ESSD Earth System Science Data ESSD Earth Syst. Sci. Data 1866-3516 Copernicus Publications Göttingen, Germany 10.5194/essd-2-235-2010 NORPERM, the Norwegian Permafrost Database – a TSP NORWAY IPY legacy Juliussen H. 1 5 Christiansen H. H. 1 2 Strand G. S. 3 Iversen S. 3 Midttømme K. 3 6 Rønning J. S. 3 4 The University Centre in Svalbard, Longyearbyen, Svalbard, Norway Department of Geosciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway Geological Survey of Norway, Trondheim, Norway Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway now at: Department of Geography, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway now at: Norwegian Geotechnical Institute, Oslo/Trondheim, Norway 08 10 2010 2 2 235 246 Copyright: © 2010 H. Juliussen et al. 2010 This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License. To view a copy of this licence, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ This article is available from https://essd.copernicus.org/articles/2/235/2010/essd-2-235-2010.html The full text article is available as a PDF file from https://essd.copernicus.org/articles/2/235/2010/essd-2-235-2010.pdf

NORPERM, the Norwegian Permafrost Database, was developed at the Geological Survey of Norway during the International Polar Year (IPY) 2007-2009 as the main data legacy of the IPY research project <i>Permafrost Observatory Project: A Contribution to the Thermal State of Permafrost in Norway and Svalbard</i> (TSP NORWAY). Its structural and technical design is described in this paper along with the ground temperature data infrastructure in Norway and Svalbard, focussing on the TSP NORWAY permafrost observatory installations in the <i>North Scandinavian Permafrost Observatory</i> and <i>Nordenskiöld Land Permafrost Observatory</i>, being the primary data providers of NORPERM. Further developments of the database, possibly towards a regional database for the Nordic area, are also discussed. <br><br> The purpose of NORPERM is to store ground temperature data safely and in a standard format for use in future research. The IPY data policy of open, free, full and timely release of IPY data is followed, and the borehole metadata description follows the Global Terrestrial Network for Permafrost (GTN-P) standard. NORPERM is purely a temperature database, and the data is stored in a relation database management system and made publically available online through a map-based graphical user interface. The datasets include temperature time series from various depths in boreholes and from the air, snow cover, ground-surface or upper ground layer recorded by miniature temperature data-loggers, and temperature profiles with depth in boreholes obtained by occasional manual logging. All the temperature data from the TSP NORWAY research project is included in the database, totalling 32 temperature time series from boreholes, 98 time series of micrometeorological temperature conditions, and 6 temperature depth profiles obtained by manual logging in boreholes. The database content will gradually increase as data from previous and future projects are added. Links to near real-time permafrost temperatures, obtained by GSM data transfer, is also provided through the user interface.

 References Åhman, R.: Palsar i NordNorge, Meddelanden från Lunds Universitets Geografiska Institution Avhandlingar LXXVIII, 1977 (in Swedish). Brown, J., Nelson, F. E., and Hinkel, K. M.: The circumpolar active layer monitoring (CALM) program research design and initial results, Polar Geography, 3, 165–258, 2000. Brown, J., Ferrians, O. J., Heginbottom, J. A., and Melnikov, E. S.: Circum-Arctic map of permafrost and ground-ice conditions, Boulder, CO, National Snow and Ice Data Center/World Data Center for Glaciology, Digital Media, 1998, Revised: February 2001. Brown, J. and Christiansen, H. H.: Report from the International Permafrost Association, Permafrost Periglac., 17, 377–379, 2006. Burgess, M. M., Smith, S. L., Brown, J., Romanovsky, V., and Hinkel, K.: Global Terrestrial Network for Permafrost (GTNet-P): permafrost monitoring contributing to global climate observations. Current Research, Geological Survey of Canada, 2000-E14, 8&nbsp;pp., 2000. Christiansen, H. H.: Thermal Regime of Ice-wedge Cracking in Adventdalen, Svalbard, Permafrost Periglac., 16, 87–98, 2005. Christiansen, H. H., Etzelmüller, B., Isaksen, K. Juliussen, H., Farbrot, H., Humlum, O., Johansson, M., Ingeman-Nielsen, T., Kristensen, L., Hjort, J., Holmlund, P., Sannel, A. B. K., Sigsgaard, C., Åkerman, H. J., Foged, N., Blikra, L. H., Pernosky, M. A., and Ødegård, R.: The Thermal State of Permafrost in the Nordic area during IPY 2007–2009, Permafrost Periglac., 21, 156–181, 2010. Etzelmüller, B., Berthling, I., and Sollid, J. L.: Aspects and Concepts on the Geomorphological Significance of Holocene Permafrost in Southern Norway, Geomorphology, 52, 87–104, 2003. Etzelmüller, B., Humlum, O., Isaksen, K., Schuler, T., Skaugen, T., Ødegård, R. S., Farbrot, H., and Hipp, T.: CRYOLINK – Permafrost and seasonal frost in Norway, European Geosciences Union, General Assembly, Abstract EGU2009-3589, 2009. Farbrot, H., Isaksen, K., and Etzelmüller, B.: Present and Past Distribution of Mountain Permafrost in Gaissane Mountains, Northern Norway, in: Proceedings Volume&nbsp;1, Ninth International Conference on Permafrost, University of Alaska Fairbanks, 29 June–3 July 2008, edited by: Kane, D. L. and Hinkel, K. M., Institute of Northern Engineering, University of Alaska Fairbanks, 427–432, 2008. Gruber, S. and Haeberli, W.: Permafrost in steep bedrock slopes and its temperature-related destabilization following climate change, J. Geophys. Res., 112, F02S18, https://doi.org/10.1029/2006JF000547, 2007. Haeberli, W.: Die Basis Temperatur der winterlichen Schneedecke als möglicher Indikator für die Verbreitung von Permafrost, Zeitschrift für Gletscherkunde und Glazialgeologie, 9, 221–227, 1973. Harris, C., Arenson, L. U., Christiansen, H. H., Etzelmüller, B., Frauenfelder, R., Gruber, S., Haeberli, W., Hauck, C., Hoelzle, M., Humlum, O., Isaksen, K., Kääb, A., Kern-Lütschg, M. A., Lehning, M., Matsuoka, N., Murton, J. B., Noetzli, J., Phillips, M., Ross, N., Seppäla, M., Springman, S. M., and Vonder Mühll, D.: Permafrost and climate in Europe: Monitoring and modelling thermal, geomorphological and geotechnical responses, Earth-Sci. Rev., 92, 117–171, 2009. Heggem, E. S. F., Juliussen, H., and Etzelmüller, B.: Mountain permafrost in central-eastern Norway, Norsk Geogr. Tidsskr., 59, 94–108, 2005. Humlum, O., Instanes, A., and Sollid, J. L.: Permafrost in Svalbard: a review of research history, climatic background and engineering challenges, Polar Res., 22, 191–215, 2003. Isaksen, K., Holmlund, P., Sollid, J. L., and Harris, C.: Three deep alpine permafrost boreholes in Svalbard and Scandinavia, Permafrost Periglac., 12, 13–25, 2001. Isaksen, K., Hauck, C., Gudevang, E., Ødegård, R. S., and Sollid, J. L.: Mountain permafrost distribution in Dovrefjell and Jotunheimen, southern Norway, based on BTS and DC resistivity tomography data, Norsk Geogr. Tidsskr., 56, 122–136, 2002. Isaksen, K., Blikra, L. H., Eiken, T., and Sollid, J. L.: Mountain permafrost and instability of rock slopes in western and northern Norway, Abstracts Volume, PACE21 Field Workshop, Longyearbyen, Svalbard, 8–13 September 2004, p.&nbsp;32, 2004. Isaksen, K., Sollid, J. L., Holmlund, P., and Harris, C.: Recent warming of mountain permafrost in Svalbard and Scandinavia, J. Geophys. Res.-Earth, 112, F02S04, https://doi.org/10.1029/2006JF000522, 2007. Isaksen, K., Farbrot, H., Blikra, L. H., Johansen, B., Sollid, J. L., and Eiken, T.: Five-Year Ground Surface Temperature Measurements in Finnmark, Northern Norway, in: Proceedings of the Ninth International Conference on Permafrost, Fairbanks, Alaska, 789–794, 2008. Jorgenson, M. T., Shur, Y. L., and Pullman, E. R.: Abrupt Increase in Permafrost Degardation in Arctic Alaska, Geophys. Res. Lett., 33, L02503, https://doi.org/10.1029/2005GL024960, 2006. Juliussen, H. and Humlum, O.: Towards a TTOP ground temperature model for mountainous terrain in central-eastern Norway, Permafrost Periglac., 18(2), 161–184, 2007. Juliussen, H. and Humlum, O.: Thermal regime of openwork block fields on the mountains Elgåhogna and Sølen, central-eastern Norway, Permafrost Periglac., 19, 1–18, 2008. Juliussen, H., Johansson, M., Hjort, J., and Isaksen, K.: PYRN-TSP: Permafrost Young Researchers Network's Contribution to the Thermal State of Permafrost Project in the Nordic countries, 33th International Geological Congress, Oslo, 6–14 Aug 2008, Abstract 2008 1345051, 2008. Kristensen, L., Christiansen, H. H., and Caline, F.: Temperatures in coastal permafrost in the Svea area, Svalbard, in: Proceeedings of the Ninth International Conference on Permafrost, Fairbanks, Alaska, 1005–1010, 2008. Lachenbruch, A. L., Cladouhos, T. T., and Saltus, R. W.: Permafrost temperature and the changing climate, Proceedings of the Fifth International Conference on Permafrost, Trondheim, Norway, 9–17, 1988. Nelson, F. E., Anisimov, O., and Shiklomanov, N. I.: Subsidence risk from thawing permafrost, Nature, 410, 889–890, 2001. Osterkamp, T. E. and Romanovsky, V. E.: Evidence for Warming and Thawing of Discontinuous Permafrost in Alaska, Permafrost Periglac., 10, 17–37, 1999. Osterkamp, T. E.: Characteristics of the recent warming of permafrost in Alaska, J. Geophys. Res.-Earth, 112, F02S02, https://doi.org/10.1029/2006JF000578, 2007. Pascal, C., Barrére, C., Davidsen, B., Ebbing, J., Elvebakk, H., Gernigon, L., Olesen, O., Roberts, D., Siedlecka, A., Skilbrei, J. R., Slagstad, T., and Wissing, B.: HeatBar Report 2008, Basement Heat Generation and Heat Flow in the western Barents Sea – Importance for Hydrocarbon Systems, Geological Survey of Norway, Report no.&nbsp;2008.072, 64&nbsp;pp., 2008. Pavlov, A. V.: Current Changes of Climate and Permafrost in the Arctic and Sub-Arctic of Russia, Permafrost Periglac., 5, 101–110, 1994. Schuur, E. A. G., Vogel, J. G., Crummer, K. G., Lee, H., Sickman, J. O., and Osterkamp, T. E.: The effect of permafrost thaw on old carbon release and net carbon exchange from tundra, Nature, 459, 556–559, 2009. Slagstad, T., Balling, N., Elvebakk, H., Midttømme, K., Olesen, O., Olsen, L., and Pascal, C.: Heat-flow measurements in Late Palaeoproterozoic to Permian geological provinces in south and central Norway and a new heat-flow map of Fennoscandia and the Norwegian-Greenland Sea, Tectonophysics, 473, 341–361, 2009. Smith, S. L., Burgess, M. M., Riseborough, D., and Nixon, F. M.: Recent trends from Canadian permafrost thermal monitoring network sites, Permafrost Periglac., 16, 19–30, 2005. Sollid, J. L., Isaksen, K., Eiken, T., and Ødegård, R. S.: The transition zone of mountain permafrost on Dovrefjell, southern Norway, in: Proceedings (Vol.&nbsp;2) of the Eight International Conference on Permafrost, Zurich, Switzerland, 21–25 July, edited by: Phillips, M., Springmann, S. M., and Arenson, L. U., Swets & Zeitlinger, Lisse, 1085–1090, 2003. van Everdingen, R. O.: Multi-language glossary of permafrost and related ground-ice terms. International Permafrost Association, University of Calgary, Calgary, 1998. Zhang, T., Barry, R. G., Knowles, K., Hegginbottom, J. A., and Brown, J.: Statistics and Characteristics of Permafrost and Ground-Ice Distribution in the Northern Hemisphere, Polar Geography, 23, 132–154, 1999.