Note: This data set was first published on the 1998 CAPS CD.
The text for this document was taken unchanged from that CD.

See also Description of Data Files.

The data files in this directory (HVavt.dat and BAavt.dat) contains AVERAGE DAILY soil temperatures collected from late summer 1993 to the present at Happy Valley and Barrow, Alaska. These files are derived from hourly data values that are also available at NSIDC. Data collection was funded by the NSF under the Geography and Regional Sciences and Arctic System Science (ARCSS) programs (SES-9308334 & OPP-9529783). Kenneth M. Hinkel compiled the data.

A Grant Instruments Squirrel 1204 data logger was utilized. Eight channels were connected to thermistors. The sequential, hourly temperature measurements have a precision of 0.015 C at the ice point and are reported to three places beyond the decimal in the hourly data file. The logging system has a lower limit of -22C, which was reached on several occasions in winter. In the derived average daily temperatures files, only two places beyond the decimal are retained.

The data are reported in space-delimited ASCII format. Rows represent average daily measurements, using an integer time index beginning with zero (0).

There are ten columns in the matrix. The first two column contain the date and the daily time index. Columns 3-10 contain temperature readings beginning near the surface. At both sites, probe configuration is identical:

column 3: probe 1 at 1 cm
column 4; probe 2 at 8 cm
column 5: probe 3 at 15 cm
column 6; probe 4 at 22 cm
column 7: probe 5 at 29 cm
column 8; probe 6 at 50 cm
column 9: probe 7 at 75 cm
column 10; probe 8 at 100 cm

Data collection for Happy Valley (HVavt) begins on 20 August 1993 at noon (AST) and extends until 4 August 1996. Due to vandalism, the August 1996-August 1997 data was lost. There are 1081 daily averages in this record. At Barrow (BAavt), recordings extend from 18 August 1993 to 16 August 1997. There are 1460 daily mean values in this record.

Owing to thermal disturbance during probe installation, the first couple of weeks of data should be considered suspect and eliminated from any analysis.

Gross stratigraphy at Happy Valley: massive segregation ice encountered at 68 cm below the surface, and extends to depths exceeding 1.2 m. In mid-August, when the probes were installed, the active layer was 30 cm deep. Thawed and frozen organics above the segregation ice; hummocky terrain. Since these sites are located near ARCSS sites instrumented by Frederick Nelson et al., consult their referenced summary.

At Barrow, surface organics underlain by silt at depth. See Brown and Johnson (1965) for detailed stratigraphy. Active layer also 30 cm at time of probe installation.

Further information may be obtained from Kenneth Hinkel, Department of Geography, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221-0131. Phone: (513) 556-3421. Internet: Ken_Hinkel@compuserve.com

Please cite these data as follows:

Hinkel, K. 1998. Soil temperatures (daily averages) from Barrow and Happy Valley, Alaska, USA. In: International Permafrost Association, Data and Information Working Group, comp. Circumpolar Active-Layer Permafrost System (CAPS), version 1.0. CD-ROM available from National Snow and Ice Data Center, nsidc@kryos.colorado.edu. Boulder, Colorado: NSIDC, University of Colorado at Boulder.

REFERENCES:

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

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