Measurement of the cosmic-ray rate over the period 2019–2025 at very high latitude (78.9°N)

Abstract Since 2019, the Extreme Energy Events (EEE) Project has installed three muon detection stations at the Svalbard Islands ( $$78.9^{\circ } \hbox {N}$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mrow> <mml:mn>78</mml:mn> <mml:mo>.</mml:mo> <mml:msup> <mml:mn>9</mml:mn> <mml:mo>∘</mml:mo> </mml:msup> <mml:mtext>N</mml:mtext> </mml:mrow> </mml:math> latitude), employing scintillator-based detectors. This initiative represents the first systematic effort to monitor cosmic-muons rates at high geomagnetic latitudes beyond the Arctic Circle, with the objective of improving our understanding of cosmic-ray propagation and modulation in polar regions. The present study analyses temporal variations in the muon detection rates over a six-year period (2019–2025), including the study of periodic modulations and underlying trends in the observed rates.