Temporary Atmospheric Weather Observatory

Location:  Summit Station, Greenland

Size:  240 sf

Description: Constructed near the Mobile Science Facility on Summit Station, the Temporary Atmospheric Weather Observatory was built to endure the harsh arctic climate of the Greenland Ice Sheet.  At North 72º, West 38º it’s remote geographical local makes for a highly desired site for NOAA and others of the global science community.  As an employee of Polar Field Services, the National Science Foundation’s Arctic logistics contractor, I was the lead of a small crew that built this structure and associated nearby tower.  Accumulating 1 meter of snow annually, the structure is periodically lifted using a hydraulic jack system.  Further, the sensitive instruments inside the building (which was relocated from another site and added on to), meant the building components couldn’t contain phemaldehydes or aerosols commonly found in most building materials.  Metal stressed skin panels, low-e windows, and tightly insulated penetrations comprise the predominantly steel structure.  Construction took just two months.