Mission
About the Icelandic Meteorological Office
The Icelandic Meteorological Office (IMO) is a governmental institution under the Ministry of the Environment and NaturalResources . IMO has 135 fulltime employees, 80% with a university degree, thereof 20% with Ph.D. degree. The gender balance of the office is 65% male and 35% female.
The main purpose of IMO is to contribute towards increased safety and efficiency in society by:
Monitoring, analyzing, interpreting, informing, giving advice and counsel, providing warnings and forecasts and, where possible, predicting natural processes and natural hazards;
issuing public and aviation alerts about impending natural hazards, such as volcanic ash, extreme weather and flooding;
- conducting research on the physics of air, land and sea, specifically in the fields of meteorology, hydrology, glaciology, climatology, seismology and volcanology
maintaining high-quality service and efficiency in providing information in the interest of economy, of safety affairs, of sustainable usage of natural resources and with regard to other needs of the public;
ensuring the accumulation and preservation of data and knowledge regarding the long-term development of natural processes such as climate, glacier changes, crustal movements and other environmental matters that fall under IMO‘s responsibility; undertaking of risk assessments for natural hazards as requested by the government.
IMO has a long-term advisory role with the Department of Civil Protection and Emergency Management of the National Commissioner of the Icelandic Police and issues public alerts about impending natural hazards. The institute participates in international weather and aviation alert systems, such as London Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre (VAAC), and the Icelandic Aviation Oceanic Area Control Center (OACC). IMO is a State Volcano Observatory nominated by the Icelandic Transport Authority on behalf of ICAO. IMO provides information to the European alarm system for extreme weather, www.meteoalarm.eu. IMO has an active role in the pilot project ARISTOTLE (All Risk Integrated System Towards Trans-boundary holistic Early-warning), which is an European collaboration of meteorological and geophysical institutes with the purpose to advice on multi-hazard to the Emergency Response Coordination Centre ( ERCC ). An effective early warning system is important for IMO to be able to warn the authorities, stakeholders and the public about natural hazards, with the aim of minimizing the vulnerability of the society.
The research focus of IMO is on weather and climate, atmospheric processes, glacier and avalanche studies, hydrological systems, earthquake and volcanic processes and geohazards. IMO also focuses on research in multi-parameter geophysical monitoring to develop more accurate forecasts of hazardous events. IMO has participated in several European and Nordic funded research projects, having the role of lead partner in many of them.
The reception of the Icelandic Meteorological Office at Bústaðavegur 7 in Reykjavík.
