Battling the Aurora Borealis: The Transnational Coproduction of Ionospheric Research in Early Cold War Greenland

Abstract

Henrik Knudsen discusses the importance of ionospheric research to reliable long distance radio communications. Since geomagnetic disturbances—the aurora borealis in the north polar region—may interrupt radio wave transmissions, ionospheric stations established in Greenland to monitor and forecast these disturbances became very important during World War II, and continued to boost their importance during the Cold War. Knudsen argues that the US military’s need for this information resulted in a collaborative effort between the US Bureau of Standards and Danish researchers. He concludes that unlike their interactions in other scientific and technological efforts that took place in Greenland, the Americans and Danes functioned as equal partners, coproducing knowledge that supported military efforts.