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Within the European research project RECONCILE the Russian high-flying
research aircraft M55 Geophysica landed in Longyearbyen, Svalbard. It was
the first time that this special aircraft went this far north. This mission
was part of a 6-week measurement campaign based in Kiruna, Sweden.
The European research project RECONCILE ("Reconciliation of essential
process parameters for an enhanced predictability of Arctic stratospheric
ozone loss and its climate interactions") aims at a more detailed
understanding of the processes leading to chemical ozone destruction in the
Arctic stratosphere (around 20 km altitude). An essential part of this
project was an aircraft campaign in Kiruna, northern Sweden, from January to
March 2010. The flights were carried out by the Russian aircraft M55
Geophysica - one of the very few aircrafts in the world which are capable of
reaching the altitudes of interest around 20 km. The aircraft was equipped
with about 20 instruments, investigating cloud particles and various
chemical species relevant for the ozone chemistry in the lower stratosphere.
During the first phase of the campaign the air masses of interest could be
reached easily from Kiruna. However, by the beginning of March they had
moved so far north that they were not within the reach of Geophysica. That
is why it was decided to include a stop-over on Svalbard. On March 2,
Geophysica flew as far north as 82 degrees and landed at the airport of
Longyearbyen in the early morning (7:30 local time). After a stop of three
hours for refuelling and instrument maintenance, it took off and, after
going to 82.5 degrees north again, returned to Kiruna. This flight had
required a careful preparation: The pilot for the return flight as well as
aircraft-service personnel and some scientists responsible for their
instruments had to travel from Kiruna to Longyearbyen in due time (by car to
Tromsö, from there by plane). Special material like oxygen for the breathing
of the pilot and liquid nitrogen for some instruments had to be supplied to
the airport of Longyearbyen.
The AWIPEV station of the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine
Research, Germany, and the Polar Institute Paul Emile Victor, France, in
Ny-Alesund helped by providing the liquid nitrogen and organizing its
transport to Longyearbyen. Moreover, the station personnel launched a
balloon-borne ozone sonde between the times of landing and take-off of
Geophysica, in order to augment the measurements carried out from the
aircraft.
Source and contact: Ralph Lehmann, AWI (ralph.lehmann@awi.de)
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Geophysica at Svalbard airport (photo: Fred Stroh, Forschungszentrum
Jülich)
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