Polar Stratospheric Clouds / Helmiäispilviä

🇬🇧 Rarely seen this early in winter, this morning we saw beautiful Polar Stratospheric Clouds (Mother-of-Pearl clouds) here in Sodankylä. PSCs contribute to the stratospheric ozone loss in spring.
🇫🇮 Harvoin näkyy helmiäispilvet jo marraskuussa. Tänä aamuna Sodankylässä näkyi hienosti stratosfääripilvet. Pilvet vaikuttavat keväällä otsonikatoon stratosfäärissä.

Photo/kuva: Thomas Ulich, Sodankylä, Finland.

Tutkijoiden yö Sodankylässä / Researchers' Night in Sodankylä

Suomenkielinen ohjelma / Finnish language programme (English below)

Yleisöluennoilla kuulet avaruuden kauneimmasta värinäytelmästä, revontulista, näet kauniit kuvat ja videot ja pääset kysymään luennoitsijalta mieltä askarruttavat kysymyksesi. Revontulien lisäksi esittelemme Sodankylän geofysiikan observatorion toimintaa ja puhumme nykypäivän haasteista ihmiskunnalle: avaruusromusta ja avaruussäästä. Lisäksi ohjelmassa on viime vuoden Tutkijoiden yössä suosittu Valo ja Aika -luento, jonka lopussa kokeillaan revontulten tai ainakin yötaivaan kuvaamista omalla kameralla (sään salliessa).

Yleisöluennot Tähtelän päärakennuksessa Polariassa 1. kerroksen luentosalissa suomeksi.

18:00 - Legendat ja tiede - Lyhyt tarina revontuleista (Thomas Ulich)

19:00 - Sodankylän Geofysiikan Observatorio ja nykyajan suurimmat haasteet (Thomas Ulich)

20:00 - Valo ja Aika - voidaanko tallentaa aikaa tiedostoon? (Thomas Ulich)

English language programme / Englanninkielinen ohjelma

In parallel SGO's international researchers will tell about their research work (in English, in the upstairs meeting room).

18:30 - The critical ozone in the Earth's atmosphere (Jia Jia)

19:00 - Waves in space: what is behind the aurora? (Claudia Martinez)

19:30 - Space weather: ionosphere & atmospheric electricity (Liljana Macotela Cruz)

20:00 - Oscillations of the Earth's magnetic field (Neethal Thomas)

The event is free of charge. / Tapahtuma on maksuton.

Coffee, tea, juice and cake will be served from 18:30. Kahvia, teetä, mehua ja marjapiirakkaa tarjotaan klo 18:30 alkaen.

Lue lisää Tutkijoiden yöstä www.oulu.fi/yliopisto/tutkijoidenyo2019/ (more info, in Finnish).

Tervetuloa / Welcome!

Tutkijoiden yö Sodankylässä / Researchers' Night in Sodankylä

Yhteinen avaruusmatkamme avaruusalus planeetta Maalla - Tutkijoiden yö Sodankylässä

(For presentations in English, please check the timetable below!)

Tule mukaan aktiivisena avaruusmatkalaisena Sodankylän Avaruuskampukselle päärakennus Polariaan perjantaina 28.9.2018 klo 18-21 kuulemaan ja näkemään kuinka yhteinen avaruusmatkamme avaruusalus planeetta Maalla sujuu ja mitä avaruusaluksellemme oikein kuuluu.

Yleisöluennoilla kuulet kiehtovan avaruusmatkamme kauneimmasta värinäytelmästä, revontulista kaiken oleellisen, näet kauniit kuvat ja videot ja pääset tietenkin kysymään luennoitsijalta mieltä askarruttavat kysymyksesi. Esimerkiksi, että mitä ihmettä sieltä lähiavaruudesta oikein kuuluu, jos kuuluu. Ja tietenkin kuinka Sodankylän avaruuskampuksella sekä matkaamme että itse avaruusalustamme oikein tutkitaan.

Tärkeämpiäkin kysymyksiä on olemassa. Tiesitkö, että revontulet kertovat mahdolliselle kaukaisen avaruuden tarkkailijalle planeetta Maan ylläpitävän elämää? Entäpä eksoplaneetat, mitä jos niillä näkyisikin samanlaisia revontulia? Ja mehän olemme eksoplaneettojen tarkkailijoita...

Revontulet ovat luonnon kaunein värinäytelmä, mutta sinulla on ihan tavallinen pokkarikamera. Silläkin voi kuvata revontulet. Opi tutkijoiden yössä kuinka se tehdään.

