New Arctic observing system moving forward
With an anticipated preparatory phase start date of 1 September 2010, the Svalbard Integrated Arctic Earth Observing System (SIOS) is moving towards a formal launch. SIOS was conceived in 2007 during the International Polar Year. It is designed to be an integral part of the Sustained Arctic Observing Network (SAON), integrating the studies of geophysical, chemical and biological processes. The initiative is part of the roadmap for the European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures (ESFRI). The Research Council of Norway is currently negotiating with the European Commission on a contract for roughly EUR 4 million that will finance the SIOS' preparatory phase. The initiative is planning to involve 27 partners from 15 countries. If everything goes according to plan, the SIOS facilities will be up and running in 2012. A significant activity which will fall under this mandate is the extension and reform of infrastructure so that research can take place from a common base. This includes the establishment of a knowledge centre in Longyearbyen for data assessment, storage and delivery, education and outreach, cooperative efforts, and input to 'Earth system' modelling. SIOS is located in the Svalbard archipelago. Part of Norway, the islands lie half way between the northernmost part of the Norwegian mainland and the North Pole. Their location is within the Arctic Circle, which makes Svalbard a key destination for European researchers and scientists. The islands also host The Svalbard Global Seed Vault. 'The initiative highlights the importance of international cooperation on Arctic research, and it will play a crucial role in Norwegian and international research as well as in the Svalbard community,' says SIOS project director Karin Refsnes. The system facilities are designed to be a major building block of SAON, which was set up after stakeholders realised the need for a well-coordinated and sustained Arctic observation network that met scientific and societal demands. The SIOS project will further develop and complement existing observation systems on Svalbard and the surrounding islands. The systems will be organised into a unified infrastructure that compiles the data from land, sea, ice and the atmosphere collected at four observation platforms.
Countries
Norway