The importance of putting data from a research station into a larger context cannot be emphasized enough. The Abisko Scientific Research Station does this through SITES but also through other networks such as Integrated Carbon Observation System (ICOS). An intensely studied field site for both SITES and ICOS Sweden in the Abisko area is Stordalen. Stordalen mire, located on the 0°C isotherm with sporadic permafrost, has long history of ecosystem research. The ICOS Abisko-Stordalen site has just been awarded “Best ICOS Ecosystem Station Award 2026” based on the (meta) data quality and responsiveness.
SITES and ICOS Sweden, along with ACTRIS Sweden, have a strategic plan for enhanced cooperation. One goal is to improve data coordination, with ongoing work aimed to make it easier for users to find data from a co-located location, such as Stordalen, by making openly available metadata from each research infrastructure linked, e.g. SITES Stordalen data and ICOS Abisko-Stordalen data.
Stordalen in winter (Photo: Ola Eriksson).