Images from three time-lapse cameras at the center of Samoylov Island (2012 – 2021), Lena River Delta, Siberia

Understanding permafrost processes and changes requires long-term observational datasets. Here we publish images from 3 time-lapse cameras installed at the center of Samoylov Island, Lena River Delta, Siberia (72.3742 °N, 126.4959 °E). The cameras look over the polygonal tundra landscape with elevated dry rims and lower inundated polygon centers. The snow cover is shallow (below 40 cm) in early winter (end of September through January) and only moderately higher (below 80 cm) until snow melt in mid May. The time-lapse camera images give valuable insights into the landscape and snow cover heterogeneity, as well as the timing of the snow cover and vegetation phenology. The cameras took between 1 and 10 pictures per day in the years 2012 to 2021. The images were not edited and also low visibility images are included in this data set.