INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF METEOROLOGY AND ATMOSPHERIC
SCIENCE (IAMAS) - 2006
Reporter.
1. ACTIVITIES
1.1 UNIVERSITY OF HELSINKI, DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICAL SCIENCES, DIVISION OF ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCES
During 2006, meteorological research was made in the areas of climate studies, mesoscale meteorology, radar meteorology and micrometerology. Other main branch of the Division was the research on atmospheric aerosols and their climate and health effects and air chemistry. Six professors and about 70 scientists (including doctoral students) worked in the division in 2006. In 2006 two new EU projects started: NITROEUROPE (The Nitrogen Cycle and its Influence on the European Greenhouse Gas Balance) and EUSAAR (European super-sites for atmospheric aerosol Research, 2006-2010). Division possesses Research Unit on “Physics, Chemistry and Biology of Atmospheric Composition and Climate Change”, which is one of the Centres of Excellence of the Academy of Finland. The aerosol group co-ordinates also Nordic Centre of Excellence “Biosphere-Aerosol-Cloud-Climate Interactions” and the micrometeorology group belongs to the Nordic Centre of Excellence “Nordic Centre for studies of ecosystem Carbon exchange and interactions with a Climate system “. These form also the international NordForskGraduateSchool “Carbon-Biosphere-Aerosol-Cloud-Climate Interactions”. A project office “Integrated Land Ecosystem – Atmosphere Processes Study” (iLEAPS; has continued its work related to land-atmosphere interactions within International Geosphere – Biosphere Programme (IGBP).
Dynamic and experimental meteorology
In mesoscale meteorology, emphasis was on boundary layer theory, stable boundary layers, radiation-turbulence interaction, strong low-level jets over the Gulf of Finland, Antarctic studies, and the PBL on planet Mars. The UH mesoscale model, MM5 and HIRLAM were used as modelling tools together with various observations. The Division housed the EU Marie Curie Chair on PBL-TMRES (PBL - Theory, Modelling and Role in Earth Systems, with prof. Sergej Zilitinkevich as the Chair Holder), and coordinated the Nordic project NetFAM (Network on Fine-mesh Atmospheric Modelling). Prof. David Schultz started his work in November 2006 in co-operation with Finnish Meteorological Institute and Vaisala Ltd.
Studies of climate focused on an analysis of extremes in high-resolution regional climate change simulations conducted at the Rossby Centre (Sweden), and on a probabilistic analysis of near-future climate changes based on a new multi-model ensemble of global climate simulations. The leader of this research team participated as a lead author in the preparation of the IPCC Working Group I 4th Assessment Report to be published in the year 2007.
Radar meteorology continued as one of the main research objects. The UH Weather radar laboratory has the highest expertise in Finland on weather radars and is well known world wide. The new polarimetric radar prototype was in extensive use during 2006 and the measurements were able to cover all polarimetric parameters.
Micrometeorology and Atmospheric aerosols
Studies of micrometeorology and biosphere-atmosphere exchange have included continuous measurements of various trace gases, water vapour and aerosol particles by eddy covariance methods. CO2 measurements are carried out for forest (Hyytiälä, Juupajoki), wetland (Siikaneva, Juupajoki), lake ecosystems (Valkea-Kotinen, Lammi) and urban surface (Kumpula, Helsinki). In addition, long-term methane fluxes have been collected over wetland. Also measurements under canopy in trunk-space have been accomplished. Beside turbulent transport, the importance of advective fluxes was studied over the forest. The 1.5-order boundary-layer closure model was used in analyses of flow in heterogenous surfaces and applied for footprint estimates. Evapo-transpiration measurements are supported by studies of water cycling in trees.
The core of the research is the understanding of energy, mass and momentum transfer and phase transitions. Theoretical, modelling and experimental studies of nucleation, condensation/evaporation and atmospheric aerosol dynamics have continued in 2006. The results on modelling, field measurements and laboratory experiments are used for improved understanding of cloud microphysics, climate change and health effects. Division operates together with Department of Forest Ecology at versatile field stations: SMEAR I (Station for Measuring Forest Ecosystem-Atmosphere Relations) station in Värriö (Lapland), SMEAR II station and SMEAR III (urban SMEAR) in Kumpula Campus. Particularly SMEAR II has turned out to be a leading station in its research field due to its comprehensive research program and to its unique time series of fresh aerosol formation.
1.2 FINNISH METEOROLOGICAL INSTITUTE (FMI)
In 2006, research was continued in the areas of atmospheric modelling, climate change and its impacts as well as adaptation to climate change, air quality and chemistry, ozone and UV – radiation, and further development of the use of satellite and weather radar data.
Climate change
In the research on climate change, the focus has changed more towards the adaptation of climate change. In the adaptation studies the occurrence of extremes and the possible changes in the occurrences are now in focus. FMI has contributed to a new research program for the adaptation to climate change, coordinated by the Ministry for Agriculture and Forestry, as well as to Climate Change Communications Programme.
The research on global change is directed towards the inclusion of the atmospheric chemistry in the numerical models. Also other gases but carbon dioxide (and other greenhouse gases) and ozone are considered. Aerosols are becoming more important all the time. FMI continued as the national co-ordinator in the IPCC – climate group and coordinated the Finnish part of the preparation of the 4th IPCC Assessment Report. FMI coordinated a Nordic project called NORDKLIM concerning climate change and adaptation between the Nordic meteorological institutes. FMI also produced a great part of the Helsinki Commission (HELCOM) coordinated report on the Baltex Assessment of Climate Change for the Baltic Sea Basin (BACC).
The Finnish Meteorological Institute has an en extensive collaboration agreement with the Max Planck Institute for Meteorology in Hamburg, concerning the modelling of global change in the atmosphere. Funded by the Ministry of Transport and Communications, work on the modelling was continuedin collaboration with the Finnish Institute of Marine Research, the Universities of Helsinki and Kuopio, and the Finnish IT Center for Science (CSC). The FMI’s research concentrated on such phenomena as clouds, transfer of radiation, atmospheric chemistry and fine particles.
As an important element of the research on global change, the exchange of greenhouse gases between the atmosphere and different landcover types is studied experimentally. In 2006, micrometeorological measurements of carbon dioxide, water vapour, sensible heat and momentum fluxes were carried out on a continuous basis above forest ecosystems at Pallas, Sodankylä and Loppi and on subarctic wetlands at Pallas and Kaamanen. In addition, methane emissions were measured at Pallas and on the Ämmässuo landfill in Espoo. Based on the flux data, including the data collected within previous measurement campaigns, the carbon balances of different ecosystems and landfills were determined and the related surface exchange processes were studied.
The studies on greenhouse gas fluxes are part of the activities of a Centre of Excellence of the Academy of Finland (Physics, Chemistry and Biology of Atmospheric Composition and Climate Change) and a Nordic Centre of Excellence (Nordic Centre for Studies of Ecosystem Carbon Exchange and Interactions with a Climate System). Some of the flux measurements are carried out within the EU-funded CARBOEUROPE (Assessment of the European Terrestrial Carbon Balance) project In 2006, activities related to the new EU-funded NITROEUROPE (The Nitrogen Cycle and Its Influence on the European Greenhouse Gas Balance) project were started at Pallas.
Numerical weather prediction
The forecast errors of the HIRLAM Forecasting System (HFS) were significantly reduced in 2006. The improvements were achieved mainly by more efficient use of observations and ECMWF-forecasts in defining the initial conditions. Because operating and monitoring the referenceHFS is one of the contributions to HIRLMA-A, the updates were immediately implemented and thus benefitted operational weather prediction in Finland.
A regularly-running test suite of the non-hydrostatic meso-scale NWP model AROME was commenced in may 2006. AROME is developed jointly by Meteo France, the ALADIN consortium and HIRLAM-A. The contribution of FMI is dedicated to the modelling of physical processes related to moist physics and convection, and in the boundary layer, as well as on the assimilation of doppler radar radial wind data and GNS slant delay data.
The LAPS analysis system based on data fusion techniques was adapted to ingest observations from the Helsinki Testbed field campaign, and yield a meso-scale gridded analysis of near surface conditions and upper air fields. Together with scientists from the University of Turku the particle dispersion moded SILAM was adapted to forecasting long-range transport of allergenic pollen. Extensive numerical simulation experiments for assessing the potential of wind energy production were carried out in El Salvador and in the North Sea. The operational road conditions model was updated to cater for changes in the available observations.
Within the network on fine-scale atmospheric modelling - NetFAM, FMI took a main part in organizing and providing lecturers to the Summer School on Nonhydrostatic dynamics and fine scale data assimilation in St. Petersburg, 11-17.6.2006, and the Summer school on Air-sea-interaction in Helsinki on the 28.8.-1.9.2006.
