Vol. 7

National Institute of Polar Research

AERC NEWSLETTER

Arctic Environment Research Center

March, 2004

VOL. 9

Svalbard poppy

Akkol valley, Altai Mts.

1

Reorganization of NIPR
Japanese Arctic Research Directory in 2003
Visiting Professor
Research Reports

AERC Newsletter

FROM“ARCTIC ENVIRONMENT RESEARCH CENTER”
TO“ARCTIC CENTER”
by Yoshiyuki Fujii

Director, Arctic Environment Research Center
In April 2004, the National Institute of Polar Research (NIPR) will be reborn as an
Inter-University Research Institute of “Research Organization of Information and Systems". On theoccasion of reorganization of NIPR, the Arctic Environment Research Center is scheduled to becomethe "Arctic Center", which together with the "Antarctic Center" will form a comprehensive Polar
Observation System. Research and observations will be carried out as discrete projects, promoted
under a new Research and Education System. This reorganization of NIPR will result in a system topromote interdisciplinary research on the global environment, and to upgrade the level of cooperative
research based on evaluation.
Research and observations in the polar regions, where the effects of global warming are mostpronounced, are becoming increasingly important, considering the future climate change and the effecton many fields of activity in Japan. Determining the state of global warming, studying mechanisms ofvariability, and evaluating the effects on the whole terrestrial and biosphere environment requireinternational cooperation, and cooperative research pursued with greater effectiveness than ever before.
The new system must fulfill these requirements.
This newsletter is the last in the series issued as the "Arctic Environment Research Center
Newsletter". I wish to thank all the people who have supported and cooperated with this Center over
the years, and express the hope that under the new system we will be able to meet the great
expectations that will be placed upon us for the continued progress of Arctic research andobservations.

