DMI long-term instrumental data series from Greenland

FreshNor Workshop SHMI 18-19 October 2007

John Cappelen

1870 1880 1890 1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010

År

-8

-7

-6

-5

-4

-3

-2

-1

0

1

2

Nuuk årsmiddeltemperatur 1873-2006°C

If we want to know, if we change the climate, then we must know, to which

extend it changes by itself.

That it one of the reasons for the great value of the old climate data.

From 1856 there are reliable global

observations.

What about Greenland?

The foundation of The Danish Meteorological Institute in 1872 marked the beginning of the official instrumental meteorological series i Greenland.

From 1873-1983 yearbooks have been produced with varying contents and size.

From app. 1958 digitised observations exist in the climate databases at DMI.

Observer Guldager by his instruments. Jacobshavn 1923

Before 1873?

1760’s marked the beginning of systematic observations in Greenland….

From 1784 a composite SW Greenland temperature series is processed….not least because of H.H. Lamb.

Composed of series from Qaqortoq, Nuuk and Ilulissat.

Source: Vinther, B. M., K. K. Andersen, P. D. Jones, K. R. Briffa and J. Cappelen (2006): Extending Greenland Temperature Records into the late 18th Century. J. Geophys. Res. 111, D11105, doi:10.1029/2005JD006810, 2006

Link: http://www.cru.uea.ac.uk/cru/data/greenland/

Back to the time after 1872…

Continuously updated series of annually temperatures from 1873 from seven localitions.

The series have been quality checked the best way possible including the processing of NACD - North Atlantic Climatological Dataset 1890-1990.

Source: John Cappelen (2007):DMI Annual Climate Data Collection 1873-2006, Denmark, The Faroe Islands and Greenland - with graphics and danish summary. DMI Technical Report 07-05.

Link: http://www.dmi.dk/dmi/tr07-05.pdfhttp://www.dmi.dk/dmi/tr07-05_data.ziphttp://www.dmi.dk/dmi/tr07-05_grafik.zip

1870 1880 1890 1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010

År

-12

-10

-8

-6

-4

-2

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

°C

Årsmiddeltemperatur 1873-2006Stationer fra Danmark, Færøerne og Vestgrønland

København

Tórshavn

Narsarsuaq

Pituffik

Nuuk

Upernavik

Illulissat

1870 1880 1890 1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010

År

-12

-10

-8

-6

-4

-2

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

°C

Årsmiddeltemperatur 1873-2006Stationer fra Danmark, Færøerne og Østgrønland

København

Tórshavn

Danmarkshavn

Tasiilaq

Long-term monthly series from 1873

Continuously updated….

Source: John Cappelen et al. (2007):DMI monthly Climate Data Collection 1768-2006, Denmark, The Faroe Islands and Greenland. DMI Technical Report No. 07-06.

Link: http://www.dmi.dk/dmi/tr07-06.pdfhttp://www.dmi.dk/dmi/tr07-06.zip

Upernavik 042115)

Ilulissat 042216)

Nuuk 04250

Ivittuut/Narsarsuaq 042707)

Danmarkshavn 04320

Illoqqortoormiut 043398)

Tasiilaq 04360

Mean temperature

Mean of daily maximum temperature

Highest temperature

Mean of daily minimum temperature

Lowest temperature

Mean atmospheric pressure

Hours of bright sunshine (Star level)

Accumulated precipitation

Highest 24-hour precipitation

No. of days with snow cover (> 50 % covered)

Mean cloud cover

Long-term daily series from 1873

Continuously updated….

Source: John Cappelen et al. (2007):DMI Daily Climate Data Collection 1873-2006, Denmark, The Faroe Islands and Greenland - including Air Pressure Observations 1874-2006 (WASA Data Sets).DMI Technical Report No. 07-07.

Link: http://www.dmi.dk/dmi/tr07-07.pdfhttp://www.dmi.dk/dmi/tr07-07_data.zip

+ observations of atmospheric air pressure (msl)(WASA data sets)Tasiilaq

Max. og min. temperaturesPrecipitationTasiilaq and Ilulissat

The Climate of Greenland

Monthly time series 1958-1999 and Climatological Standard Normals 1961-90

Source: John Cappelen et al.(2000):The Observed Climate of Greenland, 1958-99 - with Climatological Standard Normals, 1961-90. DMI Technical Report No. 00-18.

Link: http://www.dmi.dk/dmi/tr00-18.pdfhttp://www.dmi.dk/dmi/tr00-18-data_files.ziphttp://www.dmi.dk/dmi/tr00-18-wind_roses.zip

•A large number of stations•Many parameters•Descriptions of the Climate in text

A guide to DMI climate data exist…

Source: John Cappelen, Claus Kern-Hansen and Kim Sarup:Guide to Climate Data and Information from the Danish Meteorological Institute – updated September 2007.DMI Technical Report No. 07-10.

Link: http://www.dmi.dk/dmi/tr07-10.pdf

Besides data open to the public data and services are available for money.

DMI provides free (besides delivery costs) and unrestricted access to meteorological data and products for educational and research purposes, if some conditions are met.

The End – Thank you for your attention

Thermometer og raingauge arrangement July 1923 in Jacobshavn, Greenland