Denmark/Greenland/Faroe Islands: projects/activities

Projektet har til formål at forlænge og forbedre monitering af to strømsystemer gennem færøsk territorialfarvand, som udveksler vand, varme og salt mellem Arktis og resten af Verdenshavet. Den ene af disse er strømmen af koldt vand fra Arktis gennem dybet af Færøbanke kanalen, som transporterer varme og kuldioxid fra atmosfæren ned i Verdenshavets dybe vandmasser. Den anden er Færøstrømmen, som er den stærkeste transportør af ocean varme mod Arktis med indvirkning på klima, fiskebestande og isudbredelse. Endvidere vil projektet studere opsplitningen af Færøstrømmen i to separate strømgrene med forskellig indflydelse på forskellige områder og processer i Arktis. Projektet vil omfatte feltaktivitet fra sommer 2017 til sommer 2018 med udlagte måleinstrumenter og tilsammen fire hydrografiske togter med forskningsskib. Indsamlede måledata vil blive analyseret sammen med satellit­data og historiske observationer med henblik på at forlænge de ca. 20 år lange tidsserier for de to strømsystemers transporter samt at rationalisere det eksisterende moniteringssystem, således at det i fremtiden vil være mindre afhængigt af kostbare in situ målinger.

The objective of the station is to facilitate ecosystem research in the High Arctic. According to the framework programme of Zackenberg Ecological Research Operations (ZERO) this includes: - Basic quantitative documentation of ecosystem structure and processes; - Baseline studies of intrinsic short-term and long-term variations in ecosystem functions; - Retrospective analyses of organic and inorganic material to detect past ecosystem changes; - Experimental studies enabling predictions of ecosystem responses to Global Change. The programme is coordinated with Nuuk Ecological Research Operations (see below) within the Framework of Greenland Ecosystem Monitoring (GEM). Main gaps: Winter dynamics

The objective is to allow comparative studies of ecosystem dynamics in relation to climate variability and change in respectively a high arctic and low arctic setting as Nuuk Basic comprises the same components as Zackenberg. According to the framework programme of Zackenberg Ecological Research Operations (ZERO) this includes: - Basic quantitative documentation of ecosystem structure and processes; - Baseline studies of intrinsic short-term and long-term variations in ecosystem functions; - Retrospective analyses of organic and inorganic material to detect past ecosystem changes; - Experimental studies enabling predictions of ecosystem responses to Global Change. The programme is coordinated with Zackenberg Ecological Research Operations (see above) within the Framework of Greenland Ecosystem Monitoring (GEM). Main gaps: Winter dynamics

Monitoring of the sea-level

DMI operates general weather observation for meteorological and climatological services. DMI operates geomagnetic observatories in Greenland DMI monitores stratospheric ozone and UV radiation DMI operatetes ocean monitoring and operational icecharting

Fish stock assessment and fisheries management Cooperation with Greenland Institute of Natural Resources (GNI) on: i) stock assessment and fisheries management, survey planning and evaluation, ii) stock and fish community dynamics under climate change, iii) fish species interactions, iiii) Education of young scientist at GNI. Oceanography and climate change impact on marine ecosystems. Cooperation with GNI, Danish Meteorological Institute (DMI) and Natural Environmental Research Institute (DMU) on: i) physical oceanography and climate forcing, ii) biological oceanography, iii) population genetics. The Internation Polar Year IPY) project ECOGREEN under leadership of DMU. Contribution to biological oceanography, e.g. survey of RV Dana (the research vessel of DTU-AQUA) to West Greenland in 2008 Main gaps: Continuous financial support - funding

NERI is reporting to the Global Runoff Data Centre (GRDC), based at the Bundesanstalt für Gewässerkunde (Federal Institute of Hydrology, BfG) in Koblenz, Germany, and operating under the auspices of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). GTN-R is a GRDC contribution to the Implementation Plan for the Global Observing System for Climate and to GTN-H. Denmark is reporting 14 stations as shown in Table 5

The National Environmental Research Institute has the overall responsibility for surveillance of the Danish waters. Surveillance of fjords and coastal waters is carried our by the regional authorities, while NERI is responsible for mapping the open waters. All of the surveys are part of the Danish nationwide monitoring programme NOVANA All marine NOVANA data (regional and state) are collected annually in the national marine database, MADS, by NERI. For further reading and data see http://mads.dmu.dk . The Danish Institute for Fisheries Research carries out yearly surveys in Danish waters, primarily in the North Sea and the Baltic Sea. Relevant oceanographic parameters are measured and recorded for these areas. Furthermore, DMI is involved in the following projects: • Measurements of water transports across the Greenland-Scotland Ridge • Monitoring of the oceanographic conditions along West Greenland • Monitoring of the oceanographic conditions around the Faroe Islands.

In Denmark an extensive national network of tide gauges are operated jointly by DMI, the Royal Danish Administration for Navigation and Hydrography, local authorities and the Danish Coastal Authority. The network consists of 81 automatic stations. In Greenland a tide gauge station is operated by National Survey and Cadastre (KMS). Data are available from the responsible bodies.

Upper-air temperature Homogenized upper-air temperature analyses: extended MSU-equivalent temperature record, new record for upper-troposphere and lower-stratosphere temperature using data from radio occultation, temperature analyses obtained from reanalyses. Water vapour Total column water vapour over the ocean and over land, tropospheric and lower stratospheric profiles of water vapour. Ozone Profiles and total column of ozone.

The ASAP in its present form began in the mid1980s. The programme objective is to record profile data from the upper air strata in ocean areas using automated sounding systems carried on board merchant ships plying regular ocean routes. Several national meteorological services operate ASAP units and the collected data are made available in real time via GTS. ASAP data are archived alongside other radio sounding data by many national meteorological services. ASAP is an important contribution to both the WWW and GCOS. Today most of the soundings are from the North Atlantic and north-west Pacific, but the programme is expanding to other ocean basins through a new, co-operative World-wide Recurring ASAP Project (WRAP). Denmark operates two ASAP units mounted on ships plying fixed routes from Denmark to Greenland. The European meteorological cooperation EUMETNET started a special E-ASAP programme in December 2000. The programme aims at joint operation of the ASAP programmes under the European meteorological institutes.

Denmark has a network for the collection of sea temperatures at 13 coastal stations around Denmark. The stations are operated by DMI, the Royal Danish Administration for Navigation and Hydrography, the Danish Coastal Authority, and local authorities respectively. Data are available from each of the responsible bodies. Furthermore, sea surface temperatures are monitored using satellites, and DMI prepares daily maps for the North Sea and Baltic Sea areas.