The Troll Observation Network (TONe) is a multidisciplinary distributed observation network that will be established at and around the Norwegian research station Troll in Queen Maud Land. The infrastructure strengthens Norway's position within Antarctic research and monitoring, and provides Norwegian and international researchers with access to observational data as a basis for new knowledge that is useful to society.

Antarctica and the surrounding Southern Ocean are key drivers of Earth’s oceanic and atmospheric systems. Our entire planet is interconnected with, and greatly influenced by, processes originating in the far south.

We will not be able to fully understand how the Earth system works without comprehensive and up-to-date knowledge of the physical, biological, chemical and geological processes taking place there. An extensive observation and data gathering effort is required across the entire Antarctic continent and its surrounding ocean to gain the necessary knowledge needed.

The Troll Observing Network (TONe) is a comprehensive infrastructure network that aims to contribute significantly to this goal. It is centered at the Norwegian Antarctic research station Troll and focused on the Dronning Maud Land (DML) region, a region of Antarctica with relatively little observational data available.

The initiative is spearheaded by the Norwegian Polar Institute, in collaboration with an additional five Norwegian and three international partners.

TONe-ICO (blog)

TONe consists of eight observatories, a drone service and a data system.

Ionosphere Observatory (IO)

The ionosphere is the ionized part of the Earth’s upper atmosphere (about 60–1000 km above the ground) that is connected to space outwards and the lower parts of the atmosphere downwards. The ionosphere is important for several different reasons. We need to understand the complex couplings and energy transfers between the Sun and the Earth, this also contributes with knowledge of the auroras and turbulence in the ionosphere. Satellites orbit in the ionosphere, and turbulence here affects both satellite communication and GPS signals.

IO expands the existing measurement capacity of the ionosphere with a digisonde system that measures the electron density in the ionosphere. The digisonde system consists of a transmitting antenna connected to an 18m high mast and four receiving antennas.

IO will thus become a central observatory for ionospheric monitoring.

 

Integrated Cloud Observatory (ICO)

TONe Integrated Cloud Observatory (ICO)

The coupling between clouds and aerosols and their role in the radiative balance is an important factor in the warming of Antarctica. The radiative effects of clouds and aerosols are two of the largest uncertainties in global climate models. ICO contributes data to better understand these processes.

The ICO instrumentation consists of a series of passive and active remote sensing instruments to measure temperature and humidity profiles and cloud and aerosol properties, and includes instrumentation for in-situ validation of the remote sensing instruments and a radiosonde system for daily balloon releases. This will be one of the few stations with such a measurement program in Antarctica.

The unique location of Troll Research Station between the high ice shelf and the coast, right on the border between cold and cool summers, will make these measurements extra valuable.

Atmosperic Composition Observatory (ACO)

The atmosphere across the globe is connected, and pollution at lower latitudes is transported to the polar regions by weather and wind systems. The poles are the most vulnerable areas on the globe, and global changes are first seen here. Therefore, it is important to make measurements of the atmosphere both far north and far south. By comparing these measurement results, we gain new knowledge about transport and effects related to pollution on a global scale. NILU established an observatory for monitoring air pollution on Troll as early as 2007.

Today’s instrumentation: characterize the composition of the atmosphere, and measure seasonal and annual variations and transport of air pollutants to the area (aerosols, pollutants, mercury, carbon dioxide).

ACO monitors atmospheric chemical composition and properties. ACO expands NILU’s current atmospheric observatory at Trollhaugen, 1 km from Troll Research Station, which already has some of Antarctica’s longest year-round, high-quality atmospheric series of measurements of pollutants, aerosols, trace gases and UV/ozone.

ACO consists of three new instruments; one for aerosols and size distribution (which is important e.g. for the transport of particles from forest fires in the Southern Hemisphere), one for measuring ozone hole-related gases (where the problem of the ozone hole is far from over) – and one for high-resolution greenhouse gas measurements.

  • Instruments for aerosols and size distribution, ozone hole, and high-resolution greenhouse gas measurements.

  • Part of the existing air monitoring observatory at Troldhaugen.

Infrasound Array (IA)

Measuring sound waves in the upper atmosphere provides information about atmospheric dynamics and vertical coupling between these parts of the atmosphere. These measurements, together with other atmospheric observatories, will help to increase our understanding of atmospheric processes.

IA measures low-frequency pressure (sound) waves generated by atmospheric events, such as meteors, volcanoes, explosions and ocean waves, as well as abrupt ice movements.

These waves can be used to analyze atmospheric dynamics and vertical coupling between different parts of the atmosphere. The propagation of infrasound waves in the atmosphere is affected by weather conditions such as wind and temperature. This allows infrasound waves from known sources (such as storm systems, volcanoes and ocean waves) to be used to analyze the state of the atmosphere.

  • Nine sensors installed in an array configuration. Measures low-frequency sound waves in the atmosphere.

  • Armlenet, 12 km east of Troll research station. Co-located with SA.

  • NORSAR

Seismic Array (SA)

Seismic observations provide information about movements in the Earth’s crust. Earthquakes and other sources generate different types of seismic waves that propagate through the bedrock. These waves can be measured and used to determine both the source and the structure of the ground. In Antarctica, icebergs colliding with the continent also generate seismic signals. Troll is one of the most sensitive areas for measuring seismic activity in Antarctica – due to its location far from the coast and on solid ground.

