The 2020 Permafrost Data Workshop
This workshop addressed questions related to permafrost data management within NSERC PermafrostNet and in the broader Canadian context. Sessions included:
- A vision for Canadian permafrost data
- Tools and services for data handling
- Resurrecting permafrost data from the past
- Data policy and data interoperability.
This was a results-oriented workshop and sessions were designed to reach specific outcomes on the workshop topics.
Read the final report here:
Who was this workshop for?
Members and partners of NSERC PermafrostNet, as well as the broader permafrost data community were invited to join us for some, or all, of the three-day workshop. We provided a handy guide to help people choose the sessions that would be most useful to them.
When was it?
The event was held Wednesday May 27 to Friday May 29, 2020. A detailed schedule is below. Times are reported in Eastern Time (UTC -4).
Where was it?
All sessions were held by videoconference using Zoom. Visit Zoom to download the app and for further details on démarrer avec Zoom.
We took care to ensure the workshop was a safe and secure space during the meetings. Attendees registered beforehand to receive meeting details and Zoom passwords. We also employed breakout rooms to provide networking opportunities and to ensure meetings run smoothly. To help all participants during the workshop we developed a guide d’étiquette Zoom (en), so that everyone finds the meeting useful and comfortable.
Who organized this workshop?
The workshop was hosted by NSERC PermafrostNet. We partnered with Transport Canada and the Canadian Consortium for Arctic Data Interoperability (CCADI).
Why did NSERC PermafrostNet run this workshop?
There is a need for better access to permafrost data. If you want to learn more about the broader context of permafrost data science and the previous events and discussions that this workshop builds on, you can read all about it on our Data Workshop Background page.
Avec qui puis-je communiquer?
If you have any questions about the workshop, please send an email to nick.brown@carleton.ca.
What sort of topics and sessions did the workshop have?
- Introductory Plenary: Challenges & Opportunities for the Permafrost Community. Providing background information and context as well as hearing from participants about their priorities. The session included a panel discussion featuring Ashley Rudy, Joe Melton and Alex Bevington. Presenters: Nick Brown, NSERC PermafrostNet Data Scientist, Stephan Gruber, NSERC PermafrostNet Scientific Director.
- Data creation and access: What’s needed for ground temperature and basic geotechnical data (Interactive session). We focused on two of the most readily available kinds of permafrost data, and identified what challenges limit the sharing and processing of data, what solutions exist within the community, and what tools or services PermafrostNet could develop.
- NSERC PermafrostNet data policy: open release and quality control (Interactive session). In this session we discussed the PermafrostNet data policy and identified recommendations for some of the more contentious elements.
- Lunch and Learn (Presentation). Discover what Canadian permafrost data are available now and in the future from the GSC, NTGS and YGS. Presenters: Panya Lipovsky, Boyan Brodaric, and Ashley Rudy
- Beyond ground temperature: prioritizing permafrost data types for future interoperability (Interactive session). For most of the workshop, we focused on ground temperature and basic geotechnical data. In this session, participants helped decide what kind of permafrost data should become the next priorities.
- What can we build on? lessons learned from the international community part I. (Presentation). Reflections from others involved in permafrost or cryospheric-related data on topics of governance, interoperability and other relevant themes. Presenter: Jeanette Nötzli, PERMOS.
- Interoperability, semantics, and FAIR data. (Presentation). Background on the principles of data interoperability. Presenter: Peter Pulsifer, Carleton University and National Snow and Ice Data Center.
- Speaking the same language: vocabularies and semantics for permafrost (Interactive session). Identifying where controlled vocabularies are needed to ensure network data are easily synthesized, and identifying what has already been developed. Panel discussion with Boyan Brodaric, Matt Jones, Peter Pulsifer, and Etienne Godin.
- Adopting standards and specifications for network data (Interactive session). Identifying what standards the network should adopt to make data sharing more effective, and how these standards should continue to develop. This session focused mostly on CSV-formatted data because of its ubiquity in the permafrost community.
- Summer of data: how to make the best of a field season during a pandemic (Interactive session). Making a plan of how the summer can be put to use in service of data-related tasks in the absence of fieldwork: where are legacy data available and what additional resources might be found?
- Presentation: What can we build on? lessons learned from the international community II. (Presentation) Reflections from others involved in permafrost or cryospheric-related data on topics of governance, interoperability and other relevent themes. Presenters: Xiaoduo Pan (TPDC) and Dmitry Streletskiy, GTN-P.
- Long-term strategy: what is needed for permafrost data in Canada? (Interactive session). Identifying what services and support is needed for permafrost data, and what PermafrostNet can provide in the interim.
- Sharing network learning: a joint white paper publication for permafrost data (Interactive session). In this session we developed content for a white paper to capture the progress made during the workshop and identify both problems and recommendations.
- Networking sessions Before the workshop each day, digital rooms were provided to chat with colleagues or new friends over morning coffee.
