Lancaster University has entered into an agreement to become the UK lead in the operation and exploitation of the SuperDARN Iceland West radar with Prof Jim Wild (Physics Department) taking the Principle Investigator role.

The Super Dual Auroral Radar Network (SuperDARN) comprises 18 high frequency coherent-scatter atmospheric research radars in the northern hemisphere, and 9 radars in the southern hemisphere, used for the study of the ionosphere and space weather. From an initial 6 radars in the northern hemisphere and 4 in the southern hemisphere in 1996 (deployed and operated by groups in the USA, Canada, France, Japan, South Africa and the UK) the expansion of the network has continued apace, both poleward into the polar cap (PolarDARN) and equatorward into mid-latitudes (StormDARN), involving new groups in Japan, the USA, Australia, and China.

The Iceland West radar is located at 63.86° N, 22.02° W near the town of Stokkseyri in Iceland. The Radar routinely measures the structure and dynamics of the upper atmosphere within an area of several million square kilometres between Iceland and North America. It is part of the Super Dual Auroral Radar Network (SuperDARN) of over 30 similar radars around the world, whose purpose is to aid understanding of the effect of the Sun and the aurora (the Northern and Southern Lights) on the upper atmosphere, and also its interactions with the lower atmosphere and hence our climate.