2016

7. September 2016 Corinna Kloss

Hit by the flood

Last night Kalamata was hit by a flood and most of us were affected by it. Already yesterday and during the night we had several storms and strong rain here. We woke up from water streaming in our rooms and had to rescue ourselves one level up. Everyone is fine and we found another hotel to spend the last days in. However, the demage at the hotel is huge. Our rental cars were flushed away and clothes from our luggage are soaked in or at least smell like dirt. One dog that we saw every day going to breakfast was on a leash and and couldn’t rescue himself.

StratoClim

3. September 2016 Corinna Kloss

Before, During and After each measurement flight

Two out of four planned measurement flights have already been made. Collected data show a lot of potential for nice atmospheric studies and analysis. One group is especially excited after they saw that during the last flight Geophysica – like predicted – really went through an ice cloud (which they study with their instrument). Next week is the last week of the campaign here in Kalamata, Greece and although one week seems like a long time, with all of the preparation it is hard to fit two more measurement flights in. One was originally planned for today, but unfortunately one instrument showed some major technical problems yesterday night, so this morning the flight for today was spontaneously cancelled.

StratoClim

31. August 2016 Corinna Kloss

Preparation and FIRST flight!!

Usually there is one EMC test for each measurement campaign. This is to test if any instrument interferes with the aircraft electronics. We had our EMC test on Friday 26th of August (picture). For the EMC test procedure the plane is supplied by ground power first, then the engines are switched on and the ground power is switched off. This way the instruments should continuously be supplied by power. Last Friday we noticed that shortly after switching on the engines all instruments where shut down and the big question was: Why..?

Allgemein

25. August 2016 Corinna Kloss

Welcome to Kalamata, Greece

Our research aircraft Geophysica and most of the Scientists arrived Monday 22nd of August. We are all in the process of integrating our instruments now. The hanger here is small, very ‘basic’ and due to some holes in the roof, not every instrument is protected from rain, which we already experienced yesterday. We struggle with the electricity supply and internet connection. It is warm and humid, but we are lucky that we don’t have any dress code like the officers around us with their thick overalls. The campaign is planned to continue until Sep 9th. In total 4 measurement flights are planned. The first EMC test is scheduled for tomorrow morning 7 a.m. to test if any instrument is disturbing the aircraft electronics.

Allgemein

12. August 2016 Corinna Kloss

Next try: Phase 1 StratoClim Campaign, Kalamata Greece

After the Kiruna Test campaign did not happen as planned, the main StratoClim campaign in India during the Asian Monsoon phase this year has been shifted to next year. Those news were unexpected as we visited an India training course, got medical advice for the journey and already sent one container with equipment to India, which is now slowly on its way back. As a phd student and new to the community I still have to get used to disappointing, unexpected and sudden cancellations of campaigns/events that already have been planned in small detail. For this year an alternative was found…

StratoClim

25. April 2016 Corinna Kloss

This summer on ‘FZ-Jülich Blog’: StratoClim Campaign in India

Over the weekend we discussed some options, plans and schedules for the main campaign in India this summer. Before and During the India Campaign I will keep you updated about the activities and also the motivation of StratoClim. Now (here in Kiruna) the containers are packed, the hangar is empty and we are all on… Read More

StratoClim

21. April 2016 Corinna Kloss

Quick Ending of the Campaign

Geophyisca left this morning at around 10:30 am. Yesterday most people already started packing their equipment and will go back home in the beginning of next week. This weekend we still have a Campaign Group Meeting here in Kiruna.

StratoClim

19. April 2016 Corinna Kloss

Politics forces the Campaign to end…

During a necessary engine test of the research aircraft, we hoped to test our instruments. So today we worked preparing the instruments. However, the Swedish authorities decided at a meeting this afternoon that Geophysica needs to leave immediately. The Russian embassy contacted the engineers of Geophysica requesting to follow this demand, due to the risk of being impounded. Until now there were potential plans and hopes…

StratoClim

18. April 2016 Corinna Kloss

Geophysica still here

Due to the current status, Geophysica is not able to leave Sweden before Friday. The Swedish ministry of defense has called the airport several times today to make sure that Geophysica is taking off. We have been informed that the Swedish authorities are working on new flight permissions. It is unclear whether these flight permissions are for the purpose of our research (which would be great) or for the Geophysica flight to leave the country. Either way, the German-, Italian- and Swiss embassies will ask for new permissions for the research flights. We are hoping for the best…

StratoClim

17. April 2016 Corinna Kloss

Science vs. Politics

On it’s way into the country on Friday, Geophysica was mistaken as a Russian state aircraft by the Swedish Defense Ministry with ‘no obvious motivation’. The flight permissions for the Swedish airspace were withdrawn.

StratoClim

16. April 2016 Corinna Kloss

Geophysica

This is the M-55 Geophysica, a Russian high altitude research aircraft. It reaches altitudes up to 21 km and has a flight duration of up to 5 hours. It was built as a Russian spy plane in the 1970s and was reconstructed to an atmospheric research aircraft in the 1990s.

StratoClim

15. April 2016 Corinna Kloss

On our way to Kiruna

Greetings from Stockholm! The container with all the equipment and our instruments is already at the Arena Arctica in Kiruna now we have to get there. We just landed in Stockholm and will continue our journey to Kiruna in two hours. Most of us got up at 3 am this morning to catch the flight, our collegues from the U.S. have a longer way and took off already yesterday afternoon (german time).

Allgemein, StratoClim

12. April 2016 Corinna Kloss

Good Bye POLSTRACC, Hello StratoClim!!

