Finnish Space Weather Initiatives

Presented by Tuija I. Pulkkinen 

Finnish space weather activities rise from the scientific research in the fields of ionospheric and space physics.
The strong areas in Finnish space weather research are

1. an ionospheric monitoring network MIRACLE, which monitors the ionospheric magnetic and electric fields and auroras, and associated index and model computations;
2. the only global MHD simulation (GUMICS) in Europe that covers the solar wind, the magnetosphere and the ionosphere; and
3. highly developed modeling of the geomagnetically induced currents in the powergrids, natural gas pipelines and other technological systems.

Furthermore, Finnish scientists participate in monitoring the solar activity through their involvment in the SOHO mission, and examine the atmospheric effects by ground-based monitoring of the atmospheric chemistry.  While the monitoring and MHD modeling are part of basic research programs yet to be implemented for real-time space weather use, the modeling of the induced currents is already conducted together with Finnish and  international companies in a practically oriented way.

The institutes in Finland that conduct space weather related research and other activities are the Finnish Meteorological Institute, The University of Helsinki, The University of Oulu (and the Sodankyla Geophysical Observatory), and The University of Turku. Further information can be obtained from ESA-WPP-155 'Space Weather', where the Finnish space weather initiatives are reviewed.

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