Calendrier
Please note that all times are listed in Eastern Daylight Time (UTC -4)
Wednesday 27 May
| 10:00 - 10:30 | (Optional) coffee & networking |
| 10:30 - 11:45 | Welcome & Plenary Session: Challenges & Opportunities for the Permafrost Community |
| 11:45 - 12:00 | Coffee / snack break |
| 12:00 - 13:15 | Data creation and access: What's needed for ground temperature and basic geotechnical data |
| 13:15 - 13:40 | Lunch break |
| 13:40 - 14:00 | Lunch-and-learn: Discover what permafrost data are available in Canada from the GSC, NTGS, and YGS |
| 14:00 - 15:15 | PermafrostNet data policy: open release and quality control |
| 15:15 - 15:20 | Break |
| 15:20 - 15:35 | Closing - tie-ins for white paper |
Thursday 28 May
| 10:00 - 10:30 | (Optional) coffee & networking |
| 10:30 - 10:35 | Recap from day 1 |
| 10:35 - 11:10 | Beyond ground temperature: prioritizing permafrost data types for future interoperability |
| 11:10 - 11:45 | Plenary: a) Lessons from the international community part I b) background on data interoperability and semantics. Guest speakers Jeanette Noetzli & Peter Pulsifer |
| 11:45 - 11:55 | Coffee / snack break |
| 11:55 - 13:10 | Speaking the same language: vocabularies and semantics for permafrost |
| 13:10 - 13:55 | Lunch break |
| 13:55 - 15:10 | Adopting standards and specifications for network data |
| 15:10 - 15:15 | Break |
| 15:15 - 15:30 | Closing - tie-ins for white paper |
Friday 29 May
| 10:00 - 10:30 | (Optional) coffee & networking |
| 10:30 - 10:35 | Recap from day 2 |
| 10:35 - 11:10 | Summer of data: how to make the best of the field season during a pandemic |
| 11:10 - 11:40 | Plenary: Lessons from the international community part II. Guest speakers Xiaoduo Pan & Dmitry Streletskiy |
| 11:40 - 11:55 | Coffee / snack break |
| 11:55 - 13:10 | Long-term strategy: what is needed for permafrost data in Canada? |
| 13:10 - 13:55 | Lunch break |
| 13:55 - 14:55 | Your priorities: what needs more discussion? (3 time slots available, topics to be determined) |
| 14:55 - 15:00 | Break |
| 15:00 - 15:30 | Closing - next steps |
Your bespoke workshop experience
Since it might be hard to decide which parts of the workshop to focus on depending on your interests and level of expertise, we developed a little guide so participants could tailor their workshop experience in two easy steps:
- Choose your workshop character (don’t worry if the descriptions below don’t match you exactly – they’re only a guide):
The Executive: I am interested in the outcomes of the workshop or the broader issues that NSERC PermafrostNet is trying to address. I work at a high level in my organization and have a stake in permafrost information being available but don’t have time to attend the sessions.
The Data Specialist: I work with permafrost data in my organization and am interested in getting into the technical details of how to make permafrost data more findable, accessible, interoperable, and reuseable.
The Strategist: I’m interested in the long-term development of capacity to support permafrost data and knowledge. I use permafrost data or information products but I’m not usually involved on a technical level.
The ‘PermafrostNet’: I’m quite involved in NSERC PermafrostNet and want to have a say in the decisions that the network makes. I use and/or create permafrost data as part of my professional role.
The Expert: I am interested in all aspects of permafrost data and want to learn and participate as much as possible.
- Choose your workshop sessions (you can mix-and-match using the session descriptions too!).
| Session titles | The Executive | The Data Specialist | The Strategist | The ‘PermafrostNet’ | The Expert |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Introductory Plenary | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● |
| Data creation and access | ○ | ● | ● | ||
| Lunch-and-learn: permafrost data sources in Canada | ● | ○ | ● | ● | |
| PermafrostNet Data policy | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | |
| Presentation series: Lessons from international community | ○ | ○ | ● | ○ | ● |
| Beyond ground temperature: prioritizing permafrost data types | ● | ○ | ● | ● | |
| Presentation: Semantics and FAIR data | ● | ○ | ● | ||
| Speaking the same language: vocabulary and semantics | ● | ○ | ● | ||
| Adopting standards | ● | ○ | ● | ||
| Summer of Data | ○ | ● | ○ | ||
| Long-term strategy | ○ | ● | ○ | ● | |
| White paper | ○ | ● | ○ | ● | |
| Networking sessions | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | |
| Wrap-up summary | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● |
Attendee area and password-protected area for volunteers
Attendees were able to access exclusive workshop details, files and links e.g. speaker presentations, working documents. This area is now freely accessible.
Volunteers were also able to access a private channel for team chats and sharing files.
Workshop Collaborators
Thanks to our partners, Transport Canada and the Canadian Consortium for Arctic Data Interoperability (CCADI):
Transport Canada 
CCADI