Japanese Arctic Research Directory in 2003
Edited by the Japan National Committee for Polar Research, Science Council of Japan
Published by the National Institute of Polar Research (October 2003)
This is the fourth annual directory which lists research activities ofJapanese universities and research institutions, based on a questionnaire. The firsthalf is in Japanese, the last half in English. The Directory is distributed toresearchers and institutions engaged in polar research both in Japan and overseas.
This year's edition again gathers information on research activities in awide variety of fields including oceanography･ocean physics, bio-sciences,geochemistry, glaciology, atmospheric science, upper atmosphere physics andcultural anthropology. A total of 34 research projects are listed. A summery of
information for the last 3 years can be viewed on the Arctic Environment
Research Center home page (www-arctic.nipr.ac.jp). Combined use of theprinted directory and the home page is recommended.
We thank the individuals who provided valuable information, and hopethat this directory will contribute, even if only in a small way, to the research
activities of the people who use it and to the progress of Arctic research ingeneral.
2Vol. 9Visiting Professor （September 2003 – January 2004)
Asgeir Brekke
Reflections over a visit
My stay at NIPR is getting close to its end. I would liketo take this opportunity to thank Director Okitsugu
Watanabe at NIPR for the hospitality I have enjoyed and thegenerous offer this institute has bestowed upon me wheninviting me to become a visiting professor for almost 4
months. I came here with ambitions to do many things but
time has been running too fast for me to fullfill all my plans.
I was very happy to learn at my arrival, however, that Prof.
Takashi Okuzawa has translated my text book “Physics of
the Upper Polar Atmosphere” into Japanese and it was withgreat pride I could receive a copy.
It has been especially convenient for me to be able tolive in one of the flats in the Guest House, and I am very
grateful that my family stayed there with me during theChristmas and New Years holidays. It was an extremelyinteresting experience to see how you celebrate New Year inJapan. Several ten thousands of people were so well behavedin front of the Meiji shrine at Harajyuku, that the contrast to
the wild celebration in the streets of Tromsø where fireworks
are exploding everywhere cannot be greater.
During the holidays my family and I also were able to
go to Kyoto and Nara to see and learn more about your long
traditions and interesting culture. Many temples and shrines
in Kyoto are well known, but the beauty of all the wonderfulhandicrafts that are displayed there are as impressive.
I have been able to enjoy many new places that I did not
visit through one of my 20 trips to Japan before, like walking
in the hills of Kamakura and the Takaosan with Professor
Takehiko Aso and his wife. Also when I joined Professor Asoon the trip to Sendai to lecture for the students there, I was
given the privilege to visit wonderful Matsushima.
The long tradition this institute has for sending
expeditions to Antarctica is outstanding in the World. I
enjoyed observing the effectiveness with which the
preparation for this year’s expedition took place around theinstitute. There are a number of packages to wrap and details
to keep control of in order to secure a successful journey.
It has been interesting for me to learn about thereorganisation that is taking place between universities andresearch institutes in Japan, the same motion can also be
observed at home. I really hope that the new organisationthat NIPR enters into from April 1st this year will bebeneficial to all of you. I have also followed with interest
your campaign for getting a new icebreaker as Shirase now
has served its duty for more than 25 years. It was especiallystimulating to be allowed to take part in a meeting
downtown Tokyo where more than 200 enthusiasts weregathered together backing NIPR’s plea for economical
support to make a new icebreaker come through.
I am also grateful to Director Watanabe for inviting the
Norwegian Ambassador to Japan, Mr. Fosseidbråten andalso the representative for the Norwegian Trade Council inJapan, Svein Grandum to NIPR. Norway and Japan have
had very close ties in polar affairs and especially in
Antarctica for many years. Mr Fosseidbråten stressed theinterest of his embassy in polar matters and especially his
personal interest in strengthening the Japanese- Norwegiancollaboration in the EISCAT project. He enjoyed being
guided through your outstanding collection of meteorites
and also the chilly cold room to admire the excellent ice
cores. The Norwegian Prime Minister Mr. Bondevik visited
Japan last year and during his visit a treaty for scientificcooperation between Japan and Norway was signed. I hope
we can find ways to take advantage of this treaty to thebenefit of all of us.
EISCAT is an international organisation where Japan
and Norway are close partners. EISCAT has no doubt been a
successful organisation as a large amount of exciting sciencehas been produced on the basis of data from these facilities.
The number of publications based on EISCAT data is large
compared to the total cost of the cooperation. It will be hard
to find an installation within space science where the cost pr.
published paper is lower. In this respect Japan, as the lastcountry to join EISCAT in 1996, has contributed verystrongly to this success, and is by now one of the most active
partners in EISCAT. For this reason I hope the EISCAT
activity in Japan will be strongly supported also in the future.
As the present contract for the international cooperation
in EISCAT terminates at the end of 2006, we are all working
for a renewal of the contract for 10 more years. EISCAT
should not be prolonged just for keeping the system running,
but we need very good science projects in which EISCAT
can be one of several tools that can be utilized in a larger
context. As the EISCAT infrastructure to a large part is basedon a technology that is more than 20 years old, there is aneed for upgrading the system. For this we need a larger
investment in new antenna technology i.e. phased arrays.
Norway is prepared to take a larger share of the cost than it
has done so far, but for achieving the investments we need,
we also need contributions from other partners. It is in thisregard I hope that Japan, that is presently such an active user
of EISCAT, is willing to increase its contribution in a costshare of these new investments.
I wish my colleagues and friends at NIPR all the best for
the future of.
NIPR January 15, 2004
Asgeir Brekke
3

