Global Terrestrial Network for Permafrost (GTN-P) - About the GTN-P

Tutorial Datasets and Data Collections

Adding Datasets, Uploading Data Collections and Downloading Data

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Welcome to the GTN-P Database. This tutorial explains how to add a new/edit a dataset.

Note: presently, only national correspondents can add/edit entries in the GTN-P database.

Log in with your username and password (upper right corner). To request a username and password please write to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

After logging in, find the object your dataset belongs to (borehole: click on „Permafrost Temperatures“ and a list of all boreholes which are contained in the GTN-P Database occur; active layer monitoring site: click on „Annual Thaw Depths“ and a list of all active layer monitoring sites which are contained in the GTN-P Database occur). You can find your borehole or active layer monitoring site by using the search engine. In case if your object is not in the database yet, you have to add it (see Tutorial Borehole; Tutorial Active Layer ; note: check if the site your object is adjuncted to already exists in the database, if not you FIRST have to create the new site: Tutorial Site ).

After you found your object click on „Access data“ and a list of all existing datasets (time series) of the object is displayed.

Add new/edit dataset:

If you want to edit a present dataset click on „Edit“ (left) and for adding a new dataset click on „Add new“ (upper right corner). Note: presently you can only edit datasets to objects which are authorized by the country assigned to your user account. The „Add dataset“ page gives an overview over the attributes of the dataset. All mandatory fields are marked with an asterisk and must be filled out. For explanations of the single terms please check the controlled vocabulary . Please fill out the field carefully since, once saved, you cannot change any attributes except for „Policy“ and „Quality Check“.

Uploading data collections (time series):

After saving the dataset you can add data collections to it. Fill out the fields and insert your data collection by clicking on „Choose File“. Note: your data files must be brought to CSV (Comma Seprarated Values) format and they must comply with our data templates in order to be readable by the database. Find templates here:

Ground Temperature Data Template

Active Layer Grid Data Template

If you have problems with Excel, you can try to solve them changing your computer settings: Click through START MENU – CONTROL PANEL – CLOCK, LANGUAGE AND REGION – CHANGE DATE, TIME OR NUMBER FORMAT. Set your date at the format YYYY-MM-DD. Then go to ADDITIONAL SETTINGS. Set DECIMAL SYMBOL as dot (.) and LIST SEPARATOR as comma (,). Press OK.

You can select or deselect „Publish“ to share or not to share this part of your dataset (only applicable if the Data Policy was set open before).

Click on „Save Collection“ when you are finished. Now your data collection has been added and you can look at it by clicking on the dataset (time series) it has been added to. A page opens showing the attributes and statistics of the dataset. The statistics display the minimum, maximum and average value, the number of data and null values as well as the start and end date of the dataset (time series) measurements. You can see all attached data collections and a chart created from your data („Published Data“). Note: if your data format is not compliant with the templates the chart can not be displayed. Please check your data format again.

By clicking on the single data collections the attributes, statistics and chart of this data collection will be displayed.

Downloading datasets:

To download a dataset simply find the borehole/active layer monitoring site it is attached to, click „Access data“, then click on the single dataset in the list and find the button „Get Data“ (General information field). The datasets are downloadable as Excel files.

Tutorial Boreholes

Welcome to the GTN-P Database. This tutorial explains how to add a new/edit a borehole. 

Note: presently, only national correspondents can add/edit entries in the GTN-P database.

Add a new/edit borehole in the GTN-P Database (Download PDF)

Log in with your username and password (upper right corner). To request a username and password please write to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
After logging in, click on Button „Permafrost Temperatures“.
Note: every borehole is assigned to a site. Please check if the site your borehole is adjuncted to, exists in the database: link. If not, you have to create the new site BEFORE you create the borehole (link to tutorial). The same goes for citation. Please check if the responsible person(s) and institution(s) are present in the database: http://gtnpdatabase.org/sites. If not, you have to create a new citation while creating the borehole (Tutorial: Sites). The same goes for citation. Please check if the responsible person(s) and institution(s) are present in the database: List of Contacts and Organizations. If not, you have to create a new citation while creating the active layer monitoring site (Tutorial: Citations).

An overview of all existing boreholes will open, alphabetically ordered. (You can search for entries or sort entries.)

In order to add a new borehole , click on the „Add new“ button in the upper right corner. If you want to edit an existing borehole, click on „Edit“ (left). Note: presently you can only edit boreholes authorized by the country assigned to your user account. The „Add borehole“ page is divided into seven tabs: General, Drilling, Measurement, Observation, Accessibility, Disturbance, and SEO. You are on the „General“ tab. Some of the metadata are marked with an asterisk which indicates mandatory metadata. All other are optional metadata, however, note that the more fields you fill out the higher your borehole will be ranked in the metadata completeness/data quality index.

Find information on the metadata in the controlled vocabulary. Site: Tutorial Sites. Responsible person/citation: Tutorial Citations. Permafrost zone. Vegetation zone.
On the right side you see a map and coordinate fields. Please enter your coordinates in decimal degree. We recommend to enter your coordinates with at least four decimals allowing only a few meters offset. (Find here an online tool to convert coordinate pairs). By clicking on „Update coordinates“ both the map and elevation will be updated on the basis of your entered coordinates.
By clicking on the single tabs you can enter information on drilling method and duration, measurement method, observation (landform, lithology, and additional information of the borehole location), disturbances, and SEO.
 
In order to add photos and bibliographic references, you must first save the active layer monitoring site and then click on „Edit“. Now you can add pictures to the gallery (upper right corner) by clicking on „Add new“ and choosing pictures from your computer. To add references scroll all the way down to „Bibliographic References“ and click on „Add new“. Note: every reference must be added separately.

