Extreme weather events are increasing in frequency and intensity and the dynamics of the Earth’s atmosphere are constantly changing. A new pan-Canadian collaboration will measure aerosols, water vapor and clouds and how they interact to influence Earth’s weather and climate as part of NASA’s Atmosphere Observing System (AOS) mission.
The Canadian Space Agency (CSA) will collaborate with NASA on the AOS with its HAWC (High-altitude Aerosols, Water steam and Clouds) mission.
The mission consists of two Canadian instruments on a Canadian satellite and a third instrument on a NASA satellite, all scheduled for launch in 2031. These innovative instruments will provide essential measurements, allowing Canadian climatologists and meteorologists to better understand and predict extreme events such as severe storms, floods, droughts and poor air quality.
For many satellite missions such as HAWC, the value of measurements is greatly increased by combining satellite measurements with surface sensors.
Western is well positioned to support this mission as it is home to the Canadian Micro-Pulse Lidar Network (MPLCAN) which collects measurements of aerosol and cloud properties around the clock. Lidar, which stands for Light Detection and Ranging, is a remote sensing method that uses light in the form of a pulsed laser to measure the height profiles of water and ice clouds, as well as pollutants in the Earth’s atmosphere.
“The services to the public that we can provide and the science that we can do with these measurements are augmented by the combination of the high-resolution measurements from the satellites along its path and the measurements made at fixed locations on the surface,” said said Robert (Bob) Sica. , professor of physics and astronomy and responsible for the MPLCAN project.
Canadian collaborators on the HAWC mission include the CSA, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Natural Resources Canada and the National Research Council of Canada, and 13 universities, including Western.
“HAWC is more than a science mission; it promises to provide new services to improve our weather forecasts and future climate changes, as well as to alert the public to extreme weather events. Combining HAWC and MPLCAN measurements and including them in real-time in forecasting models will improve our forecasting capabilities, especially for severe weather events, such as wildfires, floods and tornadoes,” said said Sica, a faculty member at the Western Institute for Earth and Space Exploration (Western Space).
François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, announced on October 18 that Canada will contribute more than $200 million to this important multi-satellite mission. Currently scheduled for launch in 2028 and 2031, AOS will improve extreme weather forecasting, climate modeling and disaster monitoring.
“Canada has always played a key role in international space programs, helping to find solutions to global challenges. Today’s announcement of over $200 million builds on those successes with our participation in NASA’s AOS program. It also demonstrates our commitment to harnessing science and research to address climate change, natural disasters and other issues important to Canadians,” said Philippe-Champagne.
Western Space Director Sarah Gallager helped develop this collaboration when she served as an advisor to the CSA Executive on issues related to science, science policy and capacity development in the space sector.
“NASA sought the expertise of Canadian scientists and industry to contribute to AOS,” said Gallagher. “It’s a testament to the quality of our atmospheric science community, and I’m so proud that this community includes some fantastic researchers from Western. “
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