Sodankylän avaruuskampuksella on oma satelliittivastaanottoasema, jolla voidaan myös komentaa satelliitteja. Miksi tämä asema on täällä?

Suomi siirtyi avaruusaikaan viime vuonna lähettämällä ensimmäisen oman satelliittinsa avaruuteen. Mitä tapahtuu seuraavaksi?

Ja mikä ihme on Lappi-satelliitti, milloin se laukaistaan?

Ohjelma on tarkoitettu kansantajuiseksi, pienille lapsille on omaa ohjelmaansa ja englanninkieliselle yleisölle järjestetään omaa ohjelmaa rinnakkain suomenkielisen ohjelman kanssa.

Suomenkielinen ohjelma

Yleisöluennot Tähtelän päärakennuksessa Polariassa 1. kerroksen luentosalissa suomeksi ja samaan aikaan Polarian yläkerran neuvottelutilassa englanniksi.

18:00-18:30 Sodankylän Avaruuskampuksen esittely (suomeksi)

18:30-19:00 Yhteinen avaruusmatkamme Planeetta Maalla (lasten ohjelma suomeksi)

19:00-19:30 New Space Sodankylässä: Lappi-satelliitti ( suomeksi)

19:30-20:00 Avaruuskakkua, kahvia, teetä ja mehua tarjolla, Polarian kahvio

20:00-21:00 Valo ja aika (suomeksi)

                     Luennon sisältö:

                    -kuinka näemme - ja kuinka kamera näkee?

                    -valon vuosi Sodankylässä

                    -revontulikuvaus

                    -demonstraatio: kuinka käytän tavallista kameraa revontulikuvaukseen

Tapahtuma on maksuton.

Programme in English

Public lectures in the lecture hall of main building Polaria (1st floor) in Finnish and at the same time in English (2nd floor).

18:00-18:30 Sodankylä Space Campus, Introduction (in English) 

18:30-19:00 Recent Research Highlights at Sodankylä Space Campus (for adults, in English)

19:00-19:30 The Short Story of the Northern Lights (in English)

19:30-20:00 Space cake, coffee, tea, and juice; Polaria coffee room

Programme is free of charge.

Lue lisää Tutkijoiden yöstä www.oulu.fi/yliopisto/tutkijoidenyo2018/.

Tutkijoiden yö -projekti rahoitetaan Euroopan komission Marie Skłodowska-Curie toimien alaisena sopimusnumerolla 817987.

Vacancy: Postdoc Position in Radio Science

KAIRA site in Kilpisjärvi. Photo Craig Heinselman, EISCAT.

"Remote sensing of energetic particle precipitation into atmosphere"

The postdoc position in Radio Science is part of the profiling actions of University of Oulu, where selected spearheads of research are supported in the research strategy of the university. At the Sodankylä Geophysical Observatory (SGO), the position is mainly meant to boost development of phased-array radio techniques, measurement methods and related science applications in preparation to the use of the forthcoming next-generation incoherent scatter radar facility, EISCAT_3D.

There is growing evidence that the energetic particle precipitation (EPP) originating from the Sun can significantly modulate the middle-atmospheric dynamics, and possibly alter the global atmospheric circulation via ionic production of minor species (such as odd hydrogen and odd nitrogen), thus causing subsequent ozone loss in the stratosphere. The Postdoc project investigates both the EPP and the photoionisation taking place in the mesosphere-lower thermosphere (MLT) altitudes (mainly 60-100 km). For the EPP, the altitude of the maximum ionisation is a direct measure of precipitation energy. This energy-height dependence makes it possible to invert the EPP flux density spectrum from any height-dependent electron density measurement.　

The project exploits a comprehensive set of ground-based (and sounding rocket) electron density data obtained by various radio methods, of which the most important ones are the incoherent scatter radars (EISCAT) and the Kilpisjärvi Imaging Receiver Array, KAIRA. An important tool available at SGO is the in-house developed detailed Sodankylä Ion-neutral Chemistry (SIC).

Deadline: 28th September 2018, 24:00 (Finnish local time).

To apply, please see the full job description and use the electronic application form.

For more information, please contact Ass. Prof. Antti Kero, e-mail: antti.kero(at)sgo.fi, tel.: +358442894669.

Photo: Craig Heinselman, EISCAT Scientific Association.

Vacancy: Joint Research Professorship of SGO and FMI

At the Sodankylä Space Campus, a joint research professorship by Finnish Meteorological Institute and University of Oulu in Atmospheric Research and Imaging Applications is now open for applications.

