Pekka Verronen appointed as Research Professor for Sodankylä Space Campus

Dr. Pekka Verronen’s joint professorship by Finnish Meteorological Institute and University of Oulu will concretely increase and intensify cooperation in Sodankylä Space Campus, targeted to atmospheric research. Sodankylä Space Campus is a flagship of Finland’s space operations, where FMI-SPACE and Sodankylä Geophysical Observatory (SGO), a research institute of University of Oulu, together operate.

Pekka Verronen’s research focuses on the effects of upper atmospheric process on the lower atmosphere, where there are considerable gaps in the present knowledge. Particularly interesting are the processes related to energetic particle precipitation, its effect on ozone, and dynamical connections to variability of regional climate on decadal timescales. Verronen aims to utilise satellite and ground-based observations together with global chemistry-climate simulations to enhance the role of Sodankylä Space Campus in polar ozone research.

One of the major infrastructure developments in Finnish space and near-Earth science is the EISCAT_3D ionospheric radar system. ”International EISCAT organisation is currently building a new radar system to get unique data from mesosphere-lower thermosphere at high-latitude polar areas, where both solar activity and connection to lower altitudes have a strong effect. Utilizing EISCAT_3D data will be one of my main research themes” Verronen explains.

Verronen’s work directly coincides with the goals and the research profile of Sodankylä Space Campus, where a globally unique research infrastructure provides integrated observations of the processes and couplings in the Earth-atmosphere-space system at high latitudes. 

Finnish Meteorological Institute and University of Oulu established the Sodankylä Space Campus in 2018 to strengthen the research co-operation and increase activities. Research at Sodankylä is carried out together with the wide international research community, based on utilization and development of Sodankylä infrastructure. The development of the satellite earth station in the FMI-SPACE Arctic Space Centre (ARC) is an integral part of the Finnish space strategy. FMI-SPACE operations focus on the utilization of remote sensing and weather satellites, as well as the space exploration of Earth and other planetary atmosphere processes.

More information:

Prof. Pekka Verronen, pekka.verronen@fmi.fi, tel. +358-50-380-3426