nunavut – Dan Weaver

December 24, 2018

Finally done my doctorate

Finally done my doctorate

It has been a long road, but I have at last reached a significant milestone:

I’ve finished my Ph.D.

Working towards this goal at U of T’s Physics Dept. has been a difficult but rewarding experience. I’m thankful to many people. My supervisor, Prof. Kim Strong, especially, as well as my fieldwork teammates. Graduate school is an opportunity to grow and change. I’ve tried to make the most of it. I thought I’d reflect on a few highlights.

Fieldwork at PEARL

Travelling to the frozen northern edge of Canada each winter to maintain and operate instruments at the end of Polar Night was an incredible experience. (Part one of my articles about the campaigns for U of T News; a Virtual Tour of PEARL slideshow.)

Dan looks through boxes of equipment at the start of a PEARL campaign.

Spending a month at a time in an extremely remote and cold environment isn’t for everyone. But it was a great fit for me. I have developed a great affection for Canada’s Arctic.

Volodya and Dan carry Brewer spectrophotometer to the roof of the PEARL Ridge Lab (photo credit: Pierre Fogal)

In addition to the opportunity to contribute to important research – the measurements we took during campaigns was used to study the Canadian Arctic atmosphere, but also contributed to international networks studying our changing global atmosphere and validate satellite measurements – it was also an opportunity to develop and apply my interest in photography. I am delighted that the photos I took while at PEARL have been used in national newspapers, on the covers of science journals, and more. It was great fun.

Dan Weaver taking photos on Ellesmere Island, in the Canadian Arctic (Photo Credit: Paul Loewen)

(More photo highlights can be found here.)

Science advocacy and marches

During my first trip to PEARL in 2012, funding for the lab was ended as part of systematic cuts to Canadian science. My longstanding interest in politics primed me to take action. I wrote letters to politicians, talked to the media, contributed to science advocacy organizations, and helped to organize science marches in Toronto.

Marching down major streets of Canada’s largest city was an exhilarating experience. Most of all, I met incredible people also advocating for science in Canada.

Dan kicks off the Toronto March for Science (credit: Paul Martin) — Dan kicks off the 2017 Toronto March for Science (photo credit: Paul Martin)

Sharing PEARL’s Arctic research with the public

I believe PEARL’s work is important. But until I was on Kim’s research team, I had never heard of it. Nor was I aware of Canada’s incredibly successful science satellite, the Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment (ACE). I tried to raise the profile of these research projects. I can’t claim all Canadians know about PEARL and ACE. But I’d like to think that my school visits in Ontario and Nunavut, dozen public talks, social media channels, and other efforts have broadened recognition of their importance.

Social media can be a fun way to highlight fieldwork. Even if it's exchanging jokes about how Eureka resembles an ice planet in a galaxy far, far away... — Social media can be a fun way to highlight fieldwork. Even if it’s exchanging jokes about how Eureka resembles an ice planet in a galaxy far, far away…

Science is largely funded by the public. I believe scientists should actively seek to connect with the public.

Dan giving a Story Collider talk about PEARL fieldwork (photo credit: Ally Chadwick, @JustMyFreckles)

Travel to conferences

I travelled to two major international conferences during grad school: the 2014 American Geophysical Union (AGU) meeting in San Francisco and the 2018 European Geophysical Union (EGU) meeting in Vienna. It was gratifying to present my research. Connecting with researchers from around the world was eye-opening and inspiring.

Vienna Opera House (more Vienna photos here)

A keynote at AGU by former-US astronaut and then-NOAA chief Kathryn Sullivan still occasionally surfaces in my head. She discussed how she saw NOAA as America’s ‘environmental intelligence’ organization, which I thought was an interesting way to frame its work. For some audiences, I imagine it is more effective than focusing on the inherent value of environmental protection and science – even though I find the latter persuasive.

Dan discusses satellite validation research during poster session — Dan discusses PEARL water vapour measurement research during poster session

In addition to conferences, I attended meetings of an international network PEARL measurements contribute to, giving me the chance to visit Switzerland, Japan, and Korea. I spent two weeks exploring Switzerland and Japan after the meetings with a friend of mine, Nathan. We had a great time on both trips. Both times I was left with the clear realization that Canada has really poor rail system… (I write this while on a train between Toronto and Ottawa that is an hour late…)

Japanese Shinkansen train that travels at 300 km/hr. VIA Rail can’t even dream this ambitious!

Starting an environmental organization on campus

I greatly enjoyed the interdisciplinary conversations I had with people at the U of T School of the Environment, where I took a collaborative program. I created an organization to foster a sense of community amongst the grad students there, the Graduate Environmental Students’ Association. One highlight for me was inviting Jennifer Baichwal to do a Q&A at a U of T screening of Watermark, a documentary she produced that explored society’s connections with water in collaboration renown Canadian photographer Edward Burtynsky. We held a screening of Watermark and had a Q&A with her. The execution of that event happened after I left GESA; it was nice to be able to sit back and enjoy it once the day arrived.

