Dr. Kathrin Baumgarten was elected by the DPG Kühlungsborn, 17 July 2018 The Deutsche Physikalische Gesellschaft / German Phsical Society (DPG) runs a Arbeitskreis Chancengleichheit / Working Group Equal Opportunity (AKC) ... (more in German)
Read moreAGU press release on IAP paper Kühlungsborn, 18 July 2018 Anthropogenic influences change the visibility of noctilucent clouds... (more in German)
Read moreCertificate on audit berufundfamilie confirmed again Kühlungsborn, 27 June 2018 It is about compatibility of profession and family... (more in German)
Read moreNews from the sounding rocket project Kühlungsborn, 19 April 2018 The first campaign of the PMWE project... (more in German)
Read moreStart for VAHCOLI Kühlungsborn, 18 January 2018 To measure three-dimensional wind and temperature up to 100 km altitude with Doppler lidar... (more in German)
Read moreImaging the wind with meteor radars – new technical developments and scientific questions Kühlungsborn, 02 June 2016 Meteor radar has been a fundamental tool for probing the upper atmosphere and understanding the source of extraterrestrial materials entering the Earth system. Both all-sky and narrow beam monostatic radar systems have been used for such studies. Additionally all-sky systems are sometimes supplemented with additional receivers located within a few kilometers of the transmitter to calculate meteor trajectories. With recent advances in software defined receiver systems in addition to GPS disciplined oscillators, it is now possible to envision large regional mesoscale networks of multistatic meteor radar systems (in short: MMR) to conduct aeronomical and astronomical research. A dedicated workshop was held from 31 May to 02 June at the Leibniz Institute of Atmospheric Physics in Kühlungsborn. Its purpose was to discuss the current state of the art in meteor radar technology and consider how this technology can be utilized for advancing the understanding of physics of the upper atmosphere. The 3-day workshop was attended by 34 leading researchers from Australia, Belgium, Canada, Germany, Japan, Peru, Sweden and the United States, providing an opportunity for dynamic interactions and discussions on emerging technologies and open scientific questions that can be addressed with these new systems. “The workshop revealed the current technical state and scientific demand for mesoscale radar networks.”, says Jorge Luis Chau, head of IAP radar department and co-organizer of the workshop. “There was a consensus that multistatic meteor radars can offer a high potential for new science and the continued technical and system deployment was highly encouraged. This development includes extending the German-Norwegian MMARIA system and collaborating internationally to develop similar networks in the United States and in Australia.” The MMR workshop was co-organized by Scott Palo (University of Colorado, Boulder, USA) and sponsored by NSF. Further information at < https://www.iap-kborn.de/1/current-issues/workshops/multistatic-meteor-radar/ >.
Read moreKühlungsborn, 01.05.2014 SCOSTEP, die weltweit größte Wissenschaftsorganisation auf dem Gebiet der solar-terrestrischen Forschung, initiiert ein neues Forschungsprogramm. Das letzte Programm CAWSES (Climate and Weather of the Sun-Earth System) erstreckte sich über den Zeitraum von 2004 bis 2013 und wurde im November 2013 in Nagoya mit einem wissenschaftlichen Symposium beendet. Gleichzeitig wurde das neue Programm VarSITI (Variability of the Sun and Its Terrestrial Impact) verkündet, dessen inhaltliche Ausrichtung nach intensiven Beratungen über einen Zeitraum von etwa zwei Jahren festgelegt wurde. Das größte Einzelprojekt innerhalb VarSITI heißt ROSMIC (Role Of the Sun and the Middle atmosphere/ thermosphere/ionosphere In Climate) und geht wesentlich auf das (fast) gleichnamige Förderprogramm des BMBF zurück. Der Direktor des IAP, Franz-Josef Lübken, ist einer der drei Vorsitzenden von ROSMIC und gleichzeitig Vizepräsident von SCOSTEP. Innerhalb von ROSMIC wurden vier Arbeitsgruppen gebildet, in denen der anthropogene und solare Einfluss auf die mittlere/obere Atmosphäre und die Kopplung der atmosphärischen Schichten untersucht wird.
