Testing the homogeneity of climate series of surface air temperature in Barentsburg (Svalbard)

Observations on surface air temperature in the Barentsburg (Svalbard) are one of the longest on the Svalbard. They started in 1932 (with a break between 1941 and 1947). In this study, we checked the homogeneity of this series, because the measurement site of Barentsburg meteorological station was relocated twice (in 1978 and 1984). The station relocation might be a cause of inhomogeneities in temperature data sets. During the 2nd measurement series (June 1978 – January 1984) microclimatic features were revealed, caused by the closer position of the measurement site to the fjord and its lower altitude than the former site had. However, the inhomogeneities on the boundaries of this period were not found by several statistical tests. Therefore, this series can be used in its original form without introducing any corrections to study the climate of Svalbard. The resulting composite series (1932-2023) contains the largest amount of direct instrumental observation data compared to similar series obtained at other weather stations of the archipelago.