Nordlys over EISCAT antenne november 2010, by Njål Gulbrandsen
Northern lights at EISCAT in 2010. Photo taken by Njål Gulbrandsen

What is UNIS digital?

Unlike most other universities, activities at UNIS are centered around active fieldwork and in-situ observations of nature, giving UNIS a unique and valuable collection of original data. The majority of this data is stored in digital form.

UNIS Digital is a platform for discussing data handling, processing, visualization, sharing, and utilization of this rich trove of observational data.

The first step in effective data management is ensuring that the valuable information within these datasets is made accessible to other researchers. UNIS has partnered with the Svalbard Integrated Earth Observation System (SIOS) to make this data available through the SIOS data portal, adhering to the FAIR principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable).

UNIS is also committed to better exploiting this collected data for scientific purposes. Through monthly seminars, we explore topics such as data processing, visualization, and advanced methods like artificial intelligence and machine learning.

If you have requests or ideas for workshops on data handling and processing, or if you have exciting presentations suitable for a seminar, please get in touch with Luke Marsden or Stein Haaland.

Related

Luke Marsden hosts a YouTube channel discusses FAIR data and, shares tutorials on how to work with CF-NetCDF files, Darwin Core Archives, and other FAIR scientific data formats.

Seminars and Workshops

4 Sep 2024, 09:30: Luke Marsden : Using ChatGPT to increase productivity

Place : Lassegrotta 

This presentation will show how ChatGPT can make life easier for students and researchers. We will discuss what to use it for and what not to use it for, and how to get the best out it. We’ll explore how to use ChatGPT to troubleshoot and even generate code and explain tricky concepts. For writing, ChatGPT can act as a smart editor, helping polish research papers, correct typos and improve clarity. ChatGPT can be used to restructure information from one format to another. By the end, you’ll see how ChatGPT can save time and help you through the most tedious of academic tasks so you can focus on the what you enjoy the most!

3 Sep 2024, 09:30: Luke Marsden : How to make data FAIR compatible and register with SIOS

Place : Møysalen

The Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable (FAIR) data principles define a set of criteria for modern publishing practices and the sharing of scientific data. UNIS aims to implement these principles and make all relevant observational data accessible through the Svalbard Integrated Arctic Earth Observing System (SIOS). 

In this seminar, Luke Marsden, UNIS Data Manager, will provide an introduction to FAIR principles, and give an overview of useful tools to assist individuals in working with FAIR data. Additionally, he will discuss how to integrate observational data into the SIOS data management system.

23 May 2024 : Maaike Weerdesteijn, UNIS: Managing data: Permafrost and meteorological response system

Place: Kapp Mitra

Warmer temperatures increase permafrost thaw, affecting infrastructure in town. Permafrost thaw in combination with more liquid precipitation increases the potential for landsliding. Therefore, we are building a platform to monitor permafrost and meteorological changes. What does this network look like? How are all these data managed? Who can use this platform? How is the data presented? And why is this platform useful for Longyearbyen? Come and find out more about this innovative network of instruments and how we manage our data.

25 Apr 2024 : Noora Partamies,UNIS: Convolutional neural networks for pattern recognition

Place: Kapp Schoultz

At KHO we take images of the sky automatically throughout the dark season, or whenever the sun is well below the horizon. That results roughly 1 million images per year. Everybody wants to know when the images contain aurora, and it seems so simple to say that we can just ask an AI tool to flag all images, which contain green light. This presentation we will explain why the problem is harder than it sounds, what has been done to mitigate it and how well the recent attempts to employ convolutional neutral networks handle this task. If nothing else, come and see our pretty data.

12 Apr 2024: Sehoya Cotner, UiB: ChatGPT and Friends: Using AI and Large Language Models in Education

Place: Lassegrotta

The “LLMs in Education” group, including STEM educators from the University of Bergen, Norway, conducted two workshops in 2023 to explore the use of large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT and similar in education. In one, we analyzed student responses from two surveys, specifically targeting responses to the question “How do you think these tools should be used in education, in a way that is fair and that supports your learning?”

From these responses, two broad themes emerged: questions and concerns about the tools themselves, and questions and concerns related to acceptable use, fairness, and ethics. In our discussion, I will share some of these concerns, and we can discuss UNIS-appropriate responses to guide our use of LLMs in our teaching.

8 Mar 2024: Ole Kristian Kokvik, Rico Behlke, KSAT: KSAT/SvalSat installations and activities

Place: Lassegrotta

SvalSat is a world-leading supplier of satellite services. The installation of more than 100 antennas at Platåberget just outside Longyearbyen tracks more than 3,500 passes each day. SvalSat serves as a ground station for a number of civilian polar orbiting satellites, including Earth-observing satellites for meteorology, sea surface measurements, geodesy, as well as satellites for navigation and ship traffic monitoring. Every day, large amounts of data are downloaded and transferred to their owners all over the world.  In this seminar, the station’s director, Ole Kristian Kokvik will give an overview of the installations and activities at SvalSat.

22 Jan 2024: Luke Marsden, UNIS/MetNo : FAIR data principles

Place: Lassegrotta

The Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable (FAIR) data principles define a set of criteria for modern publishing practices and the sharing of scientific data. 

UNIS aims to implement these principles and make all relevant observational data accessible through the Svalbard Integrated Arctic Earth Observing System (SIOS). 

In this seminar, Luke Marsden, Data Manager at the Nansen Legacy, will provide an introduction to FAIR principles, and dive an overview of useful tools to assist individuals in working with FAIR data. Additionally, he will discuss how to integrate observational data into the SIOS data management system.

Following the seminar, Luke will give dedicated workshops for each department in Van Mijen. These workshops will delve into details surrounding data formats, provide assistance with metadata, and offer guidance on converting data to suitable formats. Users are encouraged to bring their laptops along with sample data for these hands-on workshops.