Denmark/Greenland/Faroe Islands: projects/activities

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

to monitor the mass balance of A. P. Olsen Ice Cap (74.6° N, 21.5° W) and its outlet glacier discharging into the Zackenberg River drainage basin using in-situ observations with automatic weather stations (AWS), ablation stakes, ground penetrating radar (GPR) and satellite remote sensing data, combined with surface mass balance modelling. Network type: research project including in-situ monitoring, ground penetrating radar, remote sensing and modelling

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

Not specified

Main gaps: 1. We need funding for winter measurements allowing us to study ecosystem dynamics outside the growing season. Recent research has demonstrated that important components of ecosystem dynamics occur after the growing season (e.g. Post et al. 2009: Science 325, 1355-1358; Mastepanov et al. 2008: Nature 456, 628-630.). 2. We need funding for increased circum-arctic cooperation between monitoring sites to facilitate comparative studies of ecosystem dynamics in different compartments of the Arctic.

Monitoring and modelling of a glaciated terrestrial ecosystem and land ocean fluxes to the adjacent fjord system. Main gaps: - Basic funding for long-term monitoring - Basic funding for data and data base handling A few short gaps due to sensor failures

As with several other data types, lake level data are recorded by both local authorities as well as at national level. NERI is operating a database, from which data from lakes may be available upon request.

The GTN-H is a joint effort of the World Meteorological Organization / Climate and Water Department (WMO/CLW), the GCOS, and the Global Terrestrial Observing System (GTOS12), co-sponsored by WMO, UNESCO, ICSU, UNEP and FAO. GTN-H represents the observational arm of the Group on Earth Observations / Integrated Global Water Cycle Observations Theme (GEO/IGWCO). The following hydrological variables have been identified as essential for the GTN-H13 network: Precipitation, river discharge, groundwater, water vapour, lake level/ area, isotopic composition, soil moisture, water use, snow cover, glaciers and ice caps, evapotranspiration, water quality/ biogeochemical fluxes. For most of the variables a global network is defined and a contact established. The Global Precipitation Climate Centre (GPCC) based at German Meteorological Institute/Deutsche Wetterdienst (DWD) and operating under the auspices of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), as well as 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), are both parts of the GTN-H Panel and represent their respective networks on precipitation and river discharge. DMI contributes to GPCC with precipitation data, and NERI is reporting to GRDC under GTN-R (see paragraph 4.3).

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.

DMI runs radio sounding stations at the following six locations: Tórshavn (the Faroe Islands), Danmarkshavn, Illoqqortoormiit, Tasiilaq, Narsarsuaq and Aasiaat (Greenland). Two soundings are made every day at these stations. A monthly summary (CLIMAT TEMP) from all stations is prepared and transmitted routinely on the GTS.

For national purposes, more data concerning precipitation is needed than can be provided from the overall surface climatological and meteorological network described above. In Denmark the precipitation observation network consists of approximately 350 stations. Roughly 100 of these provide data on precipitation intensity on an ongoing basis. They are jointly operated by DMI and The Water Pollution Committee of the Society of Danish Engineers (Spildevandskomitéen - SVK). The remaining 250 stations collect daily values of precipitation, and data from these are electronically transmitted to DMI on a daily basis. On the Faroe Islands a network of 7 precipitation station observe daily precipitation. Information on precipitation can also be obtained from weather radar data. In Denmark, DMI runs a network of four weather radars which provides 100% coverage of Danish land areas and coastal marine areas. The network s geographical coverage is unsurpassed, and hence provides detailed information about precipitation on national and local scales. By calibrating radar data against point measurements of precipitation the latest scientific results show a high absolute accuracy.

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.

Over the years, DMI has established a number of very long climatological series with differing periods of information representing Denmark, Greenland and the Faroe Islands. The long daily time series include: precipitation, temperature, atmospheric pressure and cloud cover for a number of Danish locations as well as precipitation and temperatures for two Greenland Stations 1874-2007 The long monthly time series include: temperatures, precipitation, atmospheric pressure, cloud cover and snow for stations in Denmark, Greenland and on the Faroe Islands The long annual time series include: temperature for a number of stations in Denmark, Greenland and on the Faroe Islands (1873-2007), as well as temperatures, precipitation, hours of sunshine and cloud cover given as national averages for Denmark All the above mentioned datasets are freely available through the annual updates of DMI Technical Reports at www.dmi.dk

DMI is responsible for the systematic surveillance of sea ice conditions in the Greenland waters. Observations concerning ice conditions have been collected for approximately 125 years and an extensive volume of data is available in a graphic format as monthly summaries, ice maps etc. Since 1959 special emphasis has been on the waters south of Cape Farewell (the southern tip of Greenland) in order to improve navigation safety in what is an important navigation area. Ice maps containing detailed information on the relevant ice conditions are prepared several times a week. The most recent maps are available in vector graphic format. Since 2000 weekly summaries of the ice conditions for all Greenland waters have been prepared. These summaries, which are based on satellite data, are generated semi-automatically and are primarily intended for climatological analyses as the energy radiation from the sea is highly dependent on whether it is covered with ice or not.