2008 is the first full season for the GeoBasis programme with a field season running from May to late September. However, due to cooperation with other research projects, the programme continued until late October. The programme has during 2008 unfortunately run into unforeseen problems (e.g. catabatic winds destroyed several installations, build up of snow drift in front of cameras prevented photo monitoring, high levels of melt water in the snow pack flooded the data loggers etc.). Although this has caused loss of data most of the experienced problems have now been solved or will be solved during the 2009 season. Installation of some stations had to be postponed in 2007 and they have therefore been installed during 2008.

The melting of snow and ice started in the second half of April and took speed in May. By 12 June all snow on the east side of the main river outlet had melted. The ice cover on the lakes in the area broke up during late May/beginning of June. As part of the snow monitoring three snow surveys were carried out during spring in cooperation with the ClimateBasis programme. 

The micrometeorological station at 1000 m a.s.l., M1000, was installed on 4 September 2008. This installation completes installation of climate stations and we now collect climate data along the entire altitudinal gradient within the research area. Unfortunately, the SoilFen data logger was flooded and data between 18 March and late August was lost.

Three automatic soil stations are installed in the area; SoilFen, SoilEmp and SoilEmpSa. In 2008, soil water samplers (suction cup lysimeters) were installed at the same three sites. However, to allow for the soil to settle after the installation, sampling and analysis of soil water will first begin in 2009.

The methane (CH4) flux pattern reflected a dome-shaped peak with maximum about a month after snow melt and a decline to about half of the maximum towards the end of the summer season (around 1 September). In the autumn the methane flux continued to decline and it decreased consistently during September and October. The peak summer emissions reached about 5 mg CH4 m-2 h-1.

The measurements of temporal variation in daily net exchange of CO2 were initiated on 10 June and continued until 29 October. The estimated net uptake period was approximately 83 days and the maximum daily uptake reached 2.31 g C m-2 d-1 on 13 July.