Rally Sweden’s (24 - 27 February) move north towards the Arctic Circle means a clean sheet of paper for the leading competitors at this week’s second round of the FIA World Rally Championship.
Jan 25, 2021 6:41pm
Paul Smith holds a doctorate in atmospheric science and works on the front lines of climate change science, collecting carbon readings from a remote site in sub-artic Sweden. One of his many jobs involves climbing a 150-meter mast to maintain an array of air quality sensors. (Paul Smith)
Obtaining carbon readings from the atmosphere in minus-30 degree Centigrade weather during mid-winter in Sweden sounds like a job for an extreme athlete.
Paul Smith does that work, even though he is more of an extreme research engineer with a few athletic skills to boot. With a doctorate in atmospheric science from the University of Leeds, he manages and serves as principal investigator at the ICOS (Integrated Carbon Observation System) Atmospheric Station in the subarctic Svartberget Forest near Vindeln, Sweden.