Read moreProcesses And Climatology Of Gravity waves (PACOG) The prime objective of this project is to study gravity waves by observational and theoretical methods in order to better understand the physical processes involved and to elucidate the impact of gravity waves on the atmospheric background conditions. This project is part of the Research Unit MSGWaves. The core part of the PACOG-2020 campaign activities will be conducted in Northern Scandinavia. The core time period is: 15 of January to 15 of March. However, we also plan to conduct Radar and Lidar measurements continuously during couple of weeks before and after this time slot (pre- and post-phases). The core IAP instrumentation involved includes: - RMR-lidar at ALOMAR and Kühlungsborn, (possibly Fe-lidar) - IAP radars in Northern Scandinavia will be operated as follows: MAARSY: Combined UTLS + MLT experiment, 1.5 - 20 km wind, spectral width Saura MF radar: Standard mesospheric experiment 70 - 95 km wind, spectral width, electron density OSWIN-VHF-Radar (Kühlungsborn): Troposphere 2-15 km wind (FCA) Meteor radar network (MMARIA) 75 -100 km wind - Airglow images at Kühlungsborn - radiosonde measurements provided by Norwegian Meteorological Institute - On 19 January a LITOS payload was launched from Kühlungsborn to study turbulence in an upper-level front. The evaluation of the turbulence data is ongoing. Information from a radiosonde on board of the LITOS instrument is given here. -Doppler sounding of the Ionosphere ( gravity wave activity at ionospheric heights over western half of Czechia. Provided by Institute of Atmospheric Physics Czech Academy of Sciences ) Other campaigns for this time period: - SPIDER-2 rocket campaign at ESRANGE in Jan/Feb 2020 (PI: Nickolay Ivchenko ) with extensive support by ESRANGE-lidar, EISCAT radar and ESRAD -Interhemispheric Coupling Study by Observations and Modeling (ICSOM-5) Additional links: ECMWF Stratosphere diagnostics can be found here The NH polar vortex was stable. No major SSW was observed. Forecast (03/02/2020) : Currently there is obviously an increase in the stratospheric wave one going on, which means a transient increase in the Aleutian high anomaly and in the polar low anomaly over Northern Europe / West-Siberia, where the center of the polar low is slightly moving eastward. In terms of zonal means, it means a small (minor) warming in the upper stratosphere. However, following the forecast of NOAA, this development might be only a short-term event over the next 5-10 days or so, and the vortex will re-establish soon. We will see whether the forecast is right (usually it is right over a period of 5 days or so), or if this event has the potential to develop towards a major stratospheric warming (i.e., a vortex displacement). This development is indicated by the zonal mean diagnostics provided by NOAA (see, for example, the time series of Tanom and Wave 1): https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/stratosphere/strat-trop/, and by the current state and forecast over the next 15 days at different levels up to 1 hPa, also provided by NOAA (see, for example, the forecast of temperatures and geopotential height): https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/stratosphere/strat_a_f/. Forecast (14/02/2020) : 1) As predicted, the increase in the stratospheric wave one during last 10 days was indeed a short-term event. The polar vortex is now again nearly zonally symmetric, with temperatures slightly cooler than usual. The forecast suggests that this situation will not change significantly during the next 2 weeks. See again the zonal mean diagnostics provided by NOAA (e.g., the time series of Tanom and Wave 1): https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/stratosphere/strat-trop/, and the forecast over the next 15 days at different levels up to 1 hPa, also provided by NOAA: https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/stratosphere/strat_a_f/. 2) Currently, the stratospheric ozone concentrations within the polar vortex are significantly smaller than usual. See here also ozone maps and predictions provided by NASA https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/stratosphere/strat_a_f/. and ozone maps provided by Enviroment Canada: https://exp-studies.tor.ec.gc.ca/cgi-bin/selectMap Forecast (05/03/2020) : The polar vortex is still nearly zonally symmetric and currently colder than usual (by about 8 to 12K) particularly in the lower stratosphere (below levels of about 30hPa). In comparison to previous years, lower stratospheric temperatures are currently colder than the long-term minimum. The forecast again suggests that this situation will not change during the next 2 weeks, which could be a hint of a significant delay of the final breakup of the polar vortex. Such a delay could lead to a more abrupt change in the stratosphere-mesosphere circulation during springtime than usual. The cold