Application deadline is extended until 14 September 2018.

Sodankylä Space Campus

University of Oulu and Finnish Meteorological Institute jointly invite applications for the position of Professor in Atmospheric Research and Remote Sensing, with emphasis on Space and Imaging Applications. This is a joint Research Professor position between both institutes and is placed at Sodankylä. The position is filled at the level of Assistant Professor/ Associate Professor/ Professor, according to the qualifications and merits of the selected applicant.

The professor will work in the interdisciplinary research programs of the Sodankylä Space Campus and will participate as a supervisor in doctoral programs, related to the fields of sciences driven at the Sodankylä Space Campus.

Sodankylä Geophysical Observatory (SGO) is a separate research institute of University of Oulu, with a national task of carrying out geophysical measurements and related research. Research is both empirical and theoretical, including development of measurement methods and modelling.  SGO’s research of cosmic rays, magnetospheric physics, ionospheric physics and aeronomy of the middle and upper atmosphere belong to one of the strategic research spearheads of University of Oulu.

Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI) operates at Sodankylä the Arctic Space Centre (FMI-ASC), which focuses on the Earth observation research and services, arctic climate change research and the development of weather-related intelligent traffic applications.

FMI and University of Oulu established in 2018 the Sodankylä Space Campus to enforce research co-operation by the two institutes at the Sodankylä Campus, in northern Finland.

FMI-ASC and SGO together operate a globally unique research infrastructure, providing integrated observations of the processes and couplings in the Earth-atmosphere-space system at high latitudes. Research at Sodankylä is carried out together with the wide international research community, based on utilisation and development of this infrastructure.

The new professorship aims to strengthen the joint research profile of the Sodankylä Space Campus targeted to atmospheric research, by applying these data for various applications in an advanced, more effective manner by taking full advantage of novel data inversion and assimilation approaches.

Please refer to the full announcement for more information and use the application form to apply.

Application deadline is extended until 14 September 2018.

Please contact us directly for more information:

Professor Jouni Pulliainen, FMI, +358 50 5895821, jouni.pulliainen (at) fmi.fi
Director Esa Turunen, SGO, +358 50 5663264, esa.turunen (at) sgo.fi

Text: Esa Turunen, SGO; photo: Timo Rantala, SGO.

PhD Opportunity: Middle-Atmosphere Physics and Chemistry

Mesospheric Ozone Receiver Antenna. 

The University of Oulu in Northern Finland, with approximately 16,000 students and 3,000 employees, is an international, multidisciplinary research university with a rich pool of creative and intellectual talent. The strengths of the University include broad, multidisciplinary research interests, a modern research and study environment, and wide cooperation with international research and educational institutes.

The Sodankylä Geophysical Observatory (SGO) is a separate institute of the University of Oulu. Established in 1914, SGO carries out continuous, long-term geophysical measurements of Earth’s high-latitude environment. This activity is a National Task and includes measurements of Earth’s geomagnetic field, ionosphere, northern lights, cosmic radiation and seismic activity. SGO employs about 30 staff, two thirds of which have an academic degree. SGO scientists routinely collaborate with more than 100 institutes world-wide.

The PhD student position is part of the project "Mesospheric Monitoring of Ozone above the Polar Vortex (MeMO)”, which is a spearhead project funded by the university’s Kvantum Institute within the thematic focus area "Earth and near-space system and environmental change."

The PhD project investigates the response in mesospheric and stratospheric ozone and related chemistry as consequence of exceptional space weather events such as solar proton events. The study will be conducted using e.g. the Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model (WACCM) and satellite-based observations, as well as a wealth of atmospheric measurements located at the Sodankylä Space Campus of the University of Oulu and the Finnish Meteorological Institute. Ground-based measurements include, among others, a lidar, a microwave radiometer, a high-resolution Fourier Transform Spectrometer, UV and UV-visible spectrophotometers, balloon-borne and UAV borne instrumentation.

The successful candidate will have a M.Sc. degree in physics, space physics, atmospheric physics or chemistry, meteorology or atmospheric geophysics. Experience in the use of instrumentation and/or atmospheric computer models is highly beneficial, as is experience in data analysis using a high-level programming language (e.g. Python, Matlab). Excellent command of both spoken and written English is essential.

The PhD student position is for 4 years from 1st May 2018 (unless agreed otherwise).  The salary will be based on the levels 2-4 of the demand level chart for university-level teaching and research staff of Finnish universities. In addition, a salary component based on personal work performance will be paid (maximum of 46.3 % of the job-specific component). The salary is thus in practice roughly 2300€ – 3000€ per month, depending on the appointee’s qualifications and experience.

