") contain 7,514 hourly observations from 10 August 1999, 22:00 ADT to 18 June 2000, 23:00 ADT. The files "hap00tav.dat" and "hap00cav.dat" contain ten columns with 361 average daily soil temperatures and log-C indices, respectively.

Barrow soil temperature data ("bar00t.dat") and log-C indices ("bar00c.dat") contain 8,671 hourly observations from 18 August 1999, 12:00 ADT to 13 August 2000, 18:00 ADT. The files "bar97tav.dat" and "bar97cav.dat" contain ten columns with 314 average daily soil temperatures and log-C indices, respectively.

Both data sets contain soil temperatures in °C at depths of 1 cm, 8 cm, 15 cm, 22 cm, 29 cm, 50 cm, 75 cm, and 100 cm.

2001 data

Happy Valley soil temperature data ("hap01t.dat") and log-C indices ("hap01c.dat") contain 8,709 hourly observations from 07 August 2000, 18:00 ADT to 05 August 2001, 14:00 ADT. The files "hap01tav.dat" and "hap01cav.dat" contain ten columns with 362 average daily soil temperatures and log-C indices, respectively. This data set contains soil temperatures in °C at depths of 1 cm, 8 cm, 15 cm, 22 cm, 29 cm, 50 cm, 75 cm, and 100 cm.

Barrow data were not recovered due to loss of power in the data logger.

2002 data

Happy Valley daily-averaged soil temperature data ("hap02tav.dat") extend from 03 August 2001 through 20 August 2002. Ten columns contain 381 average daily values; columns represent depths of 1 cm, 8 cm, 15 cm, 22 cm, 29 cm, 50 cm, 75 cm, and 100 cm.

2003 data

The Barrow data set ("bar03tav.dat") contains average daily temperatures derived from hourly values. The data values range from 7 August 2002 to 4 August 2003. Average values are stored in a 0-column matrix containing 363 rows; columns show DayIndex, Date, and Celsius temperature (T) at depths of 1, 8, 15, 22, 29, 50, 75 and 100 cm.

The Happy Valley data set ("hap03tav.dat")contains 364 daily temperature averages and ranges from 21 August 2002 to 18 August 2003. Average values are stored in a 10-column matrix containing 364 rows; columns show DayIndex, Date, and Celsius temperature (T) at depths of 1, 8, 15, 22, 29, 50, 75 and 100 cm.

2004 data

The Barrow data set ("bar04tav.dat") contains average daily temperatures derived from hourly values. The data values range from 5 August 2003 to 5 August 2004. Average values are stored in a 10-column matrix containing 367 rows; columns show DayIndex, Date, and Celsius temperature (T) at depths of 1, 8, 15, 22, 29, 50, 75 and 100 cm.

The Happy Valley data set ("hap04tav.dat") contains 348 daily temperature averages and runs from 19 August 2003 to 31 July 2004. Average values are stored in a 10-column matrix containing 348 rows; columns show DayIndex, Date, and Celsius temperature (T) at depths of 1, 8, 15, 22, 29, 50, 75 and 100 cm.

Format

Data are in comma-delimited or space-delimited ASCII text format.

File Size

File sizes range from 15 KB to 722 KB.

Spatial Coverage

Data were collected from Happy Valley, Alaska (69° 08.811'N, 148° 51.193'W) and Barrow, Alaska (71°18'N, 156° 47'W). Sensors are vertically spaced at 7 cm from a depth of 1 cm to 50 cm; then spacing is every 25 cm to a depth of 100 cm. Nominal temperature resolution at the ice point is 0.015°C.

At Happy Valley, massive segregation ice was encountered 68 cm below the surface, extending to depths greater than 1.2 m. When probes were installed in August 1993, the active layer was 30 cm deep. The study area contains thawed and frozen organics above the segregation ice, and hummocky terrain.

At Barrow, surface organics were underlain by silt at depth. See Brown and Johnson (1965) for detailed stratigraphy. When probes were installed in August 1993, the active layer was 30 cm deep.

Temporal Coverage

Soil temperatures were collected from 19 August 1993 to 31 August 2004.

Parameter or Variable

Parameter Description

The parameter measured was soil temperature.

3. Data Access and Tools

Data Access

Data are available via FTP.

