Photo: Trine Lise Sviggum Helgerud/The Norwegian Polar Institute
Collaboration solved Arctic Haze mystery
Written by: Ingrid Kjerstad, The Norwegian Polar Institute
22.04.2025
Monday 26th of August 2024 something happened to the visibility in Ny-Ålesund Research Station. For the untrained eye it could look like fog, but the instruments at the atmospheric labs in the station revealed another story. The image below reveals some of the phenomenon.
Biomass burning?
The former Atmospheric Flagship program leader in Ny-Ålesund, researcher Radovan Krejci at Stockholm University, who administers several instruments in Ny-Ålesund, sent out an e-mail to inform about recent discoveries from the Stockholm University monitoring programs up on the Zeppelin Observatory:
We can see at Zeppelin station strong pollution event (biomass burning???) since today morning. It is stronger that any event related to Arctic Haze we have seen so far this year. I hope that your measurements are running
– Radovan Krejci/Stockholm University
Radovans first thoughts indicated fire – or at least something burning. But, what? In Svalbard there is no significant biomass prone to big fires, so the event needed to be from a far. However, instruments measuring black carbon (atmospheric residue from fires) did not indicate any biomass burning.
Rapid communication online solved the mystery
As the Ny-Alesund atmospheric scientist community is gathered in a network called the Atmospheric Flagship Program, e-mails were sent around in a hurry, checking with other scientists for observations by other instruments that are monitoring a variety of parameters in the atmosphere – everything from aerosols, greenhouse gases, long transported pollution, ozone, radiation, and many more.
As e-mails and the word spread, and people checking models and results, it became evident that the haze originated from an ongoing volcanic eruption in Iceland where a crack of approximately 3,9 kilometres had formed on the 23rd of August 2024, as stated by the Icelandic broadcaster RUV.
Easy exchange with other scientists and their observations solved the mystery within hours on e-mail this Monday in 2024, and shows the uniqueness of the international collaboration and organization in Ny-Ålesund Research Station!
Arctic Haze
Arctic haze is a phenomenon characterized by elevated levels of aerosol particles in the atmosphere over the Arctic region, particularly during winter. These tiny particles, which may originate from both local sources and long-range transport from industrial activities, can affect climate, weather patterns, and air quality. The presence of Arctic haze can lead to increased absorption of sunlight and influence the melting of sea ice, thereby impacting the fragile Arctic ecosystem.
The Zeppelin observatory
The Zeppelin Observatory is part of a global network of observatories for atmospheric measurements, and is part of several regional and global monitoring networks. The observatory is located on the Zeppelin Mountain, 472 m asl, above the local inversion layer, so that interference from local pollution is minimal.
Read more about the observatory here.
Sign up for the Atmoshperic Flagship e-mail list!
The research and monitoring activity in Ny-Ålesund is organized in four broad and dynamic flagship programmes, with extensive cross-disciplinary and cross-flagship collaboration. The flagship programmes have regular meetings and are open to all scientists who are either actively engaged in studies in the area, or who wish to develop new insights based on monitoring and research in the area.
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