temperatures in the lower stratosphere have led to strong ozone depletions (currently the ozone column density is weaker than the previous extreme values during the first days of March in 2005, 2011 and 2016). The cooling due to these ozone depletions may contribute to the unusual cold temperatures in the lower stratosphere and, perhaps, to a delay of the final breakup of the vortex. See again the analysis and forecast provided by NOAA, i.e., the zonal mean diagnostics (e.g., temperature anomalies, Tanom): https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/stratosphere/strat-trop/, the forecast of temperature, geopotential height and ozone over the next 15 days: https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/stratosphere/strat_a_f/, and the time series of temperature and winds at different levels: https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/stratosphere/SSW/ See also the ozone maps provided by Enviroment Canada (includes a possibility to compare individual plots over the last decades): https://exp-studies.tor.ec.gc.ca/cgi-bin/selectMap Forecast (16/03/2020) : Forecasts predict a strong warming of the upper and middle stratosphere during the next days, including a strong increase in planetary wave one. This development might indicate the initial phase of the final vortex breakup which usually occurs during early spring time. However, the lower stratosphere is still very cold at the moment, and the forecast of geopotential height suggests that the vortex could still remain stable during the next 2-3 weeks. The accompanied record ozone loss (in large areas over the Arctic more than 50%!) may contribute to the cold temperatures in the lower stratosphere (in addition to the long-term cooling by increasing carbon dioxide). At the moment it is an open question how long this cooling of the lower stratosphere will counteract to the upcoming upper and middle stratospheric warming. Again, maps of total ozone column, including the possibility for comparison with previous years, are provided by Enviroment Canada: https://exp-studies.tor.ec.gc.ca/cgi-bin/selectMap Forecasts of temperature, geopotential height and ozone, and time series monitoring SSW developments (GMS analysis and 16 day forecasts at different levels), are provided by NOAA: https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/stratosphere/strat_a_f/#emct https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/stratosphere/SSW/ Forecast (30/03/2020) : Currently the lower stratosphere is still unusually cold, probably because of the record ozone loss and associated cooling in the polar vortex region. The stratospheric warming event of the last 2 weeks was limited to the middle and upper stratosphere, and did not led to a final breakup of the polar vortex but only to a displacement of the center of the vortex towards North Canada. Forecasts predict that the vortex will remain stable during the next 2 weeks, where the center of the vortex and the embedded record ozone loss will move back towards Northern Europe/West-Siberia. Note that the discussion on the “Arctic ozone hole” is increasing, e.g.: https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-00904-w. Again, an archive of maps of total ozone column are provided by Environment Canada: https://exp-studies.tor.ec.gc.ca/cgi-bin/selectMap Forecasts of temperature, geopotential height and ozone are provided by NOAA: https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/stratosphere/strat_a_f/#emct, and https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/stratosphere/SSW/ Forecast (16/04/2020) : During the next two weeks the arctic stratosphere will become warmer very rapidly (particularly the lower stratosphere) and the high-latitude zonal mean jet will change from westerlies towards easterlies, i.e., the stratosphere will change towards usual summer conditions. Accordingly the polar vortex, which is already weak but still exists, will finally dissipate within the next two weeks. The record Arctic Ozone Hole is still observed over the Arctic, where the edge extends towards Northern Scandinavia, the Baltic Sea and Northern Russia; together with the dissipating minimum temperatures in the lower stratosphere, the minimum ozone values will move eastward towards East-Siberia, and will be filled up by the onset of photo-chemistry and increasing eddy mixing during the next weeks. See again the maps of total ozone column provided by Environment Canada: https://exp-studies.tor.ec.gc.ca/cgi-bin/selectMap, the forecasts of temperature, geopotential height and ozone provided by NOAA: https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/stratosphere/strat_a_f/#emct, and the time series of GFS Analyses and 16 Day Forecasts provided by NOAA: https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/stratosphere/SSW/. Forecasts provided by Dr. Axel Gabriel
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