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INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF METEOROLOGY AND ATMOSPHERIC
SCIENCE (IAMAS) - 2005
Reporter. Maria Hurtola
1. ACTIVITIES
1.1 UNIVERSITY OF HELSINKI, DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICAL SCIENCES,
DIVISION OF ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCES
During 2005, meteorological research was made in the areas of climate studies,
mesoscale meteorology and radar meteorology. Also micro-meteorological research on
forest-air exchange and research on atmospheric aerosols was carried out..
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)
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.
Experimental Meteorology
Radar meteorology has been one of the main meteorological research objects of the UH
since 1965. The UH Weather radar laboratory has the highest expertise in Finland on
weather radars and is well known world wide. Since 2000 the UH weather radar
laboratory explored and evaluated numerous possibilities of getting a highest quality
polarimetric research weather radar. These efforts led to co-operation between UH and
Vaisala Oy. As a result, a new Finnish research radar prototype was planned, constructed
and eventually put into operation in 2005.
Encouraging test results were confirmed by the successful first meteorological
measurements performed together with the UH Doppler radar from February onwards.
The measurements clearly showed the ability of the Prototype to produce accurate
estimates for all polarimetric parameters. The preliminary analysis of the snowstorm of
March 17^th , illustrated the great potential of polarimetric measurements in mid latitude
snow-storms. As a result the paper “Preliminary polarimetric analysis of a winter storm
causing catastrophic traffic problems” (by T. Puhakka), and the related paper “Solar
calibrations with dual polarization weather radar” (by P. Puhakka) as well as a poster
“The UH research radar setup (by T.Puhakka)” were presented in the 32^nd Conference
on Radar Meteorology, organized by the American Meteorological Society, 24-29
October in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Atmospheric Sciences
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, wetland and lake
ecosystems. Also measurements under canopy in trunk-space have been accomplished.
The measurements are supported by development of footprint models based on
Lagrangian trajectories and BL closure models. The urban micrometeorological
measurements at SMEAR III site in Kumpula, Helsinki covers already one full year.
Evapo-transpiration measurements are supported by studies of water cycling in trees.
The most important activities have related to physico-chemical phenomena of
atmospheric aerosols and especially their formation and growth processes. The results on
modelling, field measurements and laboratory experiments are used for improved
understanding of cloud microphysics, climate change and health effects.
A new international multi- and cross-disciplinary 10-year research project, “Integrated
Land Ecosystem – Atmosphere Processes Study” (iLEAPS;
http://www.atm.helsinki.fi/ILEAPS/) has continued its operation. Its objective is to study
land-atmosphere interactions within the framework of the second phase of International
Geosphere – Biosphere Programme (IGBP).
1.2 FINNISH METEOROLOGICAL INSTITUTE (FMI)
In 2005, 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 participated strongly in the
implementation of the national strategy for the adaptation to climate change conducted by
the Ministry for Agriculture and Forestry. FMI was also the leading author of the ozone
and UV-radiation part of the Arctic Climate Impact Assessment report.
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. On
the initiative of FMI a Nordic project called NORDADAPT concerning the Adaptation to
Climate Change was initiated 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 started in 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. A new research
group was formed in Kuopio together with Kuopio University NWP modelling
The development of the HIRLAM (High Resolution Limited Area Model) continued with
the goals aiming at the improvement of short-range forecasting and forecasting of severe
weather phenomena as well as on regional accuracy in northern conditions. As a result of
the development of numerical weather forecast models, the resolution of the HIRLAM
model was reduced from 22 km to 9 km. This means increasingly better rain and
temperature forecasts. The international HIRLAM project was subject to an independent
international evaluation, the results of which will be utilised in developing Finnish
weather modelling expertise. F
Atmospheric chemistry
The measurement methane emissions from peatland was constructed at the measurement
station in the vicinity of the Pallas-Sodankylä measurement station in Lapland,
maintained by the FMI as part of the Global Atmosphere Watch network of the World
Meteorological Organization. It has been predicted that climate change will bring about a
marked increase in methane emissions from peatland. Methane emissions were also
studied intensively in man-made environments, such as landfills.
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.
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. The
project was successfully introduced at the Climate COP meeting in Montreal.
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 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 central objective of the National Reference Laboratory of Air Quality is to improve
the quality assurance of air quality measurements and to ensure internationally
comparable results. The Laboratory reported findings that were obtained from the
comparison measurements of the main gaseous impurities and from inspections of the
operations of measurement stations in Finland. The Laboratory also participated in the
global comparison measurement of impurities.
The collaborative research project on the health effects of air pollution in view of the
various options in the Greater Helsinki area traffic system plan, financed by the Academy
of Finland, was completed during the year. As part of the Tekes technology programme
“Streams – Recycling Technologies and Waste Management”, the FMI developed a
successful micro-meteorological measurement method for landfill odour emissions and
evaporation. An extensive study was carried out to determine how the concentrations and
amounts of various compounds in acid deposition have been reduced in Finland within
the past few decades. Two study projects to determine the environmental impact of metal
smelting plants in the Kola Peninsula were started, funded by the EU and the Finnish
Ministry of the Environment.
The conventional air quality research has been focused on particulate matter, tropospheric
ozone, nitrogen oxides, organic compounds and toxic substances such as benzene. In
particular, versatile measurements were carried out in several EU-funded and national
studies in order to study the source contributions, chemical composition and toxicology
of fine particles. Mathematical modelling methods were developed for evaluating the
emissions, atmospheric dispersion and transformation of particulate matter. Models have
also been developed for the evaluation of the exposure of population to airborne
pollutants. These topic areas are in agreement with the needs on air quality research
addressed by UN/ECE and EU/EEA.
2. PUBLICATIONS
Altogether 140 internationally peer-reviewed publications were published in 2005.
3. MEMBERSHIP IN INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC BODIES
There were over 100 memberships in international scientific bodies in meteorology.