THE FINNISH METEOROLOGICAL INSTITUTE’S ACTION PLAN FOR FINLAND’S CHAIRMANSHIP OF THE ARCTIC COUNCIL 2017–2019 WWW.FMI.FI BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES THE FINNISH METEOROLOGICAL INSTITUTE’S FOCUS AREAS, SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES AND MEASURES uring its 2017–2019 Chair- 1. Monitoring the Arctic region taining Arctic Observing Networks manship of the Arctic (SAON), the EU’s Horizon 2020 pro- D Council, Finland has four During its Chairmanship of the Arc- gramme’s integrated Arctic obser- priorities: environmental protection, tic Council, Finland will propose that vation system (INTAROS) and the meteorological cooperation, the Arctic Council includes both WMO’s Year of Polar Prediction communication solutions and meteorological and oceanographic (YOPP). education. observations as one of the scopes in Intensified meteorological its working groups. Measures: These are to be discussed and oceanographic cooperation with the working group: How can improves general security, serves Responsible person: AMAP enhance the inclusion of international maritime and air traffic, Mikko Strahlendorff. Arctic monitoring in AMAP’s and and produces information for Arctic the Arctic Council’s work in general? climate research. Objective: Provide a synopsis of the results (the shortcomings and needs Timetable: of Arctic observation activities as Spring–summer 2017: discussions well as the added value of inten- with AMAP. sified observations) from current- Autumn 2017 to spring 2019: prepa- ly ongoing activities and bring this ration and communication of the up for discussion within the Arctic synopsis Monitoring and Assessment Spring 2019: assignment of the syn- Programme (AMAP). The main opsis to AMAP and the next host of sources of information are the Sus- the Arctic Council (Iceland). 2 FINNISH METEOROLOGICAL INSTITUTE Image text style here Eija Vallinheimo SECTION HEADER IS A REMINDER Mario Hoppman 2. Active participation in research programme coordinates the activi- impact on the northern parts of the projects ties of observatories located in the Eurasian continent. Arctic region. FMI will lead research TWASE, a project financed by the Active participation in research of the regional processes related to, Academy of Finland, focuses on projects will strengthen weather, ice, for example, the large-scale weather Arctic weather and sea servic- snow, marine and climate research situation in the Cape of the North, es, which can be used to support and related services in the Arctic as well as the movement of heat, the region’s sustainable economic region and its neighbouring areas. humidity and clouds from lower lati- development and infrastructures. tudes to the Arctic and vice versa. The project creates scenarios relat- Responsible party: the Finnish The Pan-Eurasian Experiment ed to the climate and socio- Meteorological Institute (FMI). (PEEX) researches climate change, economic development in the air quality and the environment on Arctic, develops modelling of the These projects include: the Eurasian continent, including atmosphere and sea ice, and refines INTAROS, developing the most its Arctic regions and the Northern the model products to correspond comprehensive and standard- Arctic Ocean. with user needs. ised observation system for Arctic One of the activities in the WMO’s The FMI is participating in ISOBAR, regions. A total of 49 organisations Climate Variability and Predictabili- a Norwegian-led project that from 20 European, North American ty programme was the study of the studies the lower layers of the Arctic and Asian countries are taking part impacts of recent Arctic changes to atmosphere by utilising new obser- in the project. weather in the middle latitudes. vation methods such as drones. FMI will lead a work package for the The EU’s Horizon 2020 programme’s utilisation of existing observations. Marie-Curie project, LAWNIE, stud- The International Arctic Systems for ies the aforementioned topic with Observing the Atmosphere (IASOA) the key focus being on the Arctic’s FINNISH METEOROLOGICAL INSTITUTE 5 Timetable: 3. Active participation in the Measures: Participation in the YOPP June 2017: measurement campaign World Meteorological Organiza- campaign’s intensive observing peri- in Fram strait. tion’s (WMO’s) initiatives ods. With radio sounding carried out February–March 2018: intensive more frequently than usual at Arc- radio sounding campaign. The Arctic Regional Climate Centre tic observation stations, such as the July–August 2018: intensive radio (Arctic RCC) and the YOPP cam- one in Sodankylä. Atmosphere model sounding campaign. paign (2017–2019). testing will be used to analyse how 2018–2019: model trials on the great an advantage additional obser- benefits of additional observations Responsible persons: vations can provide for weather fore- for weather forecasts. Johanna Ekman (Arctic RCC) and casting. Summer seasons 2017–2019: the Timo Vihma (YOPP). Participation in the meteorological installation of buoys on the Arctic research campaign in Fram strait. sea ice. Measures: Promoting the realisation The installation of buoys on the Arctic of the Arctic RCC demonstration sea ice for the measurement of snow 2018–2019: model trials on the phase (2017–2019). and ice temperature and thickness. benefits of additional observations The TWASE project will assess the for weather forecasts. Timetable: The demonstration will economic significance of weather begin in 2017 and come to a close and ice services. by the end of 2019. 