Climatic Research Unit : Data

SW Greenland temperature data

Vinther, B. M., K. K. Andersen, P. D. Jones, K. R. Briffa and J. Cappelen, Extending Greenland Temperature Records into the late 18th Century, doi:10.1029/2005JD006810, J. Geophys. Res., 111, D11105. FULL TEXT

Abstract

At present, continuous instrumental temperature records for Greenland reach back to the late 19th century at a few sites. Combining early observational records from locations along the south and west coasts it has been possible to extend the overall record back to the year 1784. The new extended Greenland temperature record is 9% incomplete. There are however sufficient new data (an additional 74 complete winters and 52 complete summers) to provide a valuable indication of late 18th century and 19th century seasonal trends. Comparison of the previously published records with additional observational series digitized from Danish Meteorological Institute Yearbooks, have also revealed inhomogeneities in some of the existing 20th century temperature records. These problems have been eliminated in the new extended Greenland temperature record.

A long homogeneous west Greenland instrumental temperature record is of great value for the interpretation of the growing number of Greenland ice core records. A first comparison of the new record with highly resolved Greenland ice core data is presented. Correlations between west Greenland winter temperatures and the ice core winter season proxy are found to be r=0.67 and r=0.60 for the periods 1785-1872 and 1873-1970 respectively.

Data files

Qaqortoq monthly temperatures infilled with regressed values based on observations from 4 sites (Ivittuut, Nanortalik, Narsarsuaq and Paamiut) situated along the south coast of Greenland
Nuuk monthly temperatures infilled with regressed values based on observations from 2 sites (Qornoq and Sisimiut) situated along the west coast of Greenland
Ilulissat monthly temperatures infilled with regressed values based on observations from 4 sites (Aasiaat, Qeqertarsuaq, Upernavik and Uummannaq) situated along the west coast of Greenland.
Merged Greenland monthly temperatures based on infilled temperature series from Ilulissat, Nuuk and Qaqortoq situated along the south and west coasts of Greenland

See also Technical Report 14-06: SW Greenland temperature data 1784-2013 which provides updated series for the sites to the end of 2013.

Last updated: July 2014, Bo Vinther, Phil Jones & Colin Harpham

These datasets are made available under the Open Database License.

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Please use the attribution Climatic Research Unit, University of East Anglia