Arctic Geophysics

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Arctic Geophysics research at UNIS

From deep sea to outer space

The research at the UNIS Arctic geophysical department spans over a vertical range from the depths of the ocean through snow and ice covered land, and the entire atmospheric column to the solar winds in outer space.

The emphasis is on geophysical phenomena in Polar regions with implications for global currents in the ocean and atmosphere, and radiative processes in the atmosphere and on the ground. These issues are all pertinent in connection with environmental and climatic change questions.

The department divides its research into two main focus areas:

Middle and Upper Atmosphere

One group studies middle and upper atmospheric processes focusing on combined radar and optical measurements of these. The completion of the Kjell Henriksen Observatory (KHO) – the new aurora observatory – has provided UNIS and other visiting groups from around the world with excellent facilities for studying the aurora borealis and other optical phenomena of the polar night sky.

All research projects studying the middle- and upper polar atmosphere at UNIS mainly utilizes the space related research infrastructure on Svalbard, especially KHO with optical instrumentation and the EISCAT Svalbard Radars (ESR), for studies of auroral-related processes in the ionosphere and magnetosphere. In addition, data from other observational platforms such as satellites and in-situ sounding rockets are used.

Air–Cryosphere–Sea Interaction (ACSI)

The second group studies boundary layer dynamics between sea, ice, land and lower atmosphere, focusing on improved parameterisations of interaction processes for climate models.

Department of Arctic Geophysics on Facebook The Kjell Henriksen Observatory on Facebook

Current research projects

Njål Gulbrandsen/UNIS

The Kjell Henriksen Observatory (KHO)

October 2, 2020/in Arctic Geophysics /by chiliaaron

The Kjell Henriksen Observatory (KHO)

The northernmost aurora observatory in the world is an optical observatory located at the archipelago Svalbard 1000 km north of mainland Norway (78^o N 16^o E).

Here more than 25 optical instruments as well as other non-optical instruments, are employed for research on the middle- and upper atmosphere.

KHO was opened in 2008 and includes the following instrumentation: Meridian Scanning Photometer, DSLR all sky camera, spectrometers, all sky imagers.

Contact person: Professor Fred Sigernes

Njål Gulbrandsen/UNIS

The Birkeland Centre for Space Science

The Birkeland Centre for Space Science

Birkeland Centre for Space Science is a Centre of Excellence (CoE) at the University of Bergen, that also includes scientists from NTNU and UNIS. The objective of the centre is to understand how Earth is coupled to space. The main objective of the centre is to answer the question: How is Earth coupled to Space? With this in mind, the centre has identified four fundamental areas of research:

1) Q1: Asymmetric Aurora
2) Q2: Dynamic Ionosphere
3) Q3: Particle Precipitation
4) Q4: Gamma-ray flashes

Contact person: Professor Dag Lorentzen

Eva Therese Jenssen/UNIS

Air-Ice-Sea interaction

October 5, 2020/in Arctic Geophysics, Current Research Projects /by chiliaaron

Air-Ice-Sea interaction

The overall purpose is to investigate the processes involved in air-ice-sea interaction, something which is quite badly represented in today’s climate models with main emphasis is on the atmospheric boundary layer over open water and sea ice and investigation of processes controlling momentum and heat fluxes at the air-ice-sea interface.

The main goals are:
1) To investigate the heat exchange between sea and atmosphere in the Svalbard fjords in wintertime, when the temperature difference between sea and air is large and the thermal stratification is known to be connected to sea ice cover and heat advection.

2) To study the effect of polynyas on the characteristics of turbulence, heat fluxes and the vertical structure of the atmospheric boundary layer.

3) To simulate (with numerical mesoscale model) the effects of different sea ice extents on regional weather conditions, such as temperature and wind patterns, in the mountainous area around the fjords.

Contact person: Professor Frank Nilsen

Map of lighthouses used in the Isfjorden weather information network

Iwin (Isfjorden weather information network)

June 14, 2021/in Arctic Geophysics /by unisadmin

Isfjorden weather information network (Iwin)

Providing weather data from several stations in the area, the Isfjorden weather information network aims at improving our understanding of local atmospheric processes and ultimately weather forecasts for the region itself. By providing online real-time data, the network furthermore helps to plan and conduct field activities in a safe manner. Find out more about the project and check out the latest data from our stations here.

Contact persons: Lukas Frank and Marius Jonassen.

Link to project page

Magnetic Pulsations and Transients: The Sun-Earth Connection and Impact on the High Latitude Ionosphere (MAPAT)

October 21, 2021/in Arctic Geophysics, Current Research Projects /by chiliaaron

Magnetic Pulsations and Transients: The Sun-Earth Connection and Impact on the High Latitude Ionosphere (MAPAT)

Project Summary
The project brings together researchers from 3 different countries (Norway, Russia and France) with the aim of understanding how energy is transferred into the Earth’s upper and middle atmosphere through ULF (Ultra Low Frequency) Waves in the Earth’s magnetic field. The energy source for these waves can be both internal and external to the Earth’s magnetosphere (the protective bubble the Earth sits inside, generated by it’s intenal magnetic field – see figure below). The project will use data from instrumentation across the polar regions, with a specific focus on instruments in Svalbard and Northern Scandinavia. In addition to the research project, new students will be introduced to the topic through mobility grants and course development at UNIS. This project is continuing and expanding upon a research program (AWAT) which ran from 2015 – 2019 (https://www.unis.no/research/arctic-geophysics/awat/)

Contact person: Associate professor Lisa Baddeley

Link to project page

Completed research projects

Aurora seen from the Kjell Henriksen Observatory

Multi-Instrument Studies of High Latitude Atmospheric Turbulence and Wave Processes

October 5, 2020/in Arctic Geophysics, Completed Research Projects /by chiliaaron

Multi-Instrument Studies of High Latitude Atmospheric Turbulence and Wave Processes

The project aims to initiate a new collaboration between the two research groups through a joint study into how energy is dissipated into the upper atmosphere through interaction between the Sun’s magnetic field (IMF) and the Earth’s magnetic field. Ultra Low Frequency (ULF) waves and turbulence manifest themselves as periodic fluctuations in the atmospheric signatures of this energy deposition (such as temperature and density changes) and in the Earth’s magnetic field. By monitoring the frequency, magnitude and location of the waves on the ground it is possible to investigate the complex plasma processes and interactions happening in the Earth’s ionosphere/magnetosphere system.

Contact person: Associate Professor Lisa Baddeley