SA consists of a seismic array of 9 sensor locations that provide extended three-dimensional information about seismic activity in the area, and estimates of the amplitude, frequency, velocity and direction of the recorded seismic signal.

  • Array of 9 seismic sensors.

  • Armlenet, 12 km east of Troll research station. Co-located with IA.

Seabird Monitoring Observatory (SMO)

The two largest seabird colonies in Queen Maud Land are at Svarthamaren and Jutulsessen. Potentially more than 50% of the world’s population of Antarctic Petrels breed in the area. The main food source of the Antarctic Petrel is krill, which it obtains from the Southern Ocean. Antarctic Petrels thus function as so-called bio-indicators for the marine environment, so that by monitoring the petrel colony, one can take the pulse of the marine environment in the Southern Ocean.

SMO collects data on the biology of seabird populations. SMO is based on automatic monitoring in Svarthamaren and Jutulsessen, two of the largest seabird colonies in Antarctica. The instrumentation consists of automatic time-lapse cameras, which combined with machine learning algorithms provide estimates of population size, breeding success and timing of breeding. In addition, automatic weather stations have been set up.

Fimbulisen Ice Shelf Observatory (FIO)

One of the most serious consequences of global warming is sea level rise. Future sea level rise is affected by the melting of the Antarctic ice sheet, but there is a particularly high uncertainty associated with the melting of the ice shelf, the ocean’s influence on it, and the ice shelf’s response. We need to find answers to how stable the current cold regime in the area is, and what the potential drivers of change are. Fimbul is the largest ice shelf in Queen Maud Land, and a system for long-term monitoring was established there in 2009. The instrumentation is outdated and needs to be replaced.

Through TONe-FIO, the ice has now been drilled through again and new instrumentation has been deployed to continue the long time series of ice shelf mass balance, warm water inflow, and turbulence measurements in the ice shelf–ocean boundary layer. In addition, instruments were installed for a future glider campaign under the ice.

  • Measuring currents, temperature and salinity in the water column under the ice shelf, turbulence in the boundary layer between the ice shelf and the ocean, sound sources for future glider campaigns under the ice, and melting rate on top of the ice.

  • Two locations on Fimbulisen.

Multidisciplinary Ocean Moored Observatory (MOMO)

The physical ocean system is closely linked to the carbon cycle and the marine ecosystem. MOMO contributes to improving the understanding of processes and systems in order to try to understand how the ecosystem adapts.

Through TONe, NP and UiB will further develop existing ocean rigs and oceanographic measurements over the continental shelf at 6°E by harmonizing instruments to national standards. The rigs are maintained from the established Troll Transekt expedition, which uses the annual supply ship to Troll as a platform for regular marine observations.

MOMO collects physical, biogeochemical and biological data from the Weddell Gyre inlet/Antarctic Slope Front, off the DML coast in the Kong Haakon VII Sea. There are very few other observations that measure year-round in the area. MOMO helps us understand changes in climate dynamics and the carbon cycle in the area. The combination of long-term measurements on the shelf (MOMO) and measurements under the ice shelf (FIO) is unique and enables us to see connections between variability and currents in the ocean and under the ice shelf.

  • Multidisciplinary ocean rigs at three locations. Measurement of temperature, salinity, currents, ice thickness, oxygen, carbon dioxide, chlorophyll-a, echosounder and passive acoustics.

  • Over the continental shelf at 6°E in the King Haakon VII Sea.

Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS)

The observatories collect data from fixed positions, but do not say anything about spatial variability. The RPAS service (drones) complements the observations from the observatories by collecting data horizontally and vertically from a larger area of ​​Dronning Maud Land. The drones have various types of sensor systems mounted on board for collecting data from the atmosphere, cryosphere and marine and terrestrial ecosystems. The RPAS infrastructure consists of two Windracer fixed-wing aircraft. The aircraft has a wingspan of almost 10 m and can weigh up to 350 kg. The aircraft have a range of 600–800 km (about 6 hours) and can thus reach the coast of Dronning Maud Land at the starting point Troll. The drone’s instrument packages:

The optical package contains a hyperspectral camera for visible and near-infrared frequencies. Applications include vegetation mapping, spectral albedo and ocean color.
The radar package combines UHF/VHF radar and a 2–8 GHz ultra-wideband radar. Applications include ice and glacier thickness and surface stratification, which indicates snow accumulation.
The atmosphere package consists of broadband long- and short-wave radiometers that look both upwards and downwards to measure e.g. surface albedo and net radiative fluxes.

Camera and meteorological sensors will be common to all three packages.

The RPAS service is being developed, established and tested under TONe, and a pilot campaign will be conducted in the summer season 2026/27 from Troll. During the pilot season, the drones will fly and collect all types of data for interested research groups. The RPAS services will be available for use for research projects from the season 2027/28.

  • Two large fixed-wing drones from Windracer with various sensor packages: optical, radar and atmospheric.

  • Operated from Troll research station.

Access to collected data

Data will be collected according to FAIR principles and be searchable and accessible to all. The data system ensures and promotes open and unrestricted access to the data collected from the observatories and the RPAS service.

The data system consists of a data infrastructure on Troll that ensures secure and structured management of TONe data in Antarctica, as well as permanent data storage at the data centers. A dedicated TONe web portal will be established that will be a common gateway for information about TONe data. A separate user interface with good search functions will be established where metadata can be searched.

News about TONe