Isfjorden - past and present climate

The project will enhance the collaboration between Russia (Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute [AARI], St.Petersburg State University [SPbSU]) and Norway (Norwegian Meteorological Institute [met.no]) within several of the prioritized topics in the cal l: Climate change, effects of climate change, meteorology and sea ice. Old and new climate data and sea-ice information from Russian settlements at Svalbard will be included in existing publicly available databases and web-portals (SIOS, met.no (eklima), MOSJ, AARI), and will be freely available for the public and particularly Arctic studies. Also updated metadata (station history, relocations, instrumentation, homogeneity breaks, etc.) for Norwegian and Russian weather stations will be included in the da tabases. By comparing old and new meteorological measurements in Pyramiden and Barentsburg with regular measurements at Norwegian weather stations, links will be established between Russian and Norwegian climate series from Svalbard. The established dat asets will be used in analysis of long-term climate variations and climate gradients in Isfjorden. By implementing and analysing old and new Russian and Norwegian sea-ice observations, the influence of sea-ice on local climate in the Isfjorden area will b e studied. The project will contribute in making Russian and Norwegian Arctic climate datasets more consistent, enhance availability of climate data and metadata from the Svalbard region, and provide updated analysis of climate variability and change on Svalbard during the last 100 years. The scientific results will be published in peer-reviewed journals, in national reports and in the media.