The 2nd Polar Winter School on Snow Measurements and Arctic Air Pollution was co-organized by the UArctic Thematic Networks on High Latitude Dust (HLD) and Nordic Snow Network with the Czech University of Life Sciences and Agricultural University of Iceland in Hvanneyri, Iceland, on 2-8 March 2025. Thematic lectures and trainings focused on snow hydrology, glaciology, air pollution and light absorbing impurities, avalanche safety, remote sensing in snow science, soil science, landscape architecture, and hydropower energy production, were given by the experts from Iceland, Czech Republic and Finland. The school could have accommodated only about a third of all applicants unfortunately.
Arctic air pollution was both measured in situ as particulate matter concentrations and collected as Light Absorbing Impurities from snow and glacial surfaces. Part of the sampling and measurements took place on the Langjökull Glacier. Snow hydrology and snow physics were examined in various snow pits in the Havnneyri area and on the glacier. Students consequently worked with the samples in the lab, with the datasets and instruments, and implemented remote sensing methods. As a bonus, a journey in a man-made ice cave inside the glacier was conducted.
The lecturers were Roman Juras, Leena Leppanen, Ali Nadir Arslan, Outi Meinander, Pavla Dagsson-Waldhauserová, Maria Svavarsdottir, Jan Komarek, Inga Jonsdottir, Andri Gunnarsson, David Finger, Ragnhildur Helga Jónsdóttir, and Daniele Stefano. Vojtech Moravec documented all activities. Students are working on a final scientific paper based on the in situ data obtained during the school. The 3nd Polar Winter School will be organized in Kilpisjarvi in Lapland on 13-17 April 2026.
Iceland became a National Collaboration Programme (NCP) member in Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) to focus on high latitude dust measurements, modeling, forecasting, and general awareness of air pollution in Iceland and in the Arctic in 2023. This CAMS NCP Phase I was successfully concluded with improved awareness, integration, and application of CAMS products in Iceland in 2025. The project assured significant advancements in stakeholder engagement, public awareness, and data validation, with emphasis on highlatitude dust (HLD). In cooperation with members of UArctic TN on HLD and IceDust Association, joint Workshops were organized. In-situ dust monitoring network in Iceland was supported and unique data acquired for long-term dust burden in Iceland as well as extreme events, such as dust storms, biomass burning and Saharan dust transport to Iceland. New air quality (AQ) web application was developed for Iceland, integrating in-situ AQ-, meteo-, road condition and webcam-, soil-, and satellite CAMS data from multiple sources (https://kort.gis.is/mapview/?application=loftgaedi_prufa).
CAMS NCP Iceland Phase II (2025-2028) builds on experience from the Phase I and will keep on developing the new AQ web application, in-situ data acquisition for CAMS product validation and operational dust model DREAM_Iceland (developed and maintained by the Republic Hydrometeorological Service of Serbia and University of Belgrade), and engagement of stakeholders and students to CAMS- and AQ data and monitoring in Iceland and in the Arctic. New partner Icelandic Environmental and Energy Agency joined the project and straightened the focus on gaseous air pollutants.
Follow us here:
Annual August desert dust measurements were conducted by the members of the UArctic TN on HLD in Dyngjusandur, highland desert North of Vatnajökull glacier, in Iceland. Due to high temperatures, the glacier was heavily melting and the desert flooded. Severe dust storms still occurred on a daily basis and dust concentrations exceeded 1,000 ugm-3 for particulate matter < 10um ( PM10). Obtained measurements are of important value for CAMS products and operational dust model DREAM_Iceland to be validated, as the desert is accessible only for about three months a year. This mission was done under the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) National Collaboration Programme Iceland project.