4. Data Acquisition and Processing

Data Acquisition Methods

Eight channels in a Grant Instruments Squirrel-1204 data logger were connected to thermistors, and eight channels were used to record soil voltage. The sequential, hourly temperature measurements have a precision of 0.015°C at the ice point, reported to three decimal places. The logging system has a lower limit of -22°C.

5. References and Related Publications

Brown, J., Hinkel, K.M. and F.E. Nelson. 2000. The Circumpolar active layer monitoring (CALM) program: Research designs and initial results. Polar Geography, 24(3), 165-258.

Brown, J., and P.L. Johnson. 1965. Pedo-ecological Investigations, Barrow, Alaska. Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory Technical Report 159, Hanover, NH, 32 pages with appendices.

Kane, D.L., K.M. Hinkel, D.J. Goering, L.D. Hinzman, and S.I. Outcalt. 2001. Nonconductive heat transfer associated with freezing soils. Global and Planetary Change 29: 275-292.

Hinkel, K. M. 1997. Estimating seasonal values of thermal diffusivity in thawed and frozen soils using temperature time series. Cold Regions Science and Technology, 26, 1-15.

Hinkel, K.M. and F.E. Nelson. 2003. Spatial and temporal patterns of active layer depth at CALM sites in Northern Alaska, 1995-2000. Journal of Geophysical Research-Atmospheres, 108(D2),10.129/2001JD000927.

Hinkel, K.M., Nelson, F.E., Bockheim, J.G., Miller, L.M. and R.F. Paetzold. 2000. Spatial and temporal patterns of soil moisture and depth of thaw at proximal acidic and nonacidic tundra sites, north-central Alaska, U.S. In: Advances in Soil Science: Global Climate Change and Cold Regions Ecosystems, Chapt. 14, 197-209.

Hinkel, K. M., Outcalt, S. I. and A.E. Taylor. 1997. Seasonal patterns of coupled flow in the active layer at three sites in northwest North America. Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences, 34, 667-678.

Hinkel, K.M., Paetzold, R.F., Nelson, F.E. and J.G. Bockheim. 2001. Patterns of soil temperature and moisture in the active layer and upper permafrost at Barrow, Alaska: 1993-1999. Global and Planetary Change, 29, 293-309.

Nelson, F.E., Hinkel, K.M., Shiklomanov, N.I., Mueller, G.R., Miller. L.L. and D.A Walker. 1998. Active-layer thickness in north-central Alaska: systematic sampling, scale, and spatial autocorrelation. Journal of Geophysical Research- Atmospheres, 103(22), 28963-28973.

Miller, L.L., Hinkel, K.M., Nelson. F.E., Paetzold, R.F. and S.I. Outcalt. 1998. Spatial and temporal patterns of soil moisture and thaw depth at Barrow, Alaska U.S.A. In: Proceedings Permafrost--Seventh International Conference, Centre d'etudes nordiques, Universite Laval, Quebec, 731-737.

Outcalt, S. I., Hinkel, K. M., Meyer, E. and A.J. Brazel. 1997. Applications of Hurst rescaling to geophysical serial data. Geographical Analysis, 29(1), 70-88.

Outcalt, S. I., Hinkel, K. M. and L.L. Miller. 1997. Modeling the magnitude and time dependence of nonconductive heat-transfer effects in taiga and tundra soils. In: International Symposium on Physics, Chemistry, and Ecology of Seasonally Frozen Soils. CRREL Special Report 97-10, pp. 98-104.

Outcalt, S.I., Hinkel, K.M., Nelson, F.E. and L.L Miller. 1998. Estimating the magnitude of coupled-flow effects in the active layer and upper permafrost, Barrow, Alaska U.S.A. In: Proceedings Permafrost--Seventh International Conference, Centre d'etudes nordiques, Universite Laval, Quebec, 869-873.

Paetzold, R.F., Hinkel, K.M., Nelson, F.E., Osterkamp, T.E., Ping, C.L. and V.E Romanovsky. 2000. Temperature and thermal properties of Alaska soils. In: Advances in Soil Science: Global Climate Change and Cold Regions Ecosystems, Chap. 16, 223-245.

6. Document Information

Document Creation Date

June 2003

Document Revision Date

September 2004

Document Review Date

September 2003

Document URL

http://data.eol.ucar.edu/codiac/dss/id=106.ARCSS038