Dan moderating a panel discussion about neonicotinoids for a GESA event at U of T

Teaching

Before grad school and my research internship at the Toronto Atmospheric Observatory (I have an interest in rooftop views), I took a degree in education and became an Ontario-certified physics and civics teacher. When I started grad school, I was keen to dive into duties as a Teaching Assistant. The department recognized my interest and qualifications and gave me opportunities to apply those skills as a Senior TA. I trained new graduate students in teaching and managed a large team of TAs for a first-year physics course.

Dan discussing science engagement at U of T's Rawtalk Live event — Dan discussing science engagement at U of T’s Rawtalk Live event

Even more interesting, I co-created a pilot course connecting science students with entrepreneurship on campus. I worked with a Rotman School Prof. to give top U of T science undergrads a chance at applying their analytical skills on the real-world challenges faced by U of T startup companies. It was an good experience for everyone involved and it was a reminder to me that most students don’t go into academia after they graduate. I continue to believe we should do more to connect university undergraduate students with experiences and information related to non-academic career paths.

What’s next?

The journey was fulfilling, frustrating, and fun. I’d love to travel to PEARL one last time, but that’s unlikely. It’s time for something new.

I’m aiming to keep to keep engaged with the themes that defined my life over the last decade: physics and education, science and society, and interdisciplinary environmental issues. I’d like to fit in some music and outdoors time, too.

But where exactly I’m headed will be my next post. Onwards to 2019!

Dan watching Arctic wolves in the distance

February 27, 2018May 30, 2022

The Arctic’s seasonally shifting sunlight

Days are getting longer everywhere in the northern hemisphere this time of year.* In the Arctic, the change in sunlight is particularly dramatic.

A few days ago, sunlight returned to Eureka, Nunavut for the first time since October, marking the end of Polar Night.

Joseph Mendonca and I watch the sun rise late morning in Eureka, Nunavut (photo credit: Paul Loewen) — Joseph Mendonca and I watch the sun rise late morning on Feb. 25, 2013 in Eureka, Nunavut (photo credit: Paul Loewen)

During the transition between Polar Night and the continuous daylight of summer (“Midnight Sun”), a team of Canadian scientists take measurements of the changing atmosphere above Eureka at the Polar Environment Atmospheric Research Laboratory (PEARL) using specialized instruments.

(I was part of that team until recently. Daily updates from the campaign are posted here.)

PEARL sunrise campaign — Installing atmospheric monitoring instruments on the roof of the PEARL Ridge Lab during the 2014 sunrise campaign.

The return of sunlight after a long absence generates significant changes in the atmosphere. Ozone depletion chemistry, for example, is acutely impacted. A former colleague of mine wrote a blog about it here.

I made a few plots to show how big the sunlight shift is in high Arctic, with a few other locations included for comparison. This change in light has profound impacts on the environment, animals and plants, and people.

In Toronto (43°N), the amount of sunlight in a day stretches from 9 hours in mid-winter to over 15 hours in mid-June.

The size of the seasonal change in sunlight depends on latitude. If you go south from Toronto, there’s less change over the course of the year. In the Caribbean, for example, a hypothetical province called Saskatchewarm would have relatively stable sunlight throughout the year:

Sunlight hours each day in Turks and Caicos — Sunlight hours each day in the hypothetical “Saskatchewarm” in the Caribbean

Yellowknife, Northwest Territories (63°N) is much farther north than most Canadians venture. I recommend visiting it: there is fantastic art and culture to see. And it’s a good place to see Aurora Borealis. Since it’s 2000 km north of Toronto, it experiences a much larger swing in seasonal sunlight. It’s quite a big change: days in Yellowknife range from 5 hours in mid-winter to 20 hours mid-summer.

Sunlight hours each day in Yellowknife (2000 km north of Toronto)

From the North/South point of view, Yellowknife is roughly equal distances between the southernmost and the northernmost parts of Canada. The Canadian Arctic is a vast region. Let’s head another 2000 km north to look at daylight in the extreme case of Eureka.

Arctic landscape - Ellesmere Island — Arctic landscape – Ellesmere Island

Eureka is a high Arctic research site at 80°N, on Ellesmere Island. The daylight hours plot is oddly shaped compared to southern sites. For most of the year, daylight doesn’t change day-to-day: it’s either totally dark or light.

The transition between total darkness and never ending day takes only 2 months. This morning, the Eureka sunrise occurred at a rather convenient 10 am. It’ll set mid-afternoon. In a week, sunrise will occur more than an hour earlier, and sunset an hour later.

Rapid change in high Arctic sunlight shown as a plot of the number of sunlight hours per day over the course of the year for three sites at different representative and relatable locations: Toronto, Yellowknife, and Eureka — Rapid change in high Arctic sunlight

Sunrise at Eureka, Nunavut from the road to PEARL

Why does this happen?

This happens because the Earth’s axis tilts the Polar Regions completely away from the Sun, and into complete darkness in winter, and tilts towards the Sun for part of the summer. During summer in the Arctic, the Sun moves in a circle across the sky once per day, never setting.

Figure 1 - Axial_tilt_vs_tropical_and_polar_circles — Over the course of the year in the Polar Regions, the Earth’s axial tilt creates Polar Night during winter and the Midnight Sun during summer.
Credit: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arctic_Circle#Midnight_sun_and_polar_night

If we combine the plots for all three sites, a couple of interesting dates pop out:

Sunlight at Eureka, Yellowknife, and Toronto

Here’s a fun trivia question to ask friends and family: on what day of the year do all places on the planet have the same length of a day?

The length of a day is equal everywhere on the planet two days a year.** These are the intersection points between the sunlight hours at Toronto, Yellowknife, and Eureka. If I added other cities, they would also intersect at those points. These special dates, March 20 and September 23, are when the Earth is facing the sun upright with no relative tilt. Day and night are both 12-hours long. (Another trivia question could be on what day are day and night the same length.) They’re called the equinoxes.

Also noticeable on the plot is that the length of the day is maximum mid-summer (June 21) and minimum in winter (December 21). These dates are the solstices, when the tilt of the Earth is either fully towards or away from the Sun.

I hope this puts the changing daylight hours you experience in a new light.

Enjoy!

Sunset over Mississauga, viewed from downtown Toronto

Notes:

* Sunlit-hours, not the actual length of the day. Though in a small way, that is also happening. The length of the day is continuously getting longer due to the influence of the moon.

** atmospheric refraction can slightly impact the equality of the daytime/nighttime on the day of the equinoxes.

Acknowledgements:

Thank you to the python community, which has developed and maintained the packages I use to make nice plots, i.e. matplotlib, numpy, pandas, and calculate the sunrise/sunset, i.e. ephem, pytz.

January 22, 2018January 22, 2018

CHARS vs. PEARL: Canadian high Arctic research labs

I’ve been asked many times by friends, audience members at public talks, and journalists:

“Why is PEARL needed now that Canada has CHARS?”

The question came up again recently because of discussion about the Trudeau government’s decision not to renew or replace the Climate Change and Atmospheric Research (CCAR) program, which had funded a range of research projects – including PEARL. This is the latest development in a long string of cuts to Canadian climate science. Top scientists in the field have described the current funding situation as a “crisis”.

Both the Harper and Trudeau governments have pointed to CHARS as a reason to commend their efforts in the areas of Arctic and climate research. I support CHARS. It’s a world-class facility that will contribute great science. But CHARS doesn’t accomplish what PEARL or the CCAR program does. In this post, I’ll highlight some of the major differences.

First, I will briefly describe what each of those acronyms refer to. Both PEARL and CHARS are permanent research stations in the Canadian Arctic. But they are quite different entities.

CHARS is the Canadian High Arctic Research Station, a new $204 million federal government facility with an annual budget of $26.5 million. Its focus is on ecology, sustainability, and northern communities. Located in Cambridge Bay, Nunavut, CHARS is part of Polar Knowledge Canada (POLAR), an agency of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs. POLAR’s headquarters is located in the main CHARS building.

PEARL is the Polar Environment Atmospheric Research Laboratory, an atmospheric observatory located near Eureka, Nunavut on Ellesmere Island. Originally built as the Arctic Stratospheric Ozone Observatory (AStrO) in 1992 by Environment Canada, it re-opened in July 2006 as PEARL under the leadership of Canadian university scientists (full time AStrO operations ended in 2001 due to budget cuts). Over the last decade, its capabilities have grown significantly. It is now one of the world’s most comprehensive and sophisticated atmospheric observatories in the Arctic. At 80°N, it is the northernmost site for many types of ground-based atmospheric observations. PEARL has a budget of approximately $1 to 1.5 million/year.

Immediately it’s clear there are big differences. CHARS is a major government facility with a broad mandate; PEARL is a remote academic-run atmospheric observatory.

I’ll add a few details about the key differences: location, science, and scale.

The location.

The Canadian Arctic is huge. While both PEARL and CHARS are in Nunavut, PEARL is 1200 km north of CHARS. That’s roughly the distance between Toronto and Halifax or between Calgary and Yellowknife.

Map showing location of CHARS & Cambridge Bay and Eureka & PEARL

Cambridge Bay is a community of 1800 people and has regular commercial flights from Yellowknife.

Canadian North flights near Cambridge Bay.

On the other hand, Eureka is a remote research outpost that cannot be reached by commercial flights. When PEARL researchers travel to the facility for fieldwork, they take small charter plane from Yellowknife, stopping in Cambridge Bay and Resolute on their way north to Eureka to refuel.

Their different locations reflect their different scientific priorities.

The Cambridge Bay location is good for biologists and ecologists because it is close to many different ecosystems as well as caribou and muskox populations of interest to biologists. It also has a central Arctic location, which will help it to support field work in the surrounding region.

Ecoregions near CHARS and Cambridge Bay — Map illustrating the many different ecoregions near