Abstract:
This dataset consists of long time series of subglacial water pressures, obtained from a pressure sensor installed in a borehole that connected to the basal drainage system of Kongsvegen, Svalbard. The glacier has been in a quiescent state since its last surge circa 1948, and has undergone a gradual acceleration during the last decade. The data series runs from 2018-10-19 to 2024-08-12.
Data acquisition was funded by NERC Urgency Grant NE/R018243/1 REBUS (Resolving Enthalpy Budget to Understand Surges) and RCN Grant 301837 MAMMAMIA (Multi-scale, multi-method assessment of mechanisms for ice acceleration).
Keywords:
Kongsvegen, Svalbard, glacier, water pressure
Schuler, T., Hubbard, B., Porter, P., Luckman, A., Borstad, C., Doyle, S., Miles, K., Kohler, J., & Benn, D. (2025). Subglacial water pressure data series from Kongsvegen, Svalbard, 2018-2024 (Version 1.0) [Data set]. NERC EDS UK Polar Data Centre. https://doi.org/10.5285/e4e8903e-46ff-496f-8a19-29976021e8ad
| Access Constraints: | No restrictions apply. |
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| Use Constraints: | Data supplied under Open Government Licence v3.0 http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/. |
| Creation Date: | 2025-01-17 |
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| Dataset Progress: | Complete |
| Dataset Language: | English |
| ISO Topic Categories: |
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| Parameters: |
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| Personnel: | |
| Name | UK Polar Data Centre |
| Role(s) | Metadata Author |
| Organisation | British Antarctic Survey |
| Name | Thomas Schuler |
| Role(s) | Investigator, Technical Contact |
| Organisation | University of Oslo |
| Name | Bryn Hubbard |
| Role(s) | Investigator |
| Organisation | Aberystwyth University |
| Name | Philip R Porter |
| Role(s) | Investigator |
| Organisation | University of Hertfordshire |
| Name | Adrian Luckman |
| Role(s) | Investigator |
| Organisation | Swansea University |
| Name | Chris Borstad |
| Role(s) | Investigator |
| Organisation | Montana State University |
| Name | Samuel Doyle |
| Role(s) | Investigator |
| Organisation | Aberystwyth University |
| Name | Katie Miles |
| Role(s) | Investigator |
| Organisation | Aberystwyth University |
| Name | Jack Kohler |
| Role(s) | Investigator |
| Organisation | Norwegian Polar Institute |
| Name | Douglas I Benn |
| Role(s) | Investigator |
| Organisation | University of St Andrews |
| Parent Dataset: | N/A |
| Reference: | Doyle, S.H., Hubbard, B., Christoffersen, P., Young, T.J., Hofsteded, C., Bougamont, M., Box, J.E., and Hubbard, A. (2018), Physical conditions of fast glacier flow: 1. Measurements from boreholes drilled to the bed of Store Glacier, West Greenland, Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface, 123, https://doi.org/10.1002/2017JF004529 Miles, K.E., Hubbard, B., Quincey, D.J., Miles, E.S., Sherpa, T.C., Rowan, A.V. and Doyle, S.H. (2018), Polythermal structure of a Himalayan debris-covered glacier revealed by borehole thermometry, Scientific Reports, 8, 16825, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-34327-5 Orwin, J. F., & Smart, C. C. (2005). An inexpensive turbidimeter for monitoring suspended sediment. Geomorphology, 68(1-2), 3-15. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2004.04.007 |
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| Quality: | Detailed methodology of suspended sediment concentration, water pressure and electrical conductivity measurements is given in Doyle et al. (2018). Detailed methodology of thermistor measurements, including accuracy estimation, is given in Miles et al. (2018). Turbidity sensors were calibrated in the laboratory using fine (grain size <63 um) glacial sediment at concentrations from 0 (distilled water) to 6 g l-1. Calibration limitations are detailed in Doyle et al. (2018), but regardless, we expect SSCs between 3 - 20 g l-1 to fall within the full-scale range of the sensors. Water pressure sensors were calibrated by the manufacturer to an accuracy of +/- 0.1 % F.S. corresponding to +/- 5 kPa (+/- 0.5 m head). Electrical conductivity sensors were calibrated in sodium chloride solutions against a laboratory EC probe between 0 - 200 uS cm-1, giving an accuracy of ~5 %. More details are given in Doyle et al. (2018). Thermistors are accurate to 0.4 deg C as supplied. This was improved to +/- 0.05 deg C by calibration in an ice bath. See Doyle et al. (2018) and Miles et al. (2018) for more information. |
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| Lineage/Methodology: | The borehole was created on 1st May 2018 with a hot water drill. At a depth of 334 m, deepening of the borehole halted and the drill stem was gritty when brought back to the surface: it was concluded that a connection was made to the bed at this point. Annual displacement of the borehole top (2021-2024): 42 m/yr, with components N +25 m/yr, E -34 m/yr. |
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| Temporal Coverage: | |
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| Start Date | 2018-10-19 |
| End Date | 2024-08-12 |
| Spatial Coverage: | |
| Latitude | |
| Southernmost | 78.78416 |
| Northernmost | 78.78416 |
| Longitude | |
| Westernmost | 13.12001 |
| Easternmost | 13.12001 |
| Altitude | |
| Min Altitude | N/A |
| Max Altitude | N/A |
| Depth | |
| Min Depth | N/A |
| Max Depth | N/A |
| Location: | |
| Location | Arctic |
| Detailed Location | Kongsvegen Glacier, Svalbard |
| Sensor(s): |
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| Data Collection: | Temperature was measured using Honeywell UNI-curve 192-502-LET-AOI negative temperature coefficient thermistors. Electrical conductivity was measured by inverting the resistance measured across two brass-rod electrodes (5 mm diameter, ~11 mm long, 11 mm separation). AC excitation voltage was used to cancel polarisation. Suspended sediment concentration was measured using turbidity sensors based on a photo diode to measure the backscatter of infrared light emitted by an infrared light-emitting diode. Based on that of Orwin & Smart (2005). Water pressure was measured using a GEOKON 4500SH (range 5 MPa), vibrating wire piezometer, connected to a Campbell Scientific CR1000 datalogger via a CS AVW200 vibrating-wire interface. |
| Distribution: | |
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| Distribution Media | Online Internet (HTTP) |
| Distribution Size | N/A |
| Distribution Format | ASCII |
| Fees | N/A |
| Data Storage: | The dataset comprises one CSV file. The data columns are as follows: time - clock time of each record temperature (Cel) - temperature of thermistor in pressure sensor pressure (MPa) - pressure conductivity (uS/cm) - conductivity ssc (g/l) - suspended sediment concentration |