Grants and Contributions

In this proposal, we will combine satellite measurements and a high-resolution model to address two questions about Canadian air quality and greenhouse gas emissions: 1. How well can satellite measurements of carbon monoxide (CO) constrain Boreal forest fire emissions and improve the current state-of-the-art Boreal fire emissions models? 2. How well can satellite measurements of methane (CH4) reduce uncertainty on Canada's anthropogenic methane emissions?

The ocean currents of the Northwest Atlantic show a substantial variability. Accurate forecast systems need to support a range of applications such as emergency response, search and rescue and, transportation. However, the extent to which forecasts are accurate is limited by the presently available satellite observations. SWOT mission may improve this situation, provided the data can be assimilated adequately. We will use SWOT and other satellite data to provide improved forecasts for the Canadian East Coast, using a numerical computer model. New developments in this project will be directly transferrable to the ECCC Prediction System.

In recent decades, relative humidity over land has fallen, significantly worsening drought and wildfire. However, how land dryness and air masses interact to induce drier climatic conditions is unclear. Recently, we developed a novel evaporation model that characterizes land-atmosphere feedback processes. In this project, we will adapt this model to satellite land dryness observations, allowing us to estimate evapotranspiration across Canada and globally, and investigate physical mechanisms inducing drier climate. We will also develop a robust drought index to aid in water management and fire risk identification, and in planning potential adaptation strategies to drier climatic conditions.

The project develops a new Earth system analytical model “CAN-TG” which utilises satellite data from a number of Canadian sensors or missions to predict carbon and moisture dynamics of key Canadian terrestrial ecosystems, including wetlands and at the northern tree line. Key strengths of new model is its fine spatial and temporal scale and its verification using existing Canadian datasets. This project has been developed as a collaboration between academia, the Canadian Forest Service and Environment and Climate Change Canada.

Following the Announcement of Opportunity published on Dec. 18, 2020, the CSA is providing funding via a Grant Agreement to the university to allow one of its scientists to participate in the 2022 ExoMars Rover mission in the role of co-investigator.

Following the Announcement of Opportunity published on Dec. 18, 2020, the CSA is providing funding via a Grant Agreement to the university to allow one of its scientists to participate in the Euclid mission in the role of co-investigator.

Following the Announcement of Opportunity published on Dec. 18, 2020, the CSA is providing funding via a Grant Agreement to the university to allow one of its scientists to participate in the NASA Perseverance mission in the role of co-investigator.

The upper-troposphere and lower-stratosphere (UTLS) is a critical atmospheric region that influences the Earth climate. However, the thermodynamic conditions in this region are insufficiently observed and poorly simulated in current weather and climate models. In this project, we will integrate the measurements of Canadian and international satellites to better understand the distribution of clouds, temperature and water vapor and their co-variabilities in the UTLS region and incorporate the observational constraints in the modeling process to improve the simulations of the Canadian models. The research will help improve Canada's ability of climate and weather prediction and support the development of future satellite missions.

Air pollution regulations have led to dramatic reductions in emissions of CO and NOx, but studies using atmospheric observations to quantify these reductions produce a wide range of emission estimates. The proposed project will use a multi-model and multi-sensor approach to quantify potential sources of discrepancies that contribute to uncertainty in the emission estimates. The project will focus on using space-based measurements to better quantify emissions of CO globally and of NOx in North America. Improved estimates of the emissions of CO and NOx are critical for assessing the effectiveness of air pollution regulations.

Despite the success of the Montreal Protocol in phasing out ozone depleting substances, lower stratospheric ozone continues to decrease. Currently it is not clear, if this ongoing decrease is related to so far unexplored chemical effects or to changes in the atmospheric circulation, the large-scale movement of air by which ozone is redistributed. The proposed project will use satellite measurements from OSIRIS and ACE-FTS in combination with simulations from the Canadian Earth system model to understand lower stratospheric ozone changes and driving forces. Based on the improved understanding, predictions of ozone recovery in the lower stratosphere will be produced.