6 FINNISH METEOROLOGICAL INSTITUTE Tero Pajukallio ADDRESSES HERE Lorem ispum sit amet Dolor est dolor 00000 Ipsum Sit DOLOR ESTER www.xxxxxxx.fi 4. The promotion of space weath- TomoScand inversion’s feed. The The aforementioned activities are er observation and research operational version of TomoScand directly related to the Chairman- will be linked to the 24/7 space ship’s themes that are of special Responsible person: Kirsti Kauristie. weather service maintained by the interest to the Ministry of Trans- FMI (http://ilmatieteenlaitos.fi/avar- port and Communications’ admin- Objective: The development of uussaa), As a result the service can istrative branch (communications services that support navigation be expanded to give information on links and meteorology). Our pro- and communication in the Arctic potential disturbances originating ject demonstrates Finnish expertise region. from the ionosphere to radio com- in the improvement of the Arctic munications and navigation services region’s communication links and Measures: Within the scope of the in Finland. acts as a natural continuation of the TomoScand project, the FMI and the US Chairmanship’s similar reports University of Oulu Sodankylä The expansion of the TomoScand on the use of HFs in Arctic commu- Geophysical Observatory have concept in order for it to support nications. Our campaign promotes worked in collaboration to build Arctic maritime travel will be test- data distribution by the Sodankylä a satellite radio receiver network ed in collaboration with Oulu-based National Satellite Data Centre and (financed by the Academy of Fin- company KNL Networks in a meas- will be part of the WMO’s YOPP pro- land) in order to measure iono- urement campaign in which the ject. The results will be disseminated spheric disturbance, as well as a weather and condition data collect- on at a wireless technology seminar tomography instrument for the ed by the Sodankylä National that will be held in Oulu during Fin- utilisation of its observations. Satellite Data Centre will be set to land’s Chairmanship. ships operating in the Arctic region. Currently, the TomoScand system The campaign will include the test- Preliminary timetable: has only been used in research pro- ing of data transfer with a KNL-de- Spring 2017 to Spring 2018: KNL’s jects but during Finland’s Chairman- veloped wireless communication campaign for testing wireless com- ship, a version suited for operational connection that uses HF radio munications technology (the IBA services will be developed. This will waves. Information on iono- project). require close cooperation with the spheric weather derived from the Autumn 2017: streamlining of National Land Survey of Finland’s TomoScand observations will be TomoScand to be operational. Finnish Geospatial Research Insti- used as support for the KNL’s r 2018 onwards: The maintenance of tute, so that the real-time observa- outines for monitoring HF signal the TomoScand product as part of tions from the FinRef GNSS sup- strength. the FMI’s space weather service. port network reception stations can be integrated seamlessly as the 5. Influence the UNESCO Intergov- the globe’s oceans and seas, with 6. Improve the status of the ernmental Oceanographic the exception of the Arctic Ocean, Sodankylä National Satellite Data Commission (IOC) to expand its which is a clear shortcoming. Centre in the Arctic operating Global Ocean Observing System environment (GOOS) observations network to Measures: The IOC and the cover the Arctic region ArcticRoos group have already Responsible person: discussed the need for a joint Jouni Pulliainen. Responsible person: Jari Haapala. Arctic GOOS programme. It is of critical importance to ensure that Measures: Realisation of a satellite Objective: The ICO’s GOOS coor- the United States, Canada and data demonstration in 2017/2018. dinates marine observations in the Russia commit to this politically. The demonstration will produce scope of marine research. The IOC is real-time data on ice conditions for an organisation similar to the WMO, An opinion or recommendation a vessel (or vessels) operating in the with the exception that it is not by the Arctic Council on this issue Arctic region. The same demonstra- independent but part of would very likely promote the devel- tion can also be produced for a ves- UNESCO. GOOS focuses on the opment of an Arctic GOOS sel operating in the Baltic Sea; for real-time observation of seas and programme. The matter must be example, in March 2018 in connec- sea ice, and the dissemination of introduced for discussion in the tion with the oil spill exercise organ- data. GOOS is divided into region- Protecting Arctic Marine Environ- ised by the Finnish Environment al programmes, such as BOOS (the ment (PAME) Working Group.