GMD Site Description: ZEP
Ny-Alesund, Svalbard, Norway and Sweden [ZEP]

Location

  • Country: Norway and Sweden Country Flag
  • Latitude: 78.9000° North
  • Longitude: 11.8800° East
  • Elevation: 475.00 masl
  • Time Zone: Local Time + -1 hour(s) = UTC

Data

Cooperating Agencies

  • Zeppelin Station/University of Stockholm Meteorological Institute

Description
Ny-Ålesund in the European Arctic is one of the world's northernmost human settlements. It is situated on Kongsfjorden - the King's fjord - on north-western Spitsbergen, which is the largest of the Svalbard islands. The town lies surrounded by mountains and glaciers, which at several places stretch well out into the sea. Large areas of Svalbard (about 60 %) are covered with glaciers. Svalbard with an area of 62049 km2 is very sparsely populated. The about 3200 inhabitants are living in one of the five small settlements on Spitsbergen. The Norwegian town Ny-Ålesund is permanently maintained by about 30 people and additional approx. 150 scientists during summer peak season. The global GAW station Zeppelin Mountain (coordinates: 78°54'29" N, 11°52'53" E) near Ny-Ålesund lies south of the town. The monitoring station was built in 1988/89 on a small plateau 473 m.a.s.l, easterly of the near top of the Zeppelin Mountain. The station is easily accessed by cable car. A new and larger station was built in 1999/2000. Several identical air inlets and some meteorological equipment are mounted on the top of the roof. Before the the first station at Zeppelin Mountain was built NILU had operated a measuring site for many years in Ny-Ålesund close to the community in the so-called "Gruvebadet" (Minor's Bath). But the measuring site on the valley floor, at the foot of the Zeppelin Mountain, was influenced by local pollution of Ny-Ålesund, particularly during low wind and inversion conditions.

GMD Projects at Ny-Alesund, Svalbard

Carbon Cycle Surface Flasks

Parameter Formula First Sample Date Most Recent Sample Date
Carbon Dioxide CO2 1994-02-11 Ongoing
Methane CH4 1994-02-11 Ongoing
Carbon Monoxide CO 1994-02-11 Ongoing
Molecular Hydrogen H2 1994-02-11 Ongoing
Nitrous Oxide N2O 1997-03-21 Ongoing
Sulfur Hexafluoride SF6 1997-03-21 Ongoing
Carbon-13/Carbon-12 in Carbon Dioxide d13C (CO2) 1994-02-11 Ongoing
Oxygen-18/Oxygen-16 in Carbon Dioxide d18O (CO2) 1994-02-11 Ongoing
Carbon-13/Carbon-12 in Methane d13C (CH4) 2008-05-01 Ongoing
D/H in Methane dD (CH4) 2008-05-22 Ongoing
Methyl Chloride CH3Cl 2005-10-20 Ongoing
Benzene C6H6 2007-01-05 Ongoing
toluene C7H8 2007-01-05 Ongoing
ethane C2H6 2005-10-20 Ongoing
ethene C2H4 2005-10-20 Ongoing
propane C3H8 2005-10-20 Ongoing
propene C3H6 2005-10-20 Ongoing
i-butane i-C4H10 2005-10-20 Ongoing
n-butane n-C4H10 2005-10-20 Ongoing
i-pentane i-C5H12 2005-10-20 Ongoing
n-pentane n-C5H12 2005-10-20 Ongoing
n-hexane n-C6H14 2005-10-20 Ongoing
wind speed 1994-02-11 Ongoing
wind direction 1994-02-11 Ongoing
ambient temperature 2004-07-22 2004-08-18
isoprene C5H8 2007-01-05 Ongoing