SNOWPACE datasets and data management

During the SNOWPACE project, a collection of procedures, tools, and datasets has been assembled. To enable the full exploitation of the datasets,  field measurement data from the SNOWPACE is in the process of being made available in public repositories, either as part of peer-reviewed publications or by itself in databases.

Data processing tools

In collaboration with FARLAB at University of Bergen, a suite of processing tools for the calibration of liquid water isotope sample measurements (FLIIMP) and for vapour isotope measurements (FaVaCal) have been created and are currently used and tested as beta versions. Both software tools will be made publicly available after completion of quality control of the entire routines.

Data access 

Continuously measured vapour data are in need of easy tools for routine quality control and continuous calibration. Within SNOWPACE, we started the adaption of the QuinCe software, created for continuous pCO2 measurements within ICOS, to enable the live processing and quality control of vapour isotope measurements. 


Examples of QuinCe in use to process water vapour isotope measurements (Source: Steve Jones)

In order to accomodate the various discrete samples from precipitation, snow, ice, runoff and so on, a common data table for metadata collection of such samples has been developed. Scientific datasets are often made available as part of peer-reviewed publication related to a specific field campaign, and on different data servers. It can therefore be challenging to gain a full overview of all water isotope samples available from a given region. Within SNOWPACE, we therefore implemented a harmonized data table with a minimum set of metadata to allow collective storage of liquid water samples from precipitation, surface waters, surface snow, runoff, and sea water. This standard data table will be brought to the attention of the scientific community to facilitate compilation of larger datasets.

Finally, a publicly accessible database server based on ERDDAP has been set  up, hosted by the Bjerknes Centre Data Center and Geophysical Institute, University of Bergen. The ERDDAP server is currently populated with the first datasets, and will mirror SNOWPACE water isotope data and related datasets, irrespective of primary repository location. The ERDDAP server will greatly facilitate the extraction and visualisation of all available discrete samples and vapour isotope samples from SNOWPACE, and other projects.

List of SNOWPACE datasets

  1. IGP MASIN aircraft-based vapour measurements – submitted to CEDA, embargoed until April 2022.
  2. IGP Alliance ship-based vapour and precipitation samples – submitted to CEDA, embargoed until April 2022.
  3. IGP Station vapour measurements and Iceland precipitation samples- submitted to CEDA, embargoed until April 2022.
  4. Bergen precipitation and vapour isotope climatology – in preparation for PANGAEA
  5. Finse 2018/2019 vapour, precipitation, and snow pit samples – in preparation for PANGAEA
  6. Finse 2020 vapour, precipitation, and snow pit samples – in preparation for PANGAEA
  7. CitizenScience snow samples – submitted to BCDC ERDDAP, embargoed until April 2022