AERC Newsletter

Research

Reports

Installation of New Radar and Optical Observation Equipments
at EISCAT Tromsø Radar Site
Takehiko ASO (Arctic Environment Research Center, National Institute of Polar Research）
Hiroshi MIYAOKA （Information Science Center, National Institute of Polar Research）
Following the fall 2003 EISCAT Council meeting heldin Copenhagen, I (Aso) visited Tromsø, Norway, where we
installed the National Institute of Polar Research's new meteor
radar equipment at the EISCAT Tromsø Radar Site and started
continuous observations of atmospheric dynamics in the upper
mesosphere to lower thermosphere which can complement the
EISCAT radar observations at higher altitiudes. Dr. Miyaoka
joined me in Tromsø and we installed optical equipments foraurora observation in 2 domes which we are renting fromthe University of Tromsø.
The meteor radar is similar to NSMR (NIPR/Norway
Svalbard Meteor Radar) that has been operating near the
EISCAT Svalbard Radar Site since March 2001; the S is
replaced by T for Tromsø to make "NTMR". The meteor radaris used to investigate the motion and diffusion of trails createdFig. 1 The NTMR antenna array andby meteors impinging upon the upper mesosphere and lower
the EISCAT VHF antennae (4 panels).
thermosphere. These observations are very important, as they
reveal wind and temperature fields which bear signals on the warming and coolingin the lower and upper atmosphere, respectively. The system is a pulse Doppler
radar with frequency of 30.250MHz and output power of 7.5KW. Theinterferometer system employs a 3-element Yagi transmission antenna and 5
receiving antennae to detect echoes and determine the angle of arrival. Many
active instruments including a dynasonde, digisonde and MF radar are in operation
at the EISCAT site, so transmission synchronization and a notch filter are used to
avoid serious interference.
Fig. 1 shows the antenna field. The building at left is called the Tromsø
University PRE (PRE stands for Partial REflecttion radar; now called as MF radar).
The instrument shown in Fig. 2 is installed there; the radar operation can bemonitored from Japan through a network. In addition, a synchroscope image oftransmission and reception signals can be observed continuously by a WEB
camera.
Now the daily echo rate is sometimes more than 10,000. A provisional resultof the initial observations for 20 days in November 2003 is shown in Fig. 3. The
figure shows a contour plot of meridional wind with respect to height and day
number. From the figure it is clear that the wind system around 90km altitute has aFig. 2 A new NTMR
distinct semidiurral component.
hardware system.

Fig. 3 Initial NTMR observation results.

4Vol. 9AERC Newsletter

Fig. 5An all-sky
image of red
aurora overTromsø
Fig. 4 The all sky camera installed in Tromsø.

To complement the ionosphrere observations by
the EISCAT radar in Tromsø, an all sky digital camera andnarrow field-of-view imager for aurora and airglow were
installed in a optical dome in the same building, as shownin Fig. 4. This equipment is particularly intended toobserve the fine structure of aurora by radar and optics.
Continuous monitoring of aurora activity is also in ourview.
During the stay in Tromsø, our group run the
EISCAT heating campaign using a Swedish ALIS camera
to perform artificial aurora excitation experiments. On
October 28, a big solar flare event took place. In the Arctic
auroral zone high energy particles produced strong auroral
activity, and strong geomagnetic disturbances, exceeding

2000 Gamma, were observed. On November 20 recursive
strong disturbances occurred. A magnetic disturbancewhich started at 08:01UT reached a maximum about
19:00UT. Around that time a very strong red aurora (TypeD), characteristic of a magnetic storm was observed overthe upper southeastern sky (Fig. 5). From 19:00UT to
23:00UT observations of fine structure of aurora werecarried out by Japan and Norway through a special
program using the EISCAT radar. Very valuable
simultaneous ionosphere data were obtained.
The NIPR Tromsø Server, running on Linux,
collects these Tromsø data. It is planned to put theimages obtained from the optical instrument onto the WEB
in order to monitor aurora activity in the Arctic.

Research of Permafrost in the Altai Mountains of Russia
Kotaro FUKUI(National Institute of Polar Research)

Photo 1 Participants in our research.
From left: Mr. Boroja, our driver; Prof. Mikhailov;
Galena; myself; Dmitrii; Oleg.

The Altai Mountain Range is long, extending over 1,000km
from western Mongolia into southern Siberia. In the last 40
years the climate has warmed up considerably around the Altai
Mountains. The Arctic Environment Research Center and theGeography Department of Altai State University have planned acooperative international research project lasting 3 years from2003 to study changes in topography and water circulation onmountain slopes triggered by the melting of permafrost
accompanying climatic warming in the South Chyskiy Range inthe southern part of the Altai Mountains. From August 2 to 26,
2003, data loggers were installed to observe air temperature andground temperature, and surveying points for observing theflow of rock glaciers were set, in the Akkol Valley in the South
Chyskiy Range. Participants included Prof. Yoshiyuki Fujii ofArctic Environment Research Center, this author, Prof. N.
Mikhailov, Dr. Dmitrii, and Mr. Oleg and Ms. Galena,
postgraduate students of the Altai State University.
Barnaul, the central city of the Altai Republic of theRussian Federation where Altai University is located, is one ofthe principal cities of southern Siberia, together with5