Apply online latest on 16th April 2018 (click on "Apply for the job" at the bottom of that page). The application must be submitted using the electronic application form together with a motivation letter (max 1 page) and full CV. A trial period of 6 months is applied in the position.

Contact: Dr Thomas Ulich, e-mail: thomas.ulich(at)sgo.fi, tel.: +358405490403.

Solar Availability / Auringon Saatavuus

English:

The figure above shows the number of hours, summed up throughout the year, the Sun is above the horizon at different latitudes. We have marked a few places, that are a lot darker than Sodankylä. Despite the fact that in mid winter, the Sun does not rise at all for some days here, the area of Sodankylä municipality is very close to the place where the Sun is above the horizon the most, i.e. the Arctic Circle, which is good to remember today, on the darkest day of the year.

With this we wish you all Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year 2018!

Suomeksi:

Yllä oleva kuva näyttää kuinka monta tuntia, yhteenlaskettuna koko vuoden aikana, aurinko on horisontin yläpuolella eri leveysasteilla. Olemme merkineet muutama paikka, joka on paljon pimeämpää kuin Sodankylä. Huolimatta siitä, että keskellä talvea aurinko ei nouse ollenkaan muutaman päivän aikana, Sodankylän kunnan alue on hyvin lähellä sitä paikkaa, jossa aurinko on eniten horisontin yläpuolella, eli napapiirillä. Tämä on hyvää muistaa tänään, vuoden pimeisinä päivänä maan pohjoisella pallopuoliskolla.

Tällä toivotaan teille kaikille Hyvää Joulua ja Onnellista Uutta Vuotta 2018!

Kuvat: Thomas Ulich & Maxime Grandin, SGO.

April Aurorae

   

Recently, we reported about a new long-term time-lapse project at SGO. Today, we have received the summary video of the Northern Lights in April. The video above works best in full screen and high definition.

Also, we now have live feeds from the time-lapse cameras to SGO's web pages, which allow you to check the current weather conditions in real time. The images are updated once per minute.

As an example, here's what our river camera sees at the moment. You see both images on on their dedicated live-feed page. Enjoy!

Text: Thomas Ulich; image and film: Site-Eye Ltd.

International Incoherent Scatter Radar School: Sodankylä 2016

We have the pleasure to announce the upcoming International Incoherent Scatter Radar School on 24–30 July 2016. This summer school will be held in Sodankylä, and is jointly organised by the Sodankylä Geophysical Observatory and SRI International. It is sponsored by the EISCAT Scientific Association and the US National Science Foundation (NSF).

The purpose of the summer school is to provide graduate and advanced undergraduate students with a solid background on the incoherent scatter radars, from the underlying theory of incoherent scatter to the design of radar experiments and data analysis, with a strong practical component. In particular, the students will be given the opportunity to design and run their own experiments using the EISCAT radar system, and then to analyse their data sets.

The school will be organised as follows. The lectures will take place during the morning sessions, from Monday 25 until Friday 29 July. The afternoon sessions will be dedicated to hands-on work in  small groups, with the objectives of designing a radar experiment suitable to study a chosen physical phenomenon, and of analysing the obtained data accordingly. There will also be many opportunities for students to directly interact with the lecturers during these sessions. The experiments will be run during the 26-27 July night. On Saturday 30 July morning, the groups will present their results to all  the summer school participants.

The school will take place near the beautiful banks of the river Kitinen.

Photo: M. Grandin

All students will be hosted at the local vocational school in Sodankylä, and meals (breakfasts, lunches and dinners) will be provided.

The deadline for submitting an application is 6 March 2016. The selected participants will be notified by 29 March 2016.

More information and detailed instructions for application can be found on the following webpages:

- EISCAT participants: http://www.sgo.fi/Events/RS2016/index.php

- US participants: http://www.amisr.com/workshop

For any inquiries, please contact RS2016(at)sgo.fi (EISCAT/SGO) or summerschool(at)esd.sri.com (US NSF).

All-sky operations started with night time thunder storm

Last night was first observation night with the camera capable to observe the Northern Lights at SGO site station. The observation time is about 4 hours. Instead of the Northern Lights we captured lightning strokes, which is really rare in Sodankylä this time of year when the nights are dark. Past couple weeks has been warmest weeks of the past summer. This ended with cold front travelling over Sodankylä forming heavy thunder shower. The long exposure allowed multiple lightnings in the same frame. The present solar wind conditions provides good change to capture the Northern Lights in the coming night! Other SGO imagers are now in calibration and will be in operation after calibration.

