Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS) Automatic Weather Station (AWS)

PI Institute/Department Email
Ahlstrøm, Andreas P
Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland
Award#(s)
GEUSAWS
Funding Agency
DK\Research/Higher Ed\GEUS
Program Manager Funding Agency Email
Crain, Ms. Renee
NSF, Office of Polar Programs
Discipline(s)
Cryosphere; Meteorology and Climate
Science Summary

This project is a continuation of the Greenland Climate Network (GC-Net), a system of 16 AWS sites that were established in 1995 as part of a National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) climate research program. The GC-Net AWS sites support climate monitoring, satellite data validation, and climate modeling of the Greenland ice sheet. Each GC-Net AWS is equipped with instruments measuring air temperature, wind speed, wind direction, humidity, pressure, surface radiation balance in visible and infrared wavelengths; sensible and latent heat fluxes; snowpack conductive heat flux, and snow accumulation rate at sufficient temporal resolution to resolve individual storms. The GC-Net AWS sites were previously maintained by Dr. Konrad Steffen at the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES). Responsibility for operation and maintenance of the network was transferred to GEUS in 2021.

Logistics Summary

From 2021 to 2025, GEUS visits to Summit Station were planned to service or replace the GC-Net AWS near Summit Station. These visits were each cancelled at the request of the science team. 

In 2026, the research team will make a day trip to Summit Station in June to service the GC-Net AWS installed approximately 1.5 km west of Summit Station, along the ICESat approach route. The research team will arrive at Summit Station via a Twin Otter, service the AWS, refuel the aircraft at Summit, and depart the same day. 

Battelle ARO will provide mechanic labor and aviation fuel to support refueling of a Twin Otter aircraft at Summit Station. All other logistics will be organized and paid for by the project.

Season Field Site Date In Date Out #People
2021
Greenland - Summit
4
2026
Greenland - Summit
4