Past Activities

Activities conducted in 2024

 

  • UArctic TN on High Latitude Dust presented at the WMO International Conference on Sand and Dust Storms in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - World Meteorological Organization, UNCCD
  • Successful Polar Winter School organized in Svalbard
    • The 1st 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 Longyearbyen, Svalbard, on 22-28 April 2024. Thematic lectures and trainings focused on snow hydrology, glaciology, air pollution, avalanche safety, and local Polar environment were given by the experts from Finland, Czech Republic, Iceland, and Svalbard. The school could have accommodated only about a half 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. In addition, spectral reflectance measurements of dirty/clean snow/ice surfaces was measured and aerosol measurements distinguished for dust and Black Carbon. Students worked both with the datasets and instruments and implemented remote sensing methods. 
    • Snow hydrology and snow physics were examined in various snow pits while a detailed snow depth survey was made for the whole Longyearbreen glacier. Avalanche safety training is highly relevant for steep fjords of Svalbard and students learned a maximum about how to understand the avalanche terrain. The newest research and implication on Svalbard glaciers and their changes with recent climate was introduced and hands-on exercises done in the glacial environment and inside the glacier.
      The lecturers were Roman Juras, Leena Leppanen, Jan Kavan, Ali Nadir Arslan, Outi Meinander, Pavla Dagsson-Waldhauserová, Pavel Krajci, and Eero Rinne. Additionally, Tom Junek and Vojtech Moravec documented all activities. See the video here: 10 Ways to Love Svalbard (you can turn on EN and other language subtitles).
    • Students are working on a final scientific paper based on the in situ data obtained during the school. The 2nd Polar Winter School will be organized in Iceland and the announcement soon published. 
    • PWS 2024: Polar Winter School near the North Pole: Skiing, Polar Bears, and Science

  • High Latitude Dust as one of the topics at the CAMS General Assembly 2024 in Brussels, Belgium, 11-12.6.2024
    • Copernicus Atmospheric Monitoring System (CAMS) provides wide spectra of products to monitor air pollution and greenhouse gases for the public and stakeholders. High Latitude Dust (HLD) as an emerging topic was presented and discussed by the experts from the UArctic Network on HLD at the CAMS General Assembly in Brussels, Belgium, on 11-12 June 2024. In the CAMS National Collaboration Programme, Iceland targets issues related to utilizing and improving tools monitoring air pollution with focus on Icelandic dust storms. In addition, impacts of Icelandic dust on health and energy sector were introduced and discussed during CAMS Health and Energy Hubs sessions. Important meetings on air pollution monitoring in the Arctic took part also with the European Environment Agency representatives.

  • The 2nd International Day to Combat Sand and Dust Storms 2024
    • The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 12 July as the International Day of Combating Sand and Dust Storms, recognizing that sand and dust storms and their negative impacts at different scales are issues of international concern, high latitudes included (A/RES/77/294). UArctic Thematic Network on High Latitude Dust is active in the activities of the United Nations Coalition to Combat Sand and Dust Storms. For a second time, special webinars were co-organized for the occasion of this important event and members of the UArctic TN on High Latitude Dust contributed to this extraordinary achievement and celebrations. Remember, 12th July from now on is the International Day of Combating Sand and Dust Storms!
    • UN website
    • International SDS Day website
    • Webinar

  • The United Nations Sand and Dust Storm Toolbox includes information on High Latitude Dust

  • UArctic TN on HLD meeting partners at the GLISFO 2024: Strengthening Regional Ties in the West Nordic Region
    • The West Nordic (North Atlantic) region covers large areas of foremost marine environment. Faroe Islands are a strategic point in this region and encourage cooperation between Greenland–Iceland-Faroe Islands via the West Nordic Research Managers’ Platform. GLISFO 2024 Cooperation Workshop for representatives from these countries was organized in Torshavn, Faroe Isle on 19-21 August 2024. Current cooperation of these countries under the UArctic TN on High Latitude Dust was emphasized as a great example of such cooperations and future projects. UArctic TN on HLD is proud to include the University of the Faroe Islands as an important partner in aerosol and dust research.
  • Extreme biomass burning event in Iceland on 27-30 August 2024 as a consequence of the volcanic eruption in Reykjanes Peninsula
    • Traditional August field campaign to measure dust storms in the highlands of Iceland resulted in revealing large-scale air pollution due to burning vegetation. Dyngjusandur desert in the Northeast Iceland produces usually severe dust storms on a daily basis during the months of August and September. However, due to unusually heavy snowfall in the area on 28-29th August 2024, only low dust concentrations were measured. Unexpectedly, high Black Carbon concentrations were measured as the volcanic plume from the eruption in Reykjanes peninsula caused heavy pollution due to burning vegetation and mosses around the proceeding lava. Smoke haze was visible > 300 km away from the eruption side while particle number concentrations of Black Carbon increased from background of 0-10 particles per cm3 to 10 000 particles per cm3. Some exceeding the sizes > 1 µm. Particulate matter (PM1) mass concentrations had exceeded 25 µgm-3 for 12 hours. This explains that Icelandic sources of air pollution are not only related to the active deserts and volcanic eruptions, but also to naturally caused fires. This important large-scale event emphasizes the need for aerosol/air pollution research in remote high latitude areas as conducted by the partners of the UArctic TN on HLD.

  • NORDDUST meeting of the Nordic Working Group on Climate and Air in the Czech Republic on 16-20 September 2024
    • NORDDUST is a successful one-year project proposed by the Nordic members of the UArctic Thematic Network on High Latitude Dust (HLD) funded by the Nordic Council of Ministers in February 2024. The project will provide for example an assessment on climate and socio-economic impacts of HLD in the European Nordic Region. NORDDUST meeting was to define the main needs for the assessment and EU COST Action proposal on HLD coordinated by Dr. Outi Meinander from the Finnish Meteorological Institute.
    • Detailed info about the Nordic Working Group on Climate and Air: About the Nordic Working Group for Climate and Air (NKL)
    • Detailed info about the project can be found here: NORDDUST

  • UArctic Network on High Latitude Dust co-organized a session at the Arctic Circle Assembly 2024
    • UArctic Network on High Latitude Dust took part in organizing a session PRESERVING THE ARCTIC: CHALLENGES AHEAD at the Arctic Circle Assembly 2024 in Harpa in Reykjavik on 17-19th October 2024. The main topic of the session was to identify and discuss the latest Arctic challenges and how to respond to them. High Latitude Dust was clearly identified as one of them. The session was supported by the Embassy of the Czech Republic in Oslo, Agricultural University of Iceland, UArctic Thematic Network on High Latitude Dust, Icelandic Aerosol and Dust Association, and Association for European Life Science Universities, emphasizing the Czech-Icelandic cooperation in the Arctic.
    • Arctic challenges discussed during this session emphasized the importance of understanding the newly identified climate forcers such as high latitude dust (HLD) and challenging dynamics of proglacial zones of rapidly melting glaciers in the Arctic. Earth observations such as from the Copernicus and activities of the CAMS NCP Iceland were highlighted to respond to these Arctic challenges.

  • DustDrone: United Kingdom – Iceland Arctic Science Partnership Scheme
    • The DustDrone project on aerial sampling of ice-nucleating dust plumes over Iceland conducted a field campaign in South Iceland above the dust monitoring station Myrdlassandur (CAMS NCP Iceland) and in the rapidly changing environment of Kötlujökull glacier on 21-25 October 2024. This one year project was supported by the National Environment Research Council Arctic Office as part of the UK–Iceland Arctic Science Partnership Scheme. Unique dust storm vertical profiles were done based on a cooperation between the School of Earth and Environment at the University of Leeds, UK, Menapia Ltd., UK, Agricultural University of Iceland, School of Physics, Engineering, and Computer Science at the University of Hertfordshire, UK, and Belgingur, Iceland. The main goal of this cooperation was to study the ice-nucleating ability of airborne dust using a combination of a state-of-the-art weather drone (wxUAS) and miniaturised aerosol instrumentation. There is also the potential for subsequent long-term automated wxUAS stationed in Iceland with periodic INP collection and analysis, used to inform weather models generally and model representation of dust emissions. The DUSTDRONE team was Polly Foster, Ben Pickering, Ólafur Rögnvaldsson, Pavla Dagsson-Waldhauserova, Nick Castledine, Ben Murray, and Pálína Pálsdóttir.
    • Live reporting from the campaign can be found here: Black sand storms: An Icelandic climate mystery scientists are hoping to crack

  • UArctic TN on High Latitude Dust presented the UNCCD COP16 meeting in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on 3rd December 2024
    • An invited talk on High Latitude Dust (HLD) monitoring and networking was presented at the UNCCD COP16 meeting in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on 3rd December 2024 (United Nation Coalition to Combat Desertification, Conference of the Parties). Dr. Pavla Dagsson-Waldhauserova from the UArctic TN on HLD joined discussions for the Emerging Dust Issues session of the WMO SDS WAS meeting (World Meteorological Organization Sand and Dust Storm Warning Advisory and Assessment Regional Center). The importance of dust research, the need for accurate dust forecasts, climate perspectives, long-range transport of low latitude dust to the Arctic, and HLD networking, in the areas outside the dust belt, at high latitudes, were emphasized.
    • Scientific agenda