AERC Newsletter
Novossibirsk; it lies on the Ob River and has apopulation of 660,000 (Fig. 1). We spent 2
days there to discuss the observations withparticipants from the Altai State University andto purchase food and fuel. In Barnaul, thestores were overflowing with goods, much likein a provincial city in any Western country.
The Altai State University participants seemed
to be well accustomed to doing outdoor
research, and our purchases of food and fuelwent smoothly.
From Barnaul it was 700 km to the site ofour research, which we traveled in a Russian
made 4-wheel drive vehicle belonging to the
University. Carrying 5 adults and fully loadedwith food, the vehicle was heavy, and we had
to struggle to cross over passes. Most of themain highway which we traveled from
Barnaul to the Mongol border was paved, andwe did not have any flat tires. After 2 days of
travel we arrived at our campsite in the middleof the Akkol Valley, elevation 2,300 m. Fromthe campsite we could hike to the Sofiyskiy
Glacier and back in a day. In addition to ourgroup, there were a number of other groups at
the campsite including Russian and German
trekkers, and scientific parties. We held big
dinner parties and had a very lively time.
On the northwest slope on the right side
(looking downstream) of the Akkol ValleyFig.1 Locations of the Akkol Valley and the Altai Republic.
more than 30 rock glaciers are lined up one
after another (Photo 2). On the valley bottom
there are many landforms which arecharacteristic of high latitudes and indicative of permafrost, including pingo and frost splitting (a photograph of pingo
appears on the front cover of this newsletter). We installed data loggers to measure air temperature and ground surface
temperature at 20 locations on rock glaciers. There are herdsmen living in the Akkol Valley with their flocks, and, just as
in Nepal, any data loggers that they discover are virtually certain to be stolen. Every time we installed a data logger Prof.
Mikhailov observed the movements of the herdsmen through binoculars. As a precaution we installed the data loggers
several meters apart from the markers which we put in to mark their locations. If we are able to recover the data this year
we will obtain valuable information, including averageannual temperature, for the study of permafrost.
The research work was very easy. The Russians
worked skillfully; for example, they installed prisms inthe direction where it would be easy for the radar to
strike them. We asked them about this, and it seems
that students majoring in geography undergo thoroughtraining in the use of the theodolite. We were able tocomplete the installation of surveying markers at 45
points on 5 rock glaciers in only 4 days.
This was my first visit to Russia, but I was able to carryout my research work easily, without difficulty.
Summer of this year I am planning to go back torecover the data from the loggers and to sample springwater from the rock glaciers, and I am really looking
forward to it. Finally, I wish to thank Prof. Mikhailov
and the other people from Altai State University for
Photo 2 A group of rock glaciers on the right slope
their assistance.
(looking downstream) of the Akkol Valley.
6Vol. 9Glaciological Observations on the McCall Glacier, Alaska
Makoto IGARASHI(National Institute of Polar Research)

Mt. McCall

Snow Dome
Upper Cirque

Middle Cirque

Photo 1

Lower Cirque

A view of the entire accumulation region of the McCall Glacier.
From left Upper Cirque, Middle Cirque, Lower Cirque.

subpolar glacier, during the International GeophysicalYear in 1956-57, and follow-up surveys have beensubsequently carried out. The present survey was intended
to prepare for ice core drilling on the McCall Glacier insubsequent years.
Specifically, a study of the snow accumulation
environment and the snow melting condition was carriedout from August 8 to 20 last year together with AssistantProfessor Matt Nolan of the University of Alaska
Fairbanks. Japanese participants included Prof. Shuhei
Takahashi of Kitami Institute of Technology as Leader,the present author, and Takahiro Segawa, a second year
doctoral candidate in physical science at Tokyo Instituteof Technology. Dr. Frank Pattyn of the Vrije Universiteit
Brussel in Belgium also participated, in order to conduct
ice thickness observations.
2. The on-site survey
The McCall Glacier is in the Arctic, at 69 degrees 20
minutes north latitude, 143 degrees 20 minutes west
longitude. It is a long narrow glacier, 8km long and 500m
wide, with its source at 2,400m elevation and its terminus

