Middle- and upper atmospheric processes
All research projects studying the middle- and upper polar atmosphere at UNIS mainly utilizes the space related research infrastructure on Svalbard, especially the Kjell Henriksen Observatory (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.

Kjell Henriksen Observatory instrumentation: (Univ. of Alaska, Fairbanks, UNIS, UiO) Meridian Scanning Photometer, DSLR all sky camera, spectrometers, all sky imagers.

For more information, contact Fred Sigernes, Professor in Optics and Atmospheric Research

Mesospheric temperature measurements above Svalbard
A daily mesopause region winter temperature series has been derived from 25 years of ground-based spectral measurements of the hydroxyl (OH) airglow layer from the auroral station in Adventdalen near Longyearbyen, Svalbard.

The measurements constitute one of the longest time series of airglow spectra in the arctic region and the time series is highly valuable as a tracer of mesopheric processes and local and global change in the atmosphere. The spectral measurements and temperature derivations of the past 25 years are continued in this project and data are analysed and related to other physical properties to better understand the coupling processes between the mesosphere and the other atmospheric layers.

UNIS is through this project a member of NDMC (The Network for the Detection of Mesopause Change) which is a global program with the mission to promote international cooperation among research groups active in studying the mesopause region (80-100km). The primary goal of the network is to early identify an eventual change in climate signals.

For more information, contact Margit Dyrland, PhD student in Middle Atmospheric Physics

PROEM (Plasma physics Research using Optics, EISCAT and Modelling):
PROEM aims to take full advantage of the fortuitous location of Svalbard for studies of the problem complex related to the following three specific scientific problems; the formation of polar cap patches, airglow signatures of electron density patches and temporal-spatial variability of reconnection rates at the magnetopause and the magnetospheric tail. PROEMs primary instrumentation consists of the EISCAT Svalbard Radar (ESR), together with the mainland EISCAT radars, as well as optical instruments located on Svalbard (KHO and Ny-Ålesund) as well as mainland Norway.

As a third and vital step for understanding the physical mechanisms connected to the research topics of interest in this proposal, PROEM will incorporate the TRANSCAR coupled kinetic/fluid electron and proton model, which provides an opportunity for testing new hypotheses concerning the formation and transport of plasma patches over the polar cap, and how the patches are connected to auroral substorms.

For more information, contact Dag A. Lorentzen, Associate Professor in Upper Polar Atmosphere

NORUSCA (Norwegian-Russian research Collaboration in the Arctic):
The aim of NORUSCA is to re-vitalize the co-operation between Norwegian and Russian upper atmospheric researchers on Svalbard. Existing research infrastructure that includes radars and optical stations in Longyearbyen, Barentsburg and Ny-Ålesund will be used to form a common multi instrumental platform for studies of the upper atmosphere. Exchange of data in real time and calibration of instruments are key elements to be investigated.

For more information, contact Fred Sigernes, Professor in Optics and Atmospheric Research

POLARLIS (POLarization of the Oxygen thermospheric Red Line In Svalbard):
The polarization of emission lines is a noteworthy observational parameter in astronomy. However, it has never been studied in planetary upper atmospheres. Theoretical considerations led to foresee that the polarization of the thermospheric oxygen red line (630 nm) could exist in the polar cap region. The first successful measurement occurred in Svalbard in January 2007, during active geophysical conditions. The polarization can reach 10%, with an average over time of 6%. We assign its origin to low energy electron precipitation.

This new observable has implications in physics, geophysics and planetology. In physics, it raises the question of the polarization of a forbidden transition by electron impact which is not known. In geophysics, it provides an additional parameter to constraint the models of thermospheric variations versus geomagnetic activity. In planetology, it makes it possible to measure the local configuration of the magnetic fields. It therefore opens new perspectives for future space missions towards other planets.

For more information, contact Dag A. Lorentzen, Associate Professor in Upper Polar Atmosphere

Dual site simultaneous observations of cusp proton aurora above Svalbard
Svalbard is an ideal location for auroral observations under the magnetospheric cusp, given the archipelago's position relative to the geographic and geomagnetic poles.  Since the cusp is a region in the magnetosphere where solar wind and magnetospheric particles gain direct access to the upper atmosphere and ionosphere, ground-based measurements of cusp aurora can be used to intuit magnetospheric dynamics on the dayside, namely magnetic reconnection, flux transfer events, etc.  This is important because those processes comprise the manner in which the magnetosphere and the solar wind interact.

Dayside proton aurora is especially important to understanding solar wind-magnetospheric coupling. Protons are less affected by various magnetospheric processes than electrons; they thus retain more information about their source in the solar wind. To pursue more understanding about proton aurora on the dayside, two Ebert-Fastie spectrometers are currently deployed at the Kjell Henriksen Observatory (KHO) near Longyearbyen and the Sverdrup-station in Ny Ålesund. The instruments are able to measure the spectral character of the light emitted by precipitating hydrogen and determine the Doppler shift, thereby yielding the energy of the incoming particles. This main goal of this project is to investigate the cusp proton aurora at two different latitudes and compare energies and other parameters.

For more information, contact Jeff Holmes, PhD student in Upper Atmospheric Physics

Other: Current research cooperation with other institutions includes the Univ. of Tromsø, Cornell University (USA) and Augsburg College (USA).

Sea/ice/snow/air boundary processes

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.   

For more information, contact Tiina Kilpeläinen (PhD student), Anna Sjöblom (Associate Professor), Frank Nilsen (Associate Professor), or Ragnheid Skogseth (Post Doc).

Local scale climate
Investigation of what controls the climate on a local scale with varying topography and different surfaces such as tundra, snow, ice etc. In today’s climate models the Arctic is associated with a lot of uncertainties regarding the effects of global warming. One reason for this is that there are a lot of local phenomena in the Arctic that are not represented in the models.

For more information, contact Anna Sjöblom, Associate Professor in Meteorology

CRYOSLOPE Svalbard (Climate change effects on high Arctic mountain slope processes and their impact on traffic in Svalbard)
This is a 3-year project (2007-2009) funded by the Norwegian Research Council and is a cross-disciplinary project between meteorologists and geologists. In Work Module 1 (Meteorological monitoring and surface exchange processes) we investigate the connection between avalanches and weather. For more information see http://www.skred-svalbard.no/

For more information, contact Anna Sjöblom, Associate Professor in Meteorology

Heat exchange processes between Atlantic and Arctic water masses
Eddies/Instability
The West Spitsbergen Current (WSC) is the largest contributor of oceanic heat to the Arctic Ocean. On its way north along the shelf west of Svalbard, the temperature in the core of the current sinks with approximately 0.3 oC/100 km. This cooling is sufficient to make the warm and saline Atlantic water dive beneath the cold halocline of the Arctic Ocean, protecting the sea ice from melting. Diapycnal mixing with colder shelf waters around Svalbard, aggregated by topographical vorticity waves probably plays a substantial part in the cooling of the WSC.

The research project focuses on investigating the presence of eddies generated by barotropic instability, to quantify the heat loss due to eddy activity and to assess the forcing of the WSC. The work is a part of the Norwegian contribution to the IPY project iAOOS (“integrated arctic Ocean Observatory System”, see URL: http://www.iaoos.no)

For more information, contact Sigurd Henrik Teigen (PhD student), Frank Nilsen (Associate Professor), or Tor Gammelsrød (Adjunct Proefssor).

Proem Test

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