Grants and Contributions

The project name is ""Analysis of remotely sensed, aerosol-cloud interaction over the Arctic"". This project will analyze the aerosol-cloud interactions over the Arctic when aerosols like dust and smoke are predominant (in the upper troposphere during the polar winter; and in the lower troposphere during the polar spring). The analysis will be done using satellite-based instruments supported by ground-based measurements, microphysical surface measurements and transport model simulations.

The project name is ""Observation and modeling of the tropical runaway- and super-greenhouse"". Using satellite measurements of the Earth's tropics, this research will investigate the local runaway greenhouse and super greenhouse effect. These phenomena occur when there is high water vapour content in the atmosphere, which limits the amount of radiation the surface can give off to cool itself. Currently, this only affects the warmest areas of the tropics (e.g. the Pacific warm pool) but it is expected to spread, and potentially become more severe as the global climate warms.

The objective of the proposed project is the development of a deep-space capable nano-class vision and situational awareness system to support future nano missions in space exploration. Situational awareness is a common operational need for all exploration missions, from mission and scientific operations to outreach and public engagement.

EMCCD (electron multiplying charge-coupled device) detectors are highly sensitive cameras that take images in low-light conditions using photon signals. This technology extends the boundaries of what is observable. Canadian EMCCD technology is recognized internationally for its unparalleled imaging sensitivity. The main space applications for this technology are astronomy and the detection of space debris. A potential terrestrial application is biomedical imaging. The purpose of the Nüvü Caméras project is to improve the newest large-format EMCCD, which has a larger field of view (the area covered by an image), primarily by increasing the new EMCCD's frame rate.

The purpose of this grant is to provide support to a Canadian user of the ASTROSAT satellite. This project is based on the observations of active galacic nuclei with the objective of better understanding the connection between accretion disc and corona of Seyfert galaxies.

The effects of long duration spaceflight on human wayfinding: the behavioural and neural mechanisms (Wayfinding)
In space, without the cues provided by Earth's gravity, astronauts' bodies and brains adapt to various changes. One of those changes affects the astronauts' wayfinding skills, which can affect their performance during their first two to three weeks on the ISS, and may affect spatial orientation while performing complex tasks, like robotics.
The study will look at the impact of a long period in a microgravity environment on the behavioural and neurological mechanisms of wayfinding in astronauts. It will also explore how long the astronauts' cognitive and neurological changes would persist following their return on Earth.

Immuno Profile will:
• monitor the number of white blood cells throughout a space mission
• measure levels of immune related proteins carried by the blood
• generate a profile of the human immune system over a six-month flight

¿ Impacts on Earth
Immuno Profile's results will provide insights into stress-related and age-associated immune dysfunction on Earth. As we age, our immune systems typically decline. The study could identify similarities between aging population's immune functions and those of astronauts in space.

The study could also give researchers more information about the mechanisms of virus reactivation. We all carry dormant, controlled viruses within our bodies. But a period of immune deficiency could provide some viruses, like the one that causes chickenpox in children or shingles in adults, with the opportunity to reactivate and cause further infection.

Vascular Aging
Building on previous work (Vascular, Vascular Echo), this experiment will study the roles of weightlessness, nutrition, physical activity and radiation on the cardiovascular system and the onset of insulin resistance on orbit. The study will contribute to the development of countermeasures to maintain astronaut health during long space flights and will help improve health and quality of life here on earth.

Title: Mapping of agricultural soils by Earth observation big data mining (ScanSol). ScanSol aims to create new opportunities for mining large quantities of images acquired via the different Earth observation satellites to provide the agricultural community with reliable information on the stable (texture) and variable (fertility) characteristics of agricultural soils. The most advanced big data mining techniques will be applied to all the optical and SAR images on the site of interest located in the Montérégie, Quebec's agricultural region.

Detection and Monitoring of Linear Hazards to Travel on Lake Ice

A study is proposed to investigate linear lake ice hazards during the spring melt period using multi-sensor remote sensing data and ice validation using C-band data. After melt onset, the hazards to late season lake ice travel form first along pressure ridges, leads, and cracks where the mechanical strength of the ice sheet is compromised. The horizontal ice sheet containing linear deformations will be imaged as a time series in the south basin of Lake Winnipeg using spatially complete microwave, optical, thermal, and elevation data from RADARSAT-2, WorldView-4, and an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle. Image data will be collected at eight-time steps, including one during late winter.