1. Introduction
As one link of both IGBP/PAGES (Paleoenvironment Reconstruction Project) and of ICAPP(Ice-Core Circum-Arctic Paleoclimate Program), aninternational project being promoted by IASC
(International Arctic Scientific Committee), ice coredrilling is being planned and carried out in and around
Alaska, where there have previously been practically norecords of past climatic and environmental variability.
Under ICAPP, a 220m ice core was drilled in April to June
2002 on Mt. Logan, on the North Pacific side of Alaska.
For north - south comparison with information on climaticand environmental variability obtained from analysis of
this Mt. Logan core, in the 2003 fiscal year a glaciologicalsurvey was planned in the Brooks Range, on the Arctic
Ocean side of Alaska. However, most of the Brooks
Range is designated as the Arctic National Wildlife
Refuge, and even for scientific research entry is restricted.
As a result the only glacier on which research is possible
is the McCall Glacier (Photo 1). A glaciological survey
was carried out on this glacier, as an example of a

Fig. 1
Location of the McCall Glacier (from B.T. Rabus and K.A.
Echelmeyer, Journal of Glaciology, 1998).

7

Photo 2
Drilling an ice core using a hand auger.

AERC Newsletter
at 1,350m (Fig. 1).
People and equipments
were transported to theglacier by a light glacierplane and helicopter
chartered in Kaktovik, on
the Arctic coast of Alaska.
Since the purpose of thissurvey was to select alocation for a shallow
core to be drilled insubsequent years, it was
decided to survey the
Photo 3 Infrared (left) and visible (right) images of the Upper Cirque.
snow
accumulation
environment over themeteorological observing system at this location, so thatwhole of the McCall Glacier. For this purpose, samples
information about the climatic environment around thefor chemical and biological analysis were taken from 24
glacier can be obtained throughout the year.
locations from the upstream end to the terminus of theIce thickness, bedrock topography and internal
glacier. At 2,300m elevation, believed to be within theglacier structure were observed by ice radar in theaccumulation area of the glacier from past surveys, snow
upstream and midstream regions of the glacier. In
stakes were emplaced to measure the annual
addition, in the midstream region GPS units were set up
accumulation. Temperature sensors were installed at
at 2 locations to observe the glacier flow.
10cm intervals on the snow stakes and interval cameras
While we were on the glacier, we used an infrared
were installed 5m away from the snow stakes to observe
camerato observe the glacier surface temperature fromthe time variation of accumulation depth.
themidstream
to the upstream region (Photo 3).
In addition, to determine the snow accumulationInthefuture,we plan to analyze the results of ourmass balance over the past several years at this location,observations and collect information that will permit us toaccumulated snow cross section pit observations to aselect the optimum location to drill a shallow ice core.
depth of 1.5m and a 4.5m ice core drilled with a hand
Our survey was short, lasting only 13 days. Much
auger were taken (Photo 2).
ofoursuccess in conducting a variety of observations in
To determine the time variation of the snow surface
such a short time was due to the tremendous supportcondition in the mid-stream region of the glacier, an
received from Prof. Nolan's wife Kris, who accompaniedinterval camera was set up on a col on the right bank
us as our camp assistant. We wish to thank her for her(looking downstream) of the glacier, located where it had
help.
a good view over a wide area of the glacier. The
University of Alaska group set up an automatic

EDITOR'S NOTE
The Arctic Environment Research Center of the National Institute of Polar Research, Japan, hasbeen distributing a newsletter (2 domestic editions in Japanese per year) to provide Japanese scientists
with news of Japanese projects under way, news of important research abroad and news of domestic
and international conferences. This volume, AERC NEWSLETTER, Vol. 9, incorporates numbers 18
and 19 of the domestic bulletin, which includes news of potential interest and/or novelty tointernational readers.
Arctic Environment Research Center, National Institute of Polar Research
Address: Kaga 1-9-10, Itabashi, Tokyo, 173-8515, Japan
Phone: +81-3-3962-5094 Fax: +81-3-3962-5701

AERC Newsletter Vol. 9
Published in March, 2004
Translated by Harold Solomon under contract to Keiyo Ltd.