Lightning strikes in UCL Colour image at SGO.

EISCAT_3D -Tutkahanke Etenee

Suomen Akatemian tutkimusinfrastruktuurikomitea on myöntänyt ehdollisen 12,8 miljoonan euron rahoituksen kansainvälisen tieteellisen EISCAT_3D -tutkajärjestelmän rakentamiselle Norjaan (Skibotn), Ruotsiin (Bergfors) ja Suomeen (Karesuvanto). Suomessa hanketta koordinoi Oulun yliopisto.  Akatemian rahoituspäätöksestä 1,8 miljoonaa euroa on suunnattu Suomeen rakennettavan tutka-aseman perusinfrastruktuuriin.

EISCAT_3D -suurtehotutka tulee mittaamaan Maan lähiavaruutta ja sen kytkeytymistä ilmakehään arktisella alueella seuraavien 30 vuoden ajan.

Kansainvälisen hankkeen kokonaiskustannukset ovat noin 74,4 miljoonaa euroa. Akatemian rahoituspäätös on ehdollinen ja edellyttää, että hanke toteutuu kansainvälisen suunnitelman mukaisesti. Kansainvälisestä tarvittavasta rahoituksesta on saatu Ruotsin, Suomen ja Norjan rahoitusvaraukset sekä Euroopan komission projektirahoitus. Tarvittavasta rahoituksesta on nyt koossa 75 prosenttia.

Oulun yliopiston Sodankylän geofysiikan observatorion johtaja, dosentti Esa Turunen arvioi uuden tutkajärjestelmän olevan toteutuessaan merkittävä edistysaskel suomalaiselle lähiavaruutta ja ilmastoa koskevalle tieteelliselle tutkimukselle.

Havainnekuva rakennettavasta EISCAT_3D -asemasta (National Institute of Polar Research, Tokio)

"EISCAT_3D on sekä tehokkaampi että herkempi ja mittaa alempana kuin nykyiset tutkat. Se kykenee mittaamaan ylimääräistä ionisaatiota ja ilmakehän tuulia 50-80 kilometrin korkeusalueella jatkuvasti. EISCAT_3D:n avulla voimme ymmärtää paremmin avaruussään vaihtelun vaikutuksia yläilmakehään arktisella alueella ja avaruussään mahdollista kytkeytymistä ilmastoon", Turunen sanoo.

EISCAT_3D -tutkaa tullaan käyttämään ilmakehän ja lähiavaruuden tutkimukseen revontulialueella. Tutkalla saadaan ainutlaatuista tietoa yläilmakehästä korkeilla leveysasteilla ja napa-alueilla, missä sekä Auringon aktiivisuuden että alemman ilmakehän vaikutukset ovat suuria. Kolmen maan alueelle hajautettu, vaiheistettuihin ryhmäantennikenttiin ja ohjelmistoradioteknologiaan perustuva laitteisto toimii 3-ulotteisesti kuvantavana tutkana. Se mahdollistaa yläilmakehän jatkuvan seurannan arktisella alueella. Tutkimuksen keskeisiä aiheita ovat ilmakehäfysiikka mukaan lukien globaalimuutos, avaruus- ja plasmafysiikka sekä meteoroiditutkimus. Lisäksi tutkaa voidaan käyttää avaruusromun kartoitukseen sekä uusien teknologioiden kehittämisen.

EISCAT_3D -hanketta koordinoi tieteellinen EISCAT-järjestö, jonka jäsenmaita ovat Norja, Ruotsi, Suomi, Iso-Britannia, Japani ja Kiina. Liitännäisjäseniä ovat Venäjä, Ranska ja Ukraina.

EISCAT_3D -hankkeessa ovat Suomesta mukana Oulun yliopiston lisäksi Ilmatieteen laitos, Tieteen tietotekniikan keskus CSC, Helsingin yliopisto, Aalto yliopisto, Tampereen teknillinen yliopisto, Lappeenrannan teknillinen yliopisto ja Maanmittauslaitos. Tutkimusyhteistyökumppaneita löytyy paitsi Euroopasta, myös Aasiasta, erityisesti Japanista, sekä USA:sta.

Teksti: Viestintäpalvelut/SGO; kuva: NIPR, Tokio.

