The
Arena Arctica
in Kiruna, Sweden is a state-of-the-art
facility above the Arctic Circle consisting of hangar space for research aircraft as well as
offices and laboratory space.
Arena Arctica. Photo credit:
Forschungszentrum Jülich
This facility has housed
numerous atmospheric chemistry field experiments focused on the composition
of the Arctic, including the joint NASA/European
SOLVE-THESEO experiment in 2000 and the
NASA
SOLVE-II
and European
Vintersol campaigns in 2003.
During winter 2010, the EU
RECONCILE experiment
has deployed from Arena Arctica. The goals of this mission are to
obtain measurements that will allow "reconciliation of essential process
parameters for an enhanced predictability of arctic stratospheric ozone
loss and its climate interactions". The Russian
Geophysica aircraft flies 19
instruments into a variety of environmental settings, including a
circulation system known as the Arctic polar vortex.
Instrument loading and checkout. Photo
credit: Ross Salawitch
Click here for more photos
of the aircraft and hangar.
Ross has traveled to Kiruna
to participate in the RECONCILE Science Team meeting as well as flight
planning meetings for the remainder of the campaign. He will present
two talks: an overview of the photochemistry that controls the
reactive halogen species ClO and ClOOCl that regulate polar ozone loss, and
RECONCILE flight opportunities to assess measurements of atmospheric BrO
obtained by satellite instruments.
The Geophysica aircraft can
reach altitudes as high as 70,000 feet, which is in the stratosphere, the
middle of the ozone layer. The photograph below shows the take-off of
this remarkable aircraft:
Takeoff of the Geophysica. Photo credit: Reimer
Bauer, Jülich
This aircraft is being
developed for another interesting application:
low cost space tourism. Seats are going fast on the shuttle being
developed for launch from this aircraft: only $200,000 K for a 5 minute
view of Earth from the edge of outer space!
On 4 March 2010, the 100 or
so scientists and crew in Kiruna for RECONCILE had a spectacular treat
-
the aurora borealis lit up the evening sky:
Aurora Borealis over Kiruna.
Photo credit: Forschungszentrum Jülich
The next day, a handful of
scientists had a close encounter with a female Arctic moose:
Kiruna moose.
Photo credit: Forschungszentrum Jülich
Here is a look at the City
Hall of Kiruna ... they do not cancel school in Kiruna when it snows!
Kiruna City Hall. Photo
credit: Ross Salawitch
The airport is small: only
one ticket counter, one baggage area, etc:
Kiruna Airport. Photo
credit: Ross Salawitch
and passengers walk to and
from the aircraft on the tarmac:
Kiruna Airport. Photo
credit: Ross Salawitch
Most travelers are either
locals going to Stockholm for a shopping or dining excursion or tourists
visiting the renowned Ice Hotel
in nearby Jukkasjärvi:
Ice Hotel Check In Desk. Photo
credit: Ross Salawitch
Our accommodations are a bit
cozier:
Kiruna Igloo. Photo
credit: Ross Salawitch
Actually, we have fantastic accommodations: a modern apartment with six bedrooms and full
kitchen. Various instruments teams occupy adjacent apartments.
The Jülich Halox team has kindly let me to occupy a spare room in their
apartment.
Temperature during Ross's
stay briefly reached a high of 1 deg above freezing and was often about 10
to 20 deg below zero. During 2003, Ross witnessed
-40
degrees, which marks the same temperature on both the Fahrenheit and
Celsius scales (yikes!). Despite the omnipresent cold, cars started easily and
are warm upon entry because the town center, hotels, and airport have
electrical outlets used to attach a plug that powers two heaters: one warms
the cabin and another keeps the engine oil warm. The
only problem, at times, was figuring out which car was yours:
Which Volvo is mine? Photo credit: Michael
Volk
The project party occurred
the evening of 9 March. The Italians and Russians provided the main course,
the Italians provided desert, and the Germans
and Russians provided beverages "appropriate" for an end of mission party.
Click here for a
few pictures from the end of mission party.
Thirteen highly successful
flights were conducted, between 17 January and 10 March 2010.
Read more on the official
RECONCILE project
web page.