Utö Atmospheric
and Marine researchStation
The Utö Atmospheric and Marine Research Station of Finnish Meteorological Institute is located on Utö Island (59º 46'50N, 21º 22'23E) at the outermost edge of the Archipelago Sea, facing the Baltic proper.
Location of the Utö Atmospheric and Marine Research Station at the edge to the Northern Baltic Proper, and a scenery from the cliffs.
FMI started meteorological observations on the island already in 1881. The marine temperature and salinity record at Utö Deep dates back to 1900, being one of the longest in the whole Baltic Sea.
Since 1980, Utö station has been developed with diverse atmospheric and marine observations. Collaboration between the Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI) and the Marine Research Centre of Finnish Environment Institute (Syke) started in 2014, at the same time as the launch of FINMARI research infrastructure.
Today, the measurements include meteorology, atmospheric optics and cloud cover, solar radiation, trace gases, aerosol particles, and greenhouse gases, boundary-layer wind profiles, radioactivity and P deposition, as well as fluxes of CO2 and SO2 in the atmosphere. Parameters measured at and beneath the sea surface include waves, water temperature, salinity, O2, pCO2, nutrients, chlorophyll, and phytoplankton community structure.
Utö station participates in several observing networks like the Integrated carbon Observation System ICOS, Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission HELCOM, European Monitoring and Evaluation Programme EMEP and JERICO Research Infrastructure.
Utö Atmospheric and Marine Field station is facing to the Baltic proper, and a researcher working with a CytoSense instrument.
An autonomously measuring flow-through system "stationery ferry box" at the Utö field station.
Instrumentation for measurement of carbon dioxide partial pressure in seawater, and bubbling chambers for gas equilibrium before pCO2 measurement. Photo Timo Tamminen
Utö station can be reached several times a week with ferries. Accommodation on island is available for approximately 100 people. As the measurement station is located at military area, a prior permission is needed for a visit.
Links
JERICO RI - Joint European Research Infrastructure for Coastal Observatories
ICOS - Integrated carbon observation system
HELCOM - Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission
EMEP - 'European Monitoring and Evaluation Programme'
Contact
Lauri Laakso, Finnish Meteorological Institute
Jukka Seppälä, Finnish Environment Institute