Speaker
Description
AGATA (Antarctic Geospace and Atmosphere ReseArch) is a Scientific Research Programme (SRP) of the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR). The AGATA SRP was officially approved during the SCAR Delegates Meeting in August 2024, with scientific activities commencing in January 2025. The programme is designed to address key open questions concerning the coupling between the different layers of the polar atmosphere and their interaction with geospace.
Specifically, AGATA seeks to investigate the following fundamental scientific questions:
• How are different atmospheric layers coupled in the polar regions?
• How does the high-latitude upper polar atmosphere respond to enhanced geomagnetic activity, including energy inputs from space?
• In what ways does the entire polar atmosphere influence short- and long-term climate variability?
To place these questions in a global context, AGATA adopts an interhemispheric approach, considering both the Antarctic and Arctic regions. By comparing atmospheric processes across the two poles, the programme aims to identify commonalities and distinctions that identify the broader role of the polar atmosphere in global-scale geophysical and climatic phenomena. Further details can be found on the official SCAR website: https://scar.org/science/research-programmes/agata.
AGATA has recently established its internal governance and started its core activities, including communicating to the wider community AGATA’s mission and goals. A significant component of the programme also focuses on capacity building initiatives aimed at training the next generation of polar researchers, with a strong emphasis on interdisciplinary collaboration and international engagement.
AGATA will run for a period of eight years, from 2025 to 2032. Within this timeframe, the programme is expected to play a prominent role in the scientific activities leading up to and during the next International Polar Year (2032–2033), a major milestone event for the global polar science community (https://ipy5.info).
This paper provides an overview of AGATA’s initial activities, highlighting opportunities for scientific collaboration, data sharing, and training. The programme is open to contributions from researchers, institutions, and networks interested in advancing our understanding of the polar atmosphere and its connections to geospace and climate.