In addition, science-art cooperation is emphasized in the UArctic TN on HLD and dust-art cooperation took part during the field campaign. The artist, Beata Spacilova from the ARTS and Masaryk University in Czech Republic, collected dust samples and visual materials for her doctoral thesis and exhibition. Famous Ultra Marathon Fire and Ice took part during our measurements in these harsh conditions and we interviewed the participants for a study on understanding the impacts of dust storms on their physical and mental performance by Pavel Vrbik from the Palacky University, Czech Republic, in cooperation with the Agricultural University of Iceland. Preliminary results showed that the dust storms seem to have positive impacts on the performance of marathoners, at least the same day of exposure.
The UArctic TN on HLD members take active part in the project Planet Watch by Enlaps on occasion of the International Year of Glaciers Preservation, initiated by UNESCO and the WMO (World Meteorological Organization) in collaboration with governments and more than 75 international organizations. A special Tikee camera was re-installed at the Katla glacier (Kötlujökull) in South Iceland to observe the rapid melting of the glacier tongue and development of new dust hot spot area underneath. Time lapses are also provided to monitor the impurities on the glacier. Katla Glacier project at the Agricultural University of Iceland is one of 100 glaciers monitoring projects across five continents. Our observations since 2022 documented massive decrease in ice mass, development of new high latitude desert and collapse of popular touristic Katla cave in June 2024.
Video from the installation of the camera: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1GWa4hL7QG/
Camera real-time time lapse: https://my.tikee.io/projects/242808/timelapse
About the Planet Watch: https://enlaps.io/planet-watch
The UArctic TN on High Latitude Dust edited a special issue on Atmosphere—Cryosphere Interaction in the Arctic, at High Latitudes and Mountains With Focus on Transport, Deposition, and Effects of Dust, Black Carbon, and Other Aerosols at the Frontiers in Earth Science - Atmospheric Science (https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/53176/atmosphere---cryosphere-interaction-in-the-arctic-at-high-latitudes-and-mountains-with-focus-on-transport-deposition-and-effects-of-dust-black-carbon-and-other-aerosols-volume-ii). This issue extends the Volume I collection (https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/6793/atmosphere---cryosphere-interaction-in-the-arctic-at-high-latitudes-and-mountains-with-focus-on-transport-deposition-and-effects-of-dust-black-carbon-and-other-aerosols/magazine) and includes 15 articles on aerosol and dust interactions at high latitudes and in cold climates.
Editorials summarizing the current research on this topic by Pavla Dagsson-Waldhauserova from the Agricultural University of Iceland and Outi Meinander from the Finnish Meteorological Institute are available here:
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/earth-science/articles/10.3389/feart.2019.00337/full
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/earth-science/articles/10.3389/feart.2025.1685394/full
The UArctic TN on High Latitude Dust members published a review on ‘Dust in the Arctic’ summarizing the current knowledge on feedbacks and interactions between climate change, aeolian dust and ecosystems. This paper is part of a special collection at the Frontiers in Environmental Science by the Arctic Council Working Groups AMAP (Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Program) and CAFF (Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna) to jointly review and assess climate impacts on Arctic marine, coastal, freshwater, and terrestrial ecosystems, and ecosystem feedbacks to climate.
The leading author is Outi Meinander from the Finnish Meteorological Institute and six UArctic TN on HLD members among other researchers:
Dagsson-Waldhauserova P., Agricultural University of Iceland
Groot Zwaaftink C., NILU, Norway
Juncher Jørgensen C., Aarhus University, Denmark
Baklanov A., University of Copenhagen, Denmark
Kristensson A., Lund University, Sweden
Massling A., Aarhus University, Denmark
Reference:
Meinander O, Uppstu A, Dagsson-Waldhauserova P, Groot Zwaaftink C, Juncher Jørgensen C, Baklanov A, Kristensson A, Massling A and Sofiev M (2025) Dust in the Arctic: a brief review of feedbacks and interactions between climate change, aeolian dust and ecosystems. Front. Environ. Sci. 13:1536395. doi: 10.3389/fenvs.2025.1536395
Link: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/environmentalscience/articles/10.3389/fenvs.2025.1536395/full