Linkit:

• Oulun yliopiston tiedote, "EISCAT_3D -Tutkahanke Etenee"
• Kaleva, "Tut­ka­hank­keel­le myönnettiin miljoonia – 'Merkittävä askel suomalaiselle ava­ruus­tut­ki­muk­sel­le'"

PhD Defence in One Minute

We have made a time-lapse video of Dr Lassi Roininen's PhD defence on 16th June, 2015. The actual event was slightly longer than the video linked here, which compresses proceedings into one minute. Then we've attached a time-lapse of the subsequent coffee as well. Thus if you weren't in Sodankylä to witness the event live, you can now catch up in a minute and a half in total. Enjoy!

And with this video, we wish all of you a very nice Midsummer Weekend!

Time-lapse: Thomas Ulich.

Eclipse live on 20th March

On Friday, 20th March 2015, there will be a solar eclipse, which can be seen as a partial eclipse (about 90% coverage) from Lapland if weather permits and it isn't cloudy. We will webcast the eclipse live as discussed previously. If the weather is cloudy, we will show the effect on the landscape, i.e. how dark it will really get.

You can follow the event on our web server at this address: http://www.sgo.fi/Events/Eclipse. At Sodankylä, the eclipse will begin at 11:08 h and end at 13:18 h reaching its maximum of just over 90% coverage at 12:13 h (all times East European Time EET).

Warning: Do not look at the Sun without special protecting solar folio or eclipse glasses! If you intend to use welding goggles, make sure they are at least factor 14 or darker (according to recommendation of the URSA Astronomical Association), and even with these glasses, one should not look at the Sun continuously for more than a few minutes! Standard welding glasses are typically 9 to 11 darkness, which is not enough! The sunlight can destroy your eyes, and you won't notice it at the time of observation, but only afterwards.

The Royal Astronomical Society has a comprehensive guide on-line on how to watch the Sun safely, e.g. with filters or pinholes.

Suomeksi: Tietoa pimennyksesta Suomeksi: URSA:n sivuilla. Pimennys voi seurata livenä osoitteella http://www.sgo.fi/Events/Eclipse jos pilvitilanne sallii.

Lue myöskin Lapin kanssa täällä.

Animation: Thomas Ulich.

Observatory Days 2015 - Programme

We have drafted the programme for the Observatory Days 2015. You may find the programme below. The event shall take place in Sodankylä Geophysical Observatory 7th-9th January 2015. All the talks will be in the Polaria lecture hall. The event website is here. Please note that if there will be further changes in the programme, the updated version will be only in the event website!

Afternoon sunset

Early November. We can almost enjoy sunset during our afternoon coffee break in Polaria at 13:30. After a couple of days with positive temperatures, the river is freezing again, showing these funny patterns. The following picture was taken from the shore near the main building of the observatory just a few minutes ago.

Photo: M. Grandin

Virkistyspäivä – "Refreshment Day"

On Wednesday, the staff of Sodankylä Geophysical Observatory spent a recreational day in Ahvenlampi, in Luosto. In Finnish, this is called virkistyspäivä. Weather permitting, outdoor activities are particularly popular in all seasons for such occasions.

Luckily, this was a dry day with slightly positive temperatures, which was particularly well suited for a treasure hunt designed in the same spirit as geocaching during the morning. The staff members were divided into three teams and had to find hints hidden around the pond.

The Virkistelijät team listening to the instructions before departure
Photo: M. Grandin

On their way, they collected sausage sticks, blue wool thread and some metal wire, which they needed to use to "fish" one of the last hints.

The Geotupeltajat team fishing
Photo: M. Grandin

Team work was strongly required to collect the final box containing the indications to find the treasure, which consisted in tikkupulla dough and The Password for lunch.

The Ryhmärymy team reaching the final box
Photo: M. Grandin

During the afternoon, the teams took part in a competition including several activities such as rubber boot throwing and a potato-in-a-spoon-in-the-mouth relay race.

The spoon-and-potato relay race
Photo: M. Grandin

After the competition, the participants all went to the laavu where they had coffee and made the tikkupullat ("stick buns", cooked above the fire). The final task consisted in a quiz about the observatory staff members, after which the points earned by each team were counted.

In the laavu
Photo: T. Ulich

This was a really pleasant and refreshing day, for which we warmly thank the best organiser ever, Iina Sirviö, who did a great job to make this event so memorable!

