Greenland Ecosystem Monitoring (GEM) is an integrated monitoring and long-term research programme
on ecosystems and climate change effects and feedbacks in the Arctic. Since 1994 the programme has
established a coherent and integrated understanding of the functioning of ecosystems in a highly
variable climate. The long-term, interdisciplinary and comprehensive data collection is carried out
by institutions in Denmark and Greenland. The primary GEM sites are: Arctic Station in Disko and Nuuk-Kobbefjord in low arctic West Greenland and Zackenberg in high arctic Northeast Greenland.
Contact info: GEM Scientific leader: Professor Torben R. Christensen
GeoBasis Zackenberg is a part of the GEM programme. Together with the other subprojects – BioBasis, ClimateBasis, GlacioBasis and MarineBasis – it aims to provide an integrated, long-term assessment of arctic environments in Greenland. In high arctic Zackenberg, the GeoBasis monitoring programme focuses on selected abiotic characteristics in order to describe the state of Greenlandic terrestrial environments and their potential feedback effects in a changing climate. GeoBasis is divided into the following sub-programmes: Snow properties, Soil properties, Meteorology, Flux monitoring, Hydrology and Geomorphology.
Contact info: Interim GeoBasis-Zackenberg manager: Mikhail Mastepanov
The Integrated Carbon Observation System (ICOS) is a European research infrastructure which provides
harmonized and high precision scientific data on carbon cycle and greenhouse gas budget and perturbations.
The Danish node – ICOS/DK – was officially included in ICOS in 2016. During the period 2016-2020,
we will upgrade the Zackenberg fen ecosystem station to be compliant with the ICOS requirements.
Contact info: Zackenberg fen ecosystem station principal investigator: Mikhail Mastepanov
