The Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI) is a research and service agency under the Ministry of Transport and Communications, with its main office in Helsinki. Its main objective is providing information in the form of weather data and forecasts and ensuring public safety in the face of hazards. Approximately 680 employees work at FMI at the moment. Its budget was €72.4 million in 2016.
Apart from FMI’s Weather and Safety division, its Research and Development division covers research in meteorology, air quality, climate change, earth observation, and marine and Arctic research areas.
FMI’s sub-division Climate research focuses on the three areas atmospheric and ocean modelling, carbon cycle modelling and remote sensing of aerosols and clouds. The objective of the Climate Service Centre is to conduct weather, climate and socio-economic research to support adaptation. The Atmospheric Composition research unit studies aerosols and trace gases affecting the climate and air quality. Atmospheric modelling and polar meteorology are among the four research topics of the Meteorology research group. The Marine Research Unit studies physical oceanography, sea ice, and sea level. The focus of the Earth Observation programme is satellite-based remote sensing. Finally, the Arctic Research division, including a research centre north of the Arctic Circle, focuses on polar ozone and Arctic snow coverage.
Collaborative Programmes
FMI is active in the following ECRA Collaborative Programmes:
Arctic Climate Stability and Change
High Impact Events and Climate Change
Projects
For the following research areas, overviews of projects are available at FMI’s website:
- Climate Research: Carbon Cycle Modelling
- Climate Service Centre
- Atmospheric Composition: Greenhouse Gases
- Marine Research: Air Sea Interaction
Infrastructure
Observation stations (>400)
Remote sensing (radars, satellites)
Arctic Research Centre (ARC) at Sodankylä
Atmospheric Research Centre of Eastern Finland
Finnish Marine Research Infrastructure (FINMARI)
Contacts
Ari Laaksonen
Head of Unit Climate Research