Date (Creation)

2025-02-05

Date (Revision)

2025-02-05

Date (Publication)

2025-02-05

Date (released)

2025-02-05

Edition

1.0

Unique resource identifier

https://doi.org/10.5285/085043be-4f39-4529-83a7-95173ff5a376

Codespace

doi

Unique resource identifier

GB/NERC/BAS/PDC/02009

Codespace

https://data.bas.ac.uk/

Other citation details

Please cite this item as: Convey, P., Newsham, K., Geissler, P., Jobson, M., & Fox, D. (2025). Microclimate data from The Backslope behind Signy Island research station, South Orkney Islands, Antarctic 2017-2024 (Version 1.0) [Data set]. NERC EDS UK Polar Data Centre. https://doi.org/10.5285/085043be-4f39-4529-83a7-95173ff5a376

Credit

No credit.

Status

Completed

Point of contact

Organisation name	Individual name	Electronic mail address	Role
British Antarctic Survey	Convey, Peter		Author
British Antarctic Survey	Newsham, Kevin		Author
British Antarctic Survey	Geissler, Paul		Author
British Antarctic Survey	Jobson, Matt		Author
The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds	Fox, Derren		Author
NERC EDS UK Polar Data Centre		PDCServiceDesk@bas.ac.uk	Point of contact

Maintenance and update frequency

As needed

Maintenance note

Completed

Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Science Keywords

• EARTH SCIENCE > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Temperature > Air Temperature
• EARTH SCIENCE > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Temperature > Surface Air Temperature
• EARTH SCIENCE > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Temperature > Temperature Profiles
• EARTH SCIENCE > Land Surface > Frozen Ground > Soil Temperature
• EARTH SCIENCE > Land Surface > Land Temperature > Land Surface Temperature
• EARTH SCIENCE > Land Surface > Soils > Soil Moisture/Water Content

Theme

• humidity

• loggers

• microclimate

• micrometeorological

• temperature

Place

• The Backslope, Signy Island Antarctica

GEMET - INSPIRE themes, version 1.0

• Atmospheric conditions
• Land cover

Access constraints

Other restrictions

Other constraints

no limitations to public access

Access constraints

Other restrictions

Other constraints

no limitations

Use constraints

License

Other constraints

Open Government Licence v3.0

Use constraints

Other restrictions

Other constraints

This data is governed by the NERC Data Policy: https://www.ukri.org/who-we-are/nerc/our-policies-and-standards/nerc-data-policy/

Use constraints

Other restrictions

Other constraints

This data is governed by the NERC data policy and supplied under Open Government Licence v.3

Use constraints

Other restrictions

Other constraints

There are no access constraints.

Unique resource identifier

url

Codespace

url

Association Type

Cross reference

Spatial representation type

Text, table

Language

English

Character set

UTF8

Topic category

• Biota
• Climatology, meteorology, atmosphere

Begin date

2017-06-15

End date

2023-11-30

Supplemental Information

It is recommended that careful attention be paid to the contents of any data, and that the author be contacted with any questions regarding appropriate use. If you find any errors or omissions, please report them to polardatacentre@bas.ac.uk.

Title

European Petroleum Survey Group (EPSG) Geodetic Parameter Registry

Date (Publication)

2008-11-12

Cited responsible party

Organisation name	Individual name	Electronic mail address	Role
European Petroleum Survey Group		EPSGadministrator@iogp.org	Publisher

Unique resource identifier

urn:ogc:def:crs:EPSG::3031

Version

6.18.3

Hierarchy level

Dataset

Statement

Methodology:

Microclimate data was recorded from The Backslope behind Signy Island research station, operated by the British Antarctic Survey, on the South Orkney Islands, Antarctica. Data were automatically recorded for 15 climatic variables on an hourly basis. Variables measured were the following:

Mean air temperature [degrees Celsius]

Mean relative humidity [percentage]

Air pressure [mbar]

Wind speed [m/s]

Wind direction [degrees, N=0 degrees true]

Mean quantum photosynthetically active radiation (QPAR): quantum flux [m-2 s-1 nm-1]

Air temperature ~2.5 cm above ground surface [degrees Celsius] [Logger no. 1]

Mean soil temperature at ~ 0.5cm below surface [degrees Celsius] [Logger no. 2]

Mean soil temperature at ~ 3.5cm below surface [degrees Celsius] [Logger no. 3]

Mean soil temperature at ~ 6.5cm below surface [degrees Celsius] [Logger no. 4]

Mean water content [uSec] just below ground surface

Mean water content [uSec] just below ground surface

Mean water content [uSec] just below ground surface

Mean water content [uSec] just below ground surface

Mean logarithmic temperature [degrees Celsius]

Data collection:

Logger make: Campbell CR1000M

Variables: wind direction. Sensor: Vector W200P. Sensor serial no.: 61719/CV19

Variables: temperature (all depths). Sensor: Campbell 107. Serial no.: JCSL 047394 x4

Variable: soil moisture. Sensor: Campbell CS616. Serial no.: 13932-225 x 4

Variable: relative humidity. Sensor: Campbell CS215. Serial no.: JCSL 047394 x4.

Variable: photosynthetically active radiation. Sensor: Skye SKP215. Serial no.: 47395.

Variable: wind speed. Sensor: A100R. Serial no.: 13140/FHYN

Variable: air pressure. Sensor: Setra 278. Serial no.: 6881397

Please reach out to the Polar Data Centre at PDCServiceDesk@bas.ac.uk if in need of a copy of the Campbell manual.

Data quality:

Due to frost heave, Logger no. 1 has shifted to 2.5cm above the surface of the ground and is thus measuring air temperature. Each subsequent logger is approximately 3 cm below the previous logger, at 0.5, 3.5 and 6.5cm below the surface, respectively. The exact locations of sensors within the soil does change over time due to environmental conditions, so depths recorded are a guide.

Quality control was carried on the data. Specifically, we checked the data for outliers on variables which we concluded followed a normal distribution. A z-score calculation was carried out using the following equation:

abs(x_i - mean(x_month)) / stddev(x_month)

where we took the absolute value of the variable [x_i], then subtracted x_i by the mean of x_i values measured in that month [x_month] (using the DATE column), and then divided over the standard deviation of x_i values measured in that same month [stdev_x_month]. Using values only within the same month was to constrain the calculation to a range of values subject to seasonal variation, that would otherwise yield results that could include, for example, temperatures expected during the summer as well as the winter.

These values were then categorised into three groups: z-scores under 3, between 3-6, and above 6. An additional column was then created alongside each parameter denoting whether the z-score for that value was under 3 (denoted as '1'), between 3 and 6 (denoted as '2'), or above 6 (denoted as '3'). This is to give users the option to filter values in the data that have been flagged as potential outliers based on the z-score calculation above. Z scores were removed for air pressure and wind direction, as these had no z-score groupings besides 1.

Due to the harsh conditions on Signy, data has not been recorded continually across the period. Missing values, where data was not recorded, are included in the dataset.

For columns 'wind speed' and 'wind direction', values of 0 may indicate that the sensor was frozen.

Data have been formatted to 3 decimal places.

Metadata

File identifier

085043be-4f39-4529-83a7-95173ff5a376 XML

Metadata language

English

Character set

UTF8

Hierarchy level

Dataset

Hierarchy level name

dataset

Date stamp

2025-02-05

Metadata standard name

ISO 19115 Geographic Information - Metadata

Metadata standard version

ISO 19115:2003(E)

Metadata author

Organisation name	Individual name	Electronic mail address	Role
NERC EDS UK Polar Data Centre		polardatacentre@bas.ac.uk	Point of contact