Solar flare signature in the BDU riometer

There has been quite inspiring buzz in the media about the current "monster sunspot", and indeed, this giant AR2192 spot has sent multiple X-class solar flares towards us within the past few days. In addition to the widely reported HF-radio blackouts and GPS navigation disturbances, the energetic solar flares cause changes in the upper atmosphere/ionosphere due to increased photoionisation in the whole dayside hemisphere. SGO aims to quantify this ionisation by several ground-based measurement techniques, including riometers.

As mentioned in the earlier blog, we have just installed a new spectral riometer to Bahir Dar, Ethiopia and we were lucky to catch a few of these fresh solar flare events to the data, please have a look:

Received power (in arbitrary dB units) detected by the BDU spectral riometer (start, max and stop times of the solar flare event are marked as dashed lines).

One of the challenges in detecting the solar flare induced ionisation by riometry is that the Sun sends, not only the X-rays, but also bursts of radio emissions related to the flare events. As the riometer operates at the same radio frequencies, these emissions might mask totally the signature of the atmospheric response to the flare, i.e., reduction in the cosmic radio noise levels. 

In this case too, the increased levels of radio noise (red stuff) during the onset and offset phases of the flare are probably caused by the direct solar radio emissions. However, around the maximum time of the flare, there is a clear reduction in the radio noise, most likely caused by increased radio wave absorption in the ionosphere. We are particularly interested in the spectrum of this increased absorption (radio noise absorption at different frequencies) as it carries information on the ionisation profile in the atmosphere. 

This provides a very nice science case for collaboration between the SGO and BDU scientists and pretty awesome kick-off for this instrument, I'd say!

A few photos of the famous beauty & the beast:

www.spaceweather.com

www.spaceweather.com

L'Observatoire Géophysique de Sodankylä

Voici un premier article en français sur ce blog, afin de présenter l'Observatoire Géophysique de Sodankylä (en finnois Sodankylän Geofysiikan Observatorio, d'où l'abréviation SGO) à nos visiteurs francophones qui ne le connaissent peut-être pas. 

Cet observatoire a été créé en 1913, avant même que la Finlande ne déclare son indépendance de l'Empire Russe (6 décembre 1917). Il se situe 120 km au-delà du Cercle Polaire Arctique (67°22'N, 26°38'E en coordonées géographiques), région où l'activité géomagnétique est particulièrement importante. Les premières mesures du champ magnétique terrestre ont débuté en janvier 1914, et c'est désormais un siècle d'observations qui ont été accumulées. La seule discontinuité dans ces mesures de champ magnétique s'étend de l'automne 1944 à la fin de l'année 1946, lorsque l'observatoire fut brûlé à l'instar de la quasi totalité des constructions en Laponie par l'armée allemande (Guerre de Laponie).

Premier sous-orage magnétique enregistré à l'observatoire, durant les premières heures du 5 janvier 1914
Image : site internet de SGO

Depuis 1997, l'observatoire de Sodankylä constitue un institut autonome de l'Université d'Oulu, et une partie des chercheurs de l'observatoire travaillent à Oulu. Des liens de collaboration étroite existent par ailleurs entre SGO et certains départements de l'université (physique et mathématiques, en particulier).

L'observatoire poursuit deux objectifs principaux : effectuer des mesures géomagnétiques de qualité pour la communauté scientifique et mener une activité de recherche. 

Le bâtiment principal, Polaria, à Sodankylä
Photo : M. Grandin

Parmi les instruments opérés par SGO, on peut mentionner des magnétomètres, une ionosonde, un réseau de riomètres, un radar à météores, une chaîne d'antennes réceptrices de tomographie ionosphérique, un réseau de sismomètres, des antennes VLF, des caméras plein ciel… Plus récemment, l'observatoire a développé un tout nouvel instrument à Kilpisjärvi, KAIRA, offrant de multiples possibilités d'études de la haute atmosphère. Enfin, SGO est un acteur majeur du développement et de l'exploitation de radars à diffusion incohérente via l'association EISCAT. 

Les travaux des chercheurs de l'observatoire portent non seulement sur la physique ionosphérique et la météorologie de l'espace, mais aussi sur la sismologie ou encore les rayons cosmiques. De nombreuses collaborations sont entretenues, tant à l'échelle nationale (entre autres avec l'Institut Météorologique Finlandais) qu'avec des équipes à l'étranger (Russie, pays scandinaves, Royaume-Uni, États-Unis, France…).

L'antenne réceptrice EISCAT de Sodankylä
Photo : M. Grandin

Après ce bref tour d'horizon, un conseil pour les traqueurs d'aurores de passage dans la région : vous pouvez surveiller en temps réel les images prises par les caméras plein ciel !

