Lapland (Finland)

At Pallas, researchers are studying northern ecohydrology through the lens of a comprehensive northern stable water isotope monitoring program. Their mission is to get a detailed overview of the full Arctic water cycle, from oceans to rainfall and the subsequent partitioning between vegetation, groundwater and headwater streams, by using stable isotopes of water (2H, 18O). For CryoSCOPE, they are building upon an extensive existing snow stable water isotope monitoring program to measure spatial and temporal variability in the isotopic composition of snowpack and snowmelt. This is complemented by conventional survey parameters, including precipitation, stream water, soil water, and groundwater. 

Building on isotope hydrology monitoring, the mission in CryoSCOPE is to develop tracer-aided numerical modelling approaches to simulate the hydrological partitioning in the subarctic conditions. The site has multiple completed and ongoing modelling projects that have laid the foundation for model-based analysis of the region’s hydrology. The researchers propose that numerical modelling based on extensive and long-term biogeochemistry and hydrometric datasets is the best available tool for data integration across the collaborative disciplines in hydrology, ecology, and atmospheric sciences.   

The site is also known for the interdisciplinary environmental research carried out by Finnish national research institutes in the Pallas region. Pallas comprises one of the most important climate and ecosystem research stations in the circumpolar region. The area’s extremely high-quality atmospheric water and greenhouse gas (GHG) measurements—four eddy-covariance flux stations within 10 km² and a high-precision atmospheric concentration measurement station, both operated by the Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI)—complement hydrological research activities.