A new research activity in 2006 is the 6th framework integrated project DAMOCLES, where FMI is leader of the work package "Atmosphere and and air-ice interaction".
Atmospheric chemistry
An extensive measurement programme on atmospheric composition was carried out at the Pallas-Sodankylä station in Lapland, maintained by the FMI as part of the Global Atmosphere Watch network of the World Meteorological Organization.The high-accuracy measurements of CO2 concentration (running since 1996) and CH4 , CO and SF6 concentrations (running since 2004) were continued. In 2006, monitoring of the atmospheric hydrogen concentration was started.
New information was gained from measurements at the WMO Pallas GAW station, measurements which have been published and used and highly appreciated by the international and European science community. It contains new information of how aerosol particles, both natural and those due to human activities, interact with clouds and has impact on climate change. The effect of boreal forest to atmospheric aerosol load and thus to climate was investigated, results were published in Science.
Both the Centre of Excellence of the Academy of Finland and the Nordic Centre of Excellence studied natural emissions of gases that are reactive in terms of atmospheric chemistry, and the impact of these gases on aerosol formation. In addition, models were developed for describing gas exchange and aerosol formation between forests and the atmosphere.
With TERI – the Energy and Resources Institute of India – the Finnish Meteorological Institute continued the project aiming to determine the properties of the pollution cloud over South Asia, to assess the effects of pollutants on people’s health and on the climate, and to investigate how climate change affects vegetation zones and land use in India. A research station was established and officially inaugurated.
In cooperation with NOAA, research is carried out on the effects of climate change to the Arctic area.
Ozone and UV research
The research on ozone and UV radiation continued to have a high profile and was composed of several international projects getting financial support by EUMETSAT and the EU. A central research item was the research of the effects of the ozone depletion to the arctic climate. The ozone soundings in Antarctica were continued as a co operation between Finland and Argentina. The Finnish Antarctic research was internationally evaluated in 2006, and the FMI Antarctic ozone and UV research (co-operation with the Meterorological Institute of Spain and several Argentinian Institutes) was found to represent a success story. The ozone and UV results of the FMI Antarctic research are included in the WMO Antarctic Ozone Bulletins, too.The ozone research group continued to co ordinate the EUMETSAT Ozone SAF Project for making ozone data available after the launch of the new satellite instruments in 2006. FMI also participated in the new HydroSAF, where FMI is coordinating the snowpart.
It was decided to locate the WMO Integrated Global Atmospheric Chemistry Observations, IGACO – O3 Secretariat in FMI. The task of the Secretariat is to facilitate the coordination of the global UV and ozone measurements as well as to facilitate the cooperation between the data users.
Air Quality
The samples of the background air quality monitoring programmes have been analysed for the year 2005. Also the measurement data of the continuous monitors have been handled. The results have been reported to the European Union and to data bases of EMEP, AMAP, EU Integrated Monitoring, and Helsinki Commission. Ozone results of summer season of 2006 have been reported to the European Union too.
A fine particle dispersion model has been developed. The model helps to predict, for example, if and when when considerable amounts of fine particles are transported to Finland from central Europe.
New instruments and methods have been added to the Kumpula urban air quality monitoring station in collaboration with the University of Helsinki. Together with atmospheric dispersion calculations and satellite image analyses the new methods helped to identify the smoke from the forest fires in eastern Europe in spring and summer of 2006.
The health effects of primary fine particles were assessed in cooperation with the National Public Health Institute and the Finnish Environment Institute. Fine particles were estimated to cause 350 additional deaths annually in Finland.
The analytical capability to measure mercury, other heavy metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the air and precipitation was developed. Monitoring of airborne mercury was started in Virolahti, southeastern Finland, and at Isosaari close to Helsinki. Airborne PAH compounds and other heavy metals were analyzed periodically also from the PM10 filter samples collected at Virolahti.
The internet portal of air quality measurements in Finland was developed further and was taken into test operation. A project studying the environmental effects of the nickel and copper smelter at Nikel was wrapped up. The results have been made available to the local environmental authorities, business enterprises utilising nature (tourism and natural products, e.g. berries and fish), and the local public.
The second national intercomparison and audit campaign of air quality measurements was performed. The participants were mainly environmental authorities of municipalities. A clear improvement of data quality was observed compared to the first campaign.
2. PUBLICATIONS
Altogether 272 internationally peer-reviewed publications were published in 2006.
3. MEMBERSHIP IN INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC BODIES
There were over 100 memberships in international scientific bodies in meteorology.