Now that POLSTRACC found a successful ending it is time for some of us at IEK-7 to pack our bags and instruments (again) to start the next campaign. Marc and I (Corinna) will take over and try our best to keep you updated and informed about the coming events concerning the new project StratoClim. For those of you, who followed Isabell’s blog entries: What stays the same? The first campaign base will also be in Kiruna (Sweden), the project involves again instruments taking measurements on a research aircraft, some faces .. What is different? Everything else… 😉 -> StratoClim in a nutshell -> The Test Campaign: Sooo soon!

StratoClim

17. März 2016 Isabell Krisch

Review in pictures

After three month the campaign is finally over and we are all looking forward to get home. Today I will show you a review of our campaign in pictures. Enjoy the summary.

POLSTRACC-GWLcycle-GWEX-SALSA

13. März 2016 Isabell Krisch

HALO on the way home

Every great scientific campaign has to come to an end. The POLSTRACC/GW-LCYCLE/GWEX/SALSA campaign as well. Today HALO took off for the last time in Kiruna and is on its way home to Oberpfaffenhofen. And of course HALO also has to say goodbye to Kangerlussuaq, where it refueled so many times during this campaign phase. So right now they are approaching Greenland again for a last stop over. As always you can follow HALO on Gloria Watch. Don’t be sad now, it is not the very last flight of this campaign. There will be one or two more flights heading from Oberpfaffenhofen to the South (or at least towards subtropic air masses – let’s see where that will be), before the campaign finally finishes next Sunday.

POLSTRACC-GWLcycle-GWEX-SALSA

10. März 2016 Isabell Krisch

Second flight within two days

After yesterdays 11 hours flight with refuelling stop in Kangerlussuaq in Greenland, today we are already preparing for take-off again. And we are going to – try a guess – Greenland. There are already jokes going on, that we should have taken the base in Iceland, as many flights brought us to the Canadian coast and over Greenland. Luckily HALO has such a long range – it could fly till San Francisco without refuelling.

POLSTRACC-GWLcycle-GWEX-SALSA

9. März 2016 Isabell Krisch

Using every second of time off

Before starting in the final phase of the campaign with two flights on consecutive days, we tried to make the most of our free time here in Kiruna.

POLSTRACC-GWLcycle-GWEX-SALSA

5. März 2016 Isabell Krisch

Combining different scientific goals

Combining different scientific goals into one flight is a very complex process. The flight planning for the 15th scientific flight of the POLSTRACC/GW-LCycle Campaign started three days in advance. Different Teams presented their ideas about where to fly. Fast (that means after just 3 hours of discussion) a conclusion was made that a complex tropopause structure approaching over the Atlantic was a very interesting scientific goal and that could be combined with sampling a gravity wave structure over Northern Scandinavia.

POLSTRACC-GWLcycle-GWEX-SALSA

2. Februar 2016 Isabell Krisch

Movies and Icehotel

Today I will mainly show you the advantages of being close to the Artic Circle. Every few days you can see an Aurora. For those of you who have never seen one my colleagues made an awesome video, which you can see below. There you can see how they move across the sky. Another advantage of the location of Kiruna in the far North are the low temperatures throughout the whole winter season. That makes the Icehotel possible, which is built every winter since 1989.

POLSTRACC-GWLcycle-GWEX-SALSA

28. Januar 2016 Isabell Krisch

Stressful Take-off

Today a flight with both planes HALO and Falcon to southern Scandinavia was planned. On that flight we want to measure gravity waves. Falcon took off as planned, HALO had some problems but finally took off with a little delay as well. Now we are waiting for very interesting data from that unique mountain wave case.

POLSTRACC-GWLcycle-GWEX-SALSA

23. Januar 2016 Isabell Krisch

Jukkasjärvi

Yesterday there was a HALO flight towards the North Pole to measure polar stratospheric clouds. On that flight HALO followed the CALIPSO satellite track to compare the measurements. During this flight the ground crew had some hours off during the afternoon. This opportunity we took to visit the nearby village of Jukkasjärvi. The village is next to a big frozen lake. So we walked over the lake where we met some dog sledges and jetskis. Afterwards we could warm up with tea and coffee in a Sami tipi at an open fire place.

POLSTRACC-GWLcycle-GWEX-SALSA

20. Januar 2016 Isabell Krisch

Some pictures

Today I will show you a bit around and tell you what we do besides preparing scientific flights. This post will be mainly a collection of pictures. At the end today’s HALO flight will be presented shortly.

POLSTRACC-GWLcycle-GWEX-SALSA

17. Januar 2016 Isabell Krisch

Preparing for a long flight

Today we want to do a long flight with HALO towards Greenland (The planned flight path is shown in the figure below). How is this decision made? Why today? And why to Greenland? In my blog post today I will give a short overview about how the planning process looks like.

POLSTRACC-GWLcycle-GWEX-SALSA

13. Januar 2016 Isabell Krisch

HALO arrived in Kiruna

After a successfull 9 hours flight HALO arrived at the Arena Artica in Kiruna yesterday. The flight was quite challenging for the aircraft and all the scientific instruments. Nevertheless lots of scientific interesting data has been accumulated. The instruments from the Research Center Jülich operated for the first time during this campaign without any problems.

POLSTRACC-GWLcycle-GWEX-SALSA

12. Januar 2016 Isabell Krisch

All roads lead to Rome

… even the one to Kiruna. Today is the transfer flight to Kiruna. Due to the meteorological situation this flight goes first to the South over Malta, then back to the very North over the Norwegian Sea and finally to Kiruna.

POLSTRACC-GWLcycle-GWEX-SALSA

Letzte Änderung: 16.03.2025