Tutorial Citations

Welcome to the GTN-P Database. This tutorial explains how to add a new/edit a citation. Every monitoring site in the database is assigned to a citation. A citation has an unambiguous title and consists of institution(s) and affiliated responsible person(s). 
Note: presently, only national correspondents can add/edit entries in the GTN-P database.

Tutorial: Adding a new citation (responsible person(s), institution(s)) to the GTN-P Database (Download PDF)

Log in with your username and password (upper right corner). To request a username and password please write to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
After logging in, there are three ways to access information on citations.

Citations: All citations contained in the GTN-P Database, sorted alphabetically. Each citation consists of an abbreviation depending on the object the citation refers to (CALM, DUE, TSP), affiliated organizations, and affiliated contacts (responsible persons).


Contacts: All contacts (responsible persons) contained in the GTN-P Database, sorted alphabetically. Each contact consists of the name and contact information of the person and the organization he/she is affiliated to.


Organizations: All organizations (institutions) contained in the GTN-P Database, sorted alphabetically. Each organizations is abbreviated with an acronym and contact information.

Since a citation consists of organization(s) and contact(s) it is crucial to make sure if those are already existing in the GTN-P database and if not, add them.

Add a new/edit organization:

The procedure is to start with adding a new organization. Click on the „Organizations“ button, „Add new“ (upper right corner) or „Edit“ (left) if you want to edit an existing organization and enter the information on the organization. Note: Many organizations have an acronym (for example AWI for Alfred Wegener Institute), but if not you can create one or just leave the field empty. Fields marked with an asterisk are mandatory but the more information you enter the better.

Add a new/edit contact:

Now you have added a new organization and it is time to affiliate one or several contacts (responsible persons) to it. For that, click on the button „Contacts“, „Add new“ (upper right corner) or „Edit“ (left) if you want to edit an existing contact, and enter the information on the new contact. Fields marked with an asterisk are mandatory but the more information you enter the better. Here, you can affiliate a contact to an organization. Note: every organization must have at least one person responsible.

Add a new/edit citation:

Now you can create a new citation. Click on the button „Citations“ and „Add new“ (upper right corner) or „Edit“ (left) if you want to edit an existing citation. Fields marked with an asterisk are mandatory but the more information you enter the better. A citation requires an unambiguous title which is associated to the monitoring site. We recommend to create it like this:
Abbreviation type of monitoring site + Country/world part + organization (acronym if present).
Examples:
CALM China CAREERI
TSP Antarctica Brazil
DUE Permafrost Project Consortium (2012).
Note that both one or several countries can be marked as responsible countries for one citation.
Now, you can mark both the organization(s) and people affiliated to the citation and save the citation. The citation is now present in the GTN-P Database and can be directly linked to when adding monitoring sites (Tutorial: Boreholes; Tutorial: Active Layer Monitoring Sites).

Tutorial Ancillary Measurements

Welcome to the GTN-P Database. This tutorial explains how to add a new/edit an ancillary measurement. 
Note: presently, only national correspondents can add/edit entries in the GTN-P database.

Add a new/edit an Ancillary Measurement in the GTN-P Database (Download PDF)

Welcome to the GTN-P Database. This tutorial explains how to add a new/edit an ancillary measurement.
Note: presently, only national correspondents can add/edit entries in the GTN-P database.
Log in with your username and password (upper right corner). To request a username and password please write to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
After logging in, click on the button „Ancillary Measurements“.
Note: every ancillary measurement is assigned to a site. Please check if the site your ancillary measurement is adjuncted to, exists in the database: http://gtnpdatabase.org/sites. If not, you have to create the new site BEFORE you create the ancillary measurement (Tutorial: Sites). The same goes for citation. Please check if the responsible person(s) and institution(s) are present in the database: Liste of This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. If not, you have to create a new citation while creating the ancillary measurement (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).

Note: every ancillary measurement is assigned to a site. Please check if the site your ancillary measurement is adjuncted to, exists in the database: http://gtnpdatabase.org/sites. If not, you have to create the new site BEFORE you create the ancillary measurement (Tutorial: Sites). The same goes for citation. Please check if the responsible person(s) and institution(s) are present in the database: List of Contacts and Organizations. If not, you have to create a new citation while creating the ancillary measurement (Tutorial: Citations).

An overview of all existing ancillary measurements will open, alphabetically ordered. (You can search for entries or sort entries.)

In order to add a new ancillary measurement, click on the „Add new“ button in the upper right corner. If you want to edit an existing ancillary measurement, click on „Edit“. Note: presently you can only edit ancillary measurements authorized by the country assigned to your user account. The „Add Ancillary Measurement“ page is divided into five tabs: General, Observation, Accessibility, Disturbance, and SEO. You are on the „General“ tab. Some of the metadata are marked with an asterisk which indicates mandatory metadata. All other are optional metadata, however, note that the more fields you fill out the higher your borehole will be ranked in the metadata completeness/data quality index.

Find information on the metadata in the controlled vocabulary. Site: Tutorial Sites. Responsible person/citation: Tutorial Citations. Permafrost zone. Vegetation zone.
On the right side you see a map and coordinate fields. Please enter your coordinates in decimal degree. We recommend to enter your coordinates with at least four decimals allowing only a few meters offset. (Find here an online tool to convert coordinate pairs). By clicking on „Update coordinates“ both the map and elevation will be updated on the basis of your entered coordinates.
By clicking on the single tabs you can enter information on observation (landform, lithology, and additional information of the ancillary measurement), disturbances, and search engine optimizations.
In order to add photos and bibliographic references, you must first save the active layer monitoring site and then click on „Edit“. Now you can add pictures to the gallery (upper right corner) by clicking on „Add new“ and choosing pictures from your computer. To add references scroll all the way down to „Bibliographic References“ and click on „Add new“. Note: every reference must be added separately.