Observatory Days 2015

The Observatory Days 2015 will take place 7th to 9th January 2015 at Sodankylä Geophysical Observatory. The purpose of the Observatory Days is to discuss, in a somewhat informal setting, science and future strategies and actions related to space research. Naturally this includes the presentation of recent results and recent, current as well as future activities. The schedule of the meeting is designed to allow for plenty of discussion time.

This meeting is the 6th in the current series, which started in 2008 under the name of Sodankylä Science Seminar, and later simply Sodankylä Seminar. Initially it was meant to discuss collaboration between SGO and the Space Physics Group at the main campus of the University of Oulu, but gradually the meeting expanded and since the 2014 meeting it is open to anyone.

For the 2015 edition we decided to change the name to Observatory Days. This name has a long history, since there used to be a regular collaboration meeting between the University of Oulu, the Finnish Meteorological Institute, and SGO under the name of "Geofysiikan Observatoriopäivät," which were held before SGO became and independent department of the University of Oulu. The last meeting was the XXVIII Geofysiikan Observatoriopäivät, which took place 11th to 12th January 1993.

Already then, the time very early in the year was chosen in order to allow our colleagues with teaching duties to take part in the meeting before the end of the Christmas & New Year break. 

The 2015 meeting will begin at 13:30 LT on Wednesday, 7th January, and end with lunch at 12:00 LT on Friday, 9th January.

For more information, please click here.

Deadline for registration and abstract submission: 7th December 2014.

A Kind Gift to the Observatory

Yesterday 20 September, two children of a former director of SGO offered the following painting of the now dismantled main building, painted in 1952 by Ernst E. Leiniö.

The painting (Photo: Thomas Ulich).

That building was located near the present library and administrative offices, in the northern part of Tähtelä. It was used as the main building until the 1980s, before the offices were moved to the administrative building and the ionospheric station, which is situated in Tähtelä-south. Since the early 2000s, Sodankylä Geophysical Observatory has shared the recent Polaria building with the Finnish Meteorological Institute, in the southern part of Tähtelä as well.

The donators enclosed a written statement which recalls the context in which the painting was made, in both Finnish and English. We reproduce this text here:

"LAHJOITUSKIRJA

Me allekirjoittaneet Katri ja Jouni Kataja lahjoitamme äidinisämme Ernst E. Leiniön maalaaman taulun Sodankylän Geofysiikan Observatoriolle. Taulu kuvaa observatorion päärakennusta siinä asussa kuin se oli kevättalvella 1952. Rakennuksen suunnitteli vuonna 1945 Suomen ensimmäinen naisarkkitehti Wivi Lönn. Isämme Eero Kataja toimi observatorion johtajana vuosina 1950-1992 ja äitimme Hilkka Kataja (o.s. Leiniö) sen emäntänä 1950-1955.

Ernst Edvard Leiniö (1893-1962) vietti useita kuukausia vuonna 1952 Sodankylässä ja maalasi tällöin viimeiset taulunsa – Parkinsonin tauti lopetti sekä hänen puusepän että maalarin uransa. Koska tällä taululla ei ole enää meidän jälkeläisillemme samaa henkistä merkitystä kuin meille, haluamme luovuttaa sen laitokselle, jolle se aiheensa perustella mielestämme lähinnä kuuluu.

DEED OF DONATION

We the undersigned Katri and Jouni Kataja donate a painting made by our mother's father Ernst E. Leiniö to the Sodankylä Geophysical Observatory. The topic of the picture is the main building of the observatory as it was in the early spring of 1952. The building was designed in 1945 by Wivi Lönn, the first Finnish female architect. Our father Eero Kataja was the director of the observatory in 1950-1992, and our mother Hilkka Kataja (née Leiniö) was its hostess in 1950-1955.

Ernst Edvard Leiniö (1893-1962) spent several months in Sodankylä in the year 1952 and during that time he painted his last pictures – Parkinson's disease ended his career both as a carpenter and as a painter. As this painting does not have the same spiritual meaning to our progeny as it has to us, we want to donate it to the institute to which we think, because of the topic of the painting, it rightly belongs.

Turussa 19. syyskuuta 2014

In Turku 19th September 2014

Katri Kataja, Jouni Kataja"

Unveiling the painting (Photo: Maxime Grandin).

Esa Turunen receiving the painting from Jouni Kataja (Photo: Thomas Ulich).

In the name of Sodankylä Geophysical Observatory, we warmly thank Katri and Jouni Kataja for their very kind and touching donation.