Arctic Mountain Meteorology at the Sornfelli Mountain in Year 2000 in the Faroe Islands

Surrounded by the North Atlantic Drift the terrestrial environment of Faroe Islands is an ideal place to study climatic changes caused by oscillations in the North Atlantic Drift. The high relief of the Faroes enables the study of the altitudinal climate gradient. Close to sea level the climate is cool temperate or subarctic, grading into a low arctic climate around 200 m asl. To initiate collection of data representing the mountain meteorology the first meteorological station above 300 m asl was established at the Sornfelli mountain measuring at 722 m asl in 1999. The Somfelli meteorological station is based on innovative technology with the instruments only periodically exposed from a heated cylinder, protecting them from strong winds and icing conditions. The station is operated automatically with modem access. The Sornfelli meteorological station has proved successfull achieving 95% data coverage in 2000. Mean annual air temperature (MAAT) in 2000 at Sornfelli was 1.71°C. Mean annual wind speed was 6.5 m/s. Dominating wind directions were from southwest, southeast and north. The annual mean lapse rate between Sornfelliand the coast was -0.0077°C/m.