The Troll Observing system (TONe) will establish a state-of-the-art, multi-platform, multi-disciplinary observing network in the data-sparse region of Dronning Maud Land (DML). The TONe infrastructure will consist of eight observatories that will enhance our understanding of climate, atmospheric, and oceanic processes, the dynamics of inland ice sheets, their impact on sea levels, and marine ecosystems. The project also features a remotely-piloted aircraft system as the first of several planned shared research infrastructure services, offering a cost-efficient solution to collect a wide variety of data over a significant portion of DML with a limited environmental footprint. A critical part of the network is a well-structured data management system that will ensure broad, free access to all TONe data for the wider research community. The project is led by the Norwegian Polar Institute.

Illustration of the components in the TONe project (Source: NPI)

NORSAR will contribute to TONe by installing two new arrays in 2025/2026:

1.  A seismic array with 10 sensors at nine locations that will provide data on seismic activity in DML, throughout Antarctica, and globally. The array will measure amplitude, frequency, velocity, and direction of seismic signals caused by earthquakes, icequakes, explosions, and other events.
2. An infrasound array consisting of nine sensors (co-located with the nine seismic array sites) designed to measure low-frequency sound signals from events occurring in the atmosphere and the ice.

In addition, NORSAR will install a magnetometer and a barometer to investigate the influence of changes in the Earth's magnetic field and air pressure on the performance of the array instrumentation.