SIOS: A New Level of International Research Cooperation in Svalbard

The Svalbard Integrated Arctic Earth Observing System (SIOS) is an initiative of the Norwegian government to develop all research infrastructure on Svalbard relevant for Earth System studies into a coordinated international observational system matching Earth System models. The initiative was accepted for the Updated Roadmap of the European Strategy Forum for Research Infrastructures (ESFRI) in 2008, and EU support is now applied for in order to establish the formal framework for the project during a 3-year preparatory phase. SIOS spans over a wide spectrum research fields, ranging from solar-terrestrial processes via atmosphere-ocean-land-cryosphere interaction processes to geophysical-biological coupling and anthropogenic impacts, e.g. long-range transported pollution. The project aims at reviewing the existing infrastructure in the light of the requirements put forward by models, propose necessary upgrading and building up an overarching infrastructure facilitating data access, exchange and utilization. Furthermore SIOS aims at building up a close regional cooperation in the European Arctic, function as an Arctic node for other environmental ESFRI initiatives and intends to function as a core element of the envisaged pan-Arctic Sustained Arctic Observing System (SAON). Institutions from 14 countries representing all the major platforms on- and offshore have joined the Preparatory Phase initiative, which is envisaged to start in the second half of 2010.