Geophysical Institute

Scientists at the Geophysical Institute are involved in scientific research into Earth, Sky and Space. They specialize in cold climate research of all kinds. Some of the research is performed with the Alaska Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) Facility in the Geophysical Institute.

Among those things studied are

	Aurora Borealis, part of their studies of the earth's geospace environment, covering the space from the sun to our atmosphere. Studies of the Aurora have been the centerpiece for their research since the Institute was first established in 1946. The Aurora provides a wonderful example of the interaction between the solar wind and the earth's atmosphere. There are some spectacular Aurora images on the internet.
	Snow (seasonal snow cover)
	Ice, including glaciers and sea ice, including greenhouse effects on the ice sheet.
	Permafrost
	Volcanoes. They are using the dynamic "experiments" provided by the frequent eruptions in Alaska's Aleutian Arc to study the behavior of magmas as they approach and erupt at Earth's surface. Explosive volcanism has an environmental impact reaching way beyond the immediate "disaster" and is a key to the character and history of the planet and its surface environment. Within the United States, explosive volcanism is first an Alaskan problem. The core of the work in volcanology at the Geophysical Institute is the Alaska Volcano Observatory.

The results of the research conducted at the Geophysical Institute are useful in Alaska both in developing an understanding of scientific problems (including global change) and in the solution of applied problems (including the development of resources, such as agriculture).

The Geophysical Institute, in the Elvey Building with the big blue satellite dish on top, holds tours every Thursday at 2 p.m. from June 4 through Aug. 24, except June 29. The experience begins with a video, "The Aurora Explained", followed by a tour of the seismology lab and the Alaska Synthetic Aperture Radar Facility. The tour starts in room 214 of the Elvey Building on the west ridge of the University of Alaska Campus.

For more information on the Geophysical Institute, call (907) 474-7558. You can visit them on the web at Geophysical Institute

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