Active layer is measured on a welldrained white arctic bell-heather, just north of the Climate station. The site consist of 121 measuring points in a 100m x 100 m grid (11 almost N-S oriented rows each with 11 points). There are 10 m between every point. The grid nodes are numbered from 1-121 (see chart in: GeoBasis_Zack_Soil_properties_ZEROCALM-1_Active_layer.pdf). Active layer is measured manually using a metal rod. The dataset was iniated in 1996. Measurements are started as soon as the one point is free of snow in the grid. Measurements are repeated every week until all grid nodes are snow free, thereafter measurements are repeated every second week until the upper part of the soil starts to freeze. Soil properties:Soil properties GeoBasis Zackenberg:The GeoBasis monitoring programme focuses on selected abiotic characteristics in order to describe the state of Greenlandic terrestrial environments and their potential feedback effects in a changing climate. Monitored plot data is up-scaled to a landscape level and is used to improve ecosystem models to be able to quantify these feedback mechanisms. The GeoBasis programme provides an active response to recommendations in international assessments such as ACIA and SWIPA; and is continuously being adapted based on AMAP and other international founded recommendations. Furthermore, the GeoBasis programme is directly involved in several international networks and research projects (e.g. the Circumpolar Active Layer Monitoring (CALM) programme, the Nordic Centre of Excellence DEFROST, the Danish Centre of Excellence CENPERM, the EU-projects PAGE21 and INTERACT, and the Arctic Research Centre at Aarhus University). The GeoBasis programme is divided into a number of sub-groups, including:
