NOAA approach to a new climatological observatory in Tiksi,
Russia
Taneil Uttal1 , Irina Petropavlovskikh1, Sam Oltmans1, Simon Stephenson2,
and John Calder3
1
NOAA/ESRL, Boulder, Colorado, USA
NSF Office of Polar Programs, Arlington, Virginia, USA
3
NOAA/OAR, Climate Program Office, Washington,D.C., USA
Correspondence author e-mail: Taneil.Uttal@noaa.gov
2
Tiksi, Russia has been recognized as a key location in the Siberian Arctic that would be
an ideal location for a permanent, intensive, climate observatory (Uttal, et al. 2007). The
location would bridge a significant gap in the existing network of atmospheric
measurements in the Arctic (Figure 1). More specific scientific motivations for choosing
the Tiksi site have been described in a separate document entitled “Proposal for a Joint
U.S. - Russian Atmospheric Climate Observatory”. Rational for establishing the intensive
atmospheric observations in Tiksi, Russia is driven by the question on HOW the climate
is changing. In order to answer this question a long term monitoring program needs to
be established. NOAA collaborates with multiple international programs such as GAW,
NDACC, etc. These programs have well established requirements for the quality control
of the measurements. After the QA/QC procedures are established, the site can serve
as a “truth” for the satellite validation. However, the climate monitoring program also
needs to have emphasis on WHY the climate is changing. In order to fulfill this task the
process studies are required. The model support to the data collection has to be
established. The full monitoring site can also address the fast response issues to the
NOW issues that are defined as sudden events.
NOAA approach to the development of the climate monitoring station in Tiksi has been
an active partnership between the National Science Foundation, Roshydromet, NOAA,
Finnish Meteorological Institute, the Polar Foundation, and VECO Polar. NOAA
responsibilities lay with provision of the instruments and other support to Tiksi
Observatory. Otherwise, NOAA will look to Roshydromet to determine priorities and
schedules. Tiksi is an integral component of the International Arctic Systems for
Observing the Atmosphere (IASOA) network (see Figure1, and the LASOA web site at
fttp://www.iasoa.org, and contact Lisa.Darby@noaa.gov for further inquiries).
Existing components of the Tiksi stations are comprised of the NSF infrastructure
contributions, NOAA project coordination and long-term design, and NSF funding of
science projects. The Saha Republic (Russia) government provides support for the road
and power improvements at the Tiksi station. Roshydromet is responsible for the
weather station upgrades and met-observation programs. NOAA, NASA and FMI are
also strongly engaged in the Tiksi observation programs.
The most recent Tiksi station upgrades include a new weather station building. It has
been completed and is currently available for installation of instruments. A Clean Air
Facility (CAF) is in the process of construction. It will be suitable for aerosol, chemistry,
pollutant, greenhouse gas, fluxes and radiation measurements. It is expected to be
completed by the end of the summer of 2008. The real-time continuous measurements
of surface ozone at the Tiksi station have recently been implemented since Spring of
2008. Black carbon samples from snow were recently collected in the vicinity of Tiksi
station by FMI scientists. Flasks for carbon cycle gas measurements for the new Tiksi
station are awaiting shipping from Boulder, CO. Moreover, the CH4 and CO2
measurements, similar to those planned for Cherskii station in Russia, are in the
planning stages for Tiksi. These upgrades are a result of a partnership between the
U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF), the Russian Federal Service for
Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring (Roshydromet), the National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI).
In addition to the Tiksi station, Cherskii station in Russia is expected to undergo several
upgrades. The University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) and the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) are collaborating on measurements of CO 2 and CH4
from 3 levels on a tower. The CH4 measurements will be combined with new modeling
methods developed at NOAA to infer regional-scale CH4 fluxes. These estimates will
complement CH4 fluxes determined by UAF using a flux gradient method. Installation of
instruments is scheduled for summer 2008. This work is timely and important due to the
large carbon stores, mostly CH4 that could be released in response to climate change.
Current instrumentation planned for Tiksi stations includes Ozone meter (already
installed in Tiksi, see Figure 2), black carbon sampler (ready to ship), USCRN (ready to
ship with 2 months notice). In addition the carbon cycle gas sampler is planned for the
station, but the issues with sample shipping have to be resolved before the installation.
Black Carbon samples were collected in snow by FMI team that was on site in April,
2008. Atmospheric Radiation sensors are partially purchased, while Micrometeorology
Flux sensors and aerosol sensors are not yet purchased. There is a possibility for the
UV sensors to be purchased through the NSF contribution. The FMI contribution is in the
supplies of the methane samplers.
References
Calder, J., 2004: Persistent Organic Pollutants in the Arctic: Are persistent organic
pollutants a threat to Arctic marine mammals? Extracted from Arctic Pollution Issues: A
State of the Arctic Environment Report (Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Report),
available at NOAA Arctic Theme Page (http://www.arctic.noaa.gov/essay_calder.html).
Uttal T. et al., 2006: “Implementation Plan for Weather Station Upgrade and Development
of International Climate Observatory at Tiksi, Russia”, NOAA/ESRL Boulder, Colorado,
USA, January 24, 2006.
Stone B., et al., “Proposal for a Joint U.S. - Russian Atmospheric Climate Observatory”,
2005.
Figure legends
Figure 1. The schematic of the International Arctic Systems for Observing the
Atmosphere (IASOA) network.
Figure 2. Ozone surface detector (contact is S. Oltmans and NOAA/ESRL, Boulder, CO)
and picture of the room in the hydrometeorology observatory building in Tiksi, Russia
showing the installed and active Ozone Sampler instrument.
Figure 1. The schematic of the International Arctic Systems for Observing the
Atmosphere (IASOA) network.
Figure 2. Ozone surface detector (contact is S. Oltmans and NOAA/ESRL, Boulder, CO)
and picture of the room in the hydrometeorology observatory building in Tiksi, Russia
showing the installed and active Ozone Sampler instrument.