the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
| 16 Mar 2026
A standardized permafrost ground temperature collection for Canada 2025
Abstract. Ground temperature is an essential variable for monitoring the thermal state of permafrost, developing models, and conducting fundamental research. However, the usability of GT data in Canada is often hampered by inconsistent file formats, a lack of metadata standardization between organizations, and varied temporal resolutions. This fragmentation has prevented the development of a comprehensive benchmark dataset, leaving researchers reliant on small, ad-hoc data subsets for model evaluation. To address this gap, we present a new, standardized collection of ground temperature (GT) and ground surface temperature (GST) data from across Canada, designed to serve as a benchmark for synthesis and model evaluation. The collection integrates data from 29 published datasets and 13 unpublished contributions, encompassing 427 GT and 491 GST sites across British Columbia, Labrador, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Québec, and Yukon. All included time series feature at least one year of measurements at daily resolution. We performed quality control and standardization using tempcf — a newly-developed python software tool — to document and remove anomalies, outliers, and drilling disturbances. Then we aggregated sub-daily data to daily means. The dataset is standardized into NetCDF files adhering to CF, ACDD, and IOOS metadata standards as well as a compatible permafrost-specific metadata profile. Data are provided as both individual NetCDF files and text files. They are fully accessible at https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18022925 (Meier-Legault et al., 2025) and via an ERDDAP server (data.permafrostnet.ca/erddap), following FAIR principles. Several limitations remain, including time zone uncertainty in some datasets, and the lack of a standardized methodology for harmonizing site description metadata. Nevertheless, this collection improves the accessibility and usability of Canadian ground temperature data for national-scale permafrost research.
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Status: open (until 06 Jul 2026)
- RC1: 'Comment on essd-2026-96', Anonymous Referee #1, 22 Jun 2026 reply
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RC2: 'Comment on essd-2026-96', Anonymous Referee #2, 22 Jun 2026
reply
The manuscript "A standardized permafrost ground temperature collection for Canada 2025" describes probably the most comprehensive compilation of standardized ground temperature time-series in permafrost areas across Canada. It includes data collected from repositories, but also extensive datasets provided directly by individual researchers and institutions. It includes both active layer and permafrost temperatures, as well as ground surface temperature. It integrates data from 29 published datasets and 13 unpublished contributions, encompassing 427 GT and 491 GST sites across British Columbia, Labrador, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Québec, and Yukon.
Ground temperature data in permafrost regions are typically measured in complex and remote terrain, facing complex constraints, from borehole installation to data collection logistics, and even in data curation, and is many times still spread in different repositories, this dataset becomes especially relevant. It facilitates data collection for specific sites, but it also provides unvaluable data for the modeling community.
The data is presented in a standardized form into daily temperatures at specific depths, with the standardization process bein described in detail. Due to the differences in the data sets, standardization needs to account for data limitations and this has been done by the authors in a clear and transparent way, which is well described in the manuscript. The data curation was supported by the software package tempcf which available for community use and it works surprisingly well, allowing for changes associated to data cleaning to be recorded in a specific log. The dataset and all associated curation files are made available at Zenodo and easy to download. The same data is also accessible online via an ERDDAP server that allows for easy data visualization (including graphical) and download in multiple common formats. These are excellent practice and show the correct application of the FAIR principles.
Given the very high quality of the dataset, the clear organization of the data and curation of the data, as well as the completeness and clarity of the manuscript, I consider it should be accepted following minor reviews, which I indicate below.
Detailed comments:
- line 63 - consider changing "we also sent personal requests for contributions of unpublished ground temperature data to individuals" to ""we also sent personal requests and received contributions of unpublished ground temperature data from individuals".
- Line 72: You mention that when not available, elevation data was collected from Google Maps Elevation API. Please clarify what is the data source that was used as DEM in that API, so that potential innacuracies can be identified in the future (may be the DEM quality will change with time). If this is not possible to know, indicate this as a limitation.
- lines 90-91: "Measurements that clearly diverged from the surrounding ground temperature signal were removed." Clarify what you mean with surrounding. I think it relates to time in the dataset and not to space. Please rephrase for clarity.
- Table 1: Please include a column with the period of observations of each dataset. This will make it easier for readers to understand what periods are available.
- Figure 3: Are the circles reflecting really the number of sites within 100x100km? They seem too close to each other for the area indicated for density. Please clarify.
Citation: https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2026-96-RC2
Data sets
A standardized permafrost ground temperature collection for Canada 2025 Olivia Meier-Legault et al. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18022924
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- 1
The authors have systematically compiled and organized permafrost temperature data from Canada covering the period up to 2025. Given the substantial volume of the dataset and the detailed methodological approach employed, this work not only offers critical baseline data for future simulations of permafrost dynamics in high‑latitude regions, but also constitutes a significant reference for the spatial distribution mapping of permafrost across Canada.
The authors compiled 427 GT and 491 GST data sites. It would be good to include a figure in the manuscript illustrating the temperature distribution of GST and GT.
Table 1: When referring to Table 1, the measurement depth for GT (Ground Temperature) is not specified. We suggest that the authors provide a range of measurement depths for GT in the table.
Line 240: Is this method applicable to all situations? Is there any supporting evidence or reference, and what is the rationale for choosing this particular formula?
Line 260: How were the values of 11%, 23%, and 36% derived? Were the values 70%, 80%, and 90% the only ones derived from the raw data, or were they chosen among others? What is the rationale behind this choice?
5 next steps: I would suggest changing the title. Don't use this one — it reads more like the next step in discussing a matter rather than a proper title.