Terrestrial Laser Scanning to measure impacts of forest management
A group of researchers, including Co-operative (UH-FMI) Professor Eduardo Maeda, investigated the structural differences in boreal forests under different managements. The study included even-aged and uneven-aged stands in southern Finland that were measured using terrestrial laser scanning (TLS). From the hyper detailed 3D point cloud derived with TLS, structural characteristics can be measured in ways […]
Building a Bridge: Estimating Carbon Dioxide Emissions Using Satellites
A team of researchers estimated the carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from coal-fired power plants and other major anthropogenic point sources in the South African Highveld region using space-based data. The results indicate that the CO2 emissions can be obtained also in challenging cases where the plumes from multiple sources overlap. The new publication characterizes CO2 […]
Insights into the night-time atmosphere of Mars
A unique and unprecedented insight into the night-time atmosphere above the Martian surface has been made possible by reconstructing the complete parachute descent and airbag landing of Pathfinder using models of the atmosphere and terrain. The results provide a complementary perspective on the behaviour of fast moving winds, or jets, in the Martian night-time atmosphere […]
A step closer towards accurate snow measurements from space
Measuring snow from space is a topic that interests both scientists and governments. A new experiment using a radar on a tower in Sodankylä proves the feasibility of measuring changes in snow using satellite imagery. Sodankylä SAR (SodSAR) is an imaging radar designed by a Finnish company Harp Technologies. Due to its location, it provides […]
Ozone impact from solar energetic particles cools the polar stratosphere
A research study published in Nature Communications shows that the ozone depletion caused by solar energetic particles leads to stratospheric cooling in the polar regions. Resolving the inconsistency seen in previous studies, the current work clearly establishes a link between ozone and temperature changes. It also highlights the urgent need for an improved representation of […]
New satellite dataset provides water vapour isotope observations with daily global coverage even above low clouds
New satellite dataset gives information about water vapour isotopes which are hard to measure. This gives researchers new ways to investigate the hydrological cycle or improve climate models. Naturally occurring stable water isotopes can be used to track the movement of water. The measurement of these isotopes is difficult but promises new insights in the […]
The space weather forecasts will help to launch satellites at the right time
Up to 40 satellites are about to descent back to the Earth right after the launch due to a sudden increase in air resistance. The reason for this is a space weather storm, which was also followed by the Finnish Meteorological Institute’s space weather service. New Finnish observations may help to refine forecasts in the […]
More elaborate study of the Arctic carbon cycle demands development of models and observations
Thawing of the Arctic permafrost threatens to release unknown amounts of carbon emissions to the atmosphere. An international research group, together with FMI, calls for more extensive collaborative research to improve measurements and develop modeling for better climate predictions. Their recently published article, co-authored by FMI Research Professor Johanna Tamminen, provides an extensive review of […]
Improved estimation of snow mass by using spatially and temporally varying snow density
A new study found that the state-of-the-art GlobSnow v3.0 snow mass estimates can be further improved by using dynamic snow densities. Information about snow water equivalent (SWE) is needed in many applications, including forecasting freshwater availability and flooding. Historical time series of SWE can also be used in climate model evaluation. A new study evaluated […]
Satellite-based flood maps of the Finnish Flood Centre provide up-to-date information on flood extent
Satellite images can be utilized for near real-time mapping of floods in wide areas cost efficiently. New research shows that Finnish Flood Centre’s Flood Detection Algorithm works better in the Finnish environment when compared with other available satellite-based products. Methods for satellite-based flood detection have been developed in the Finnish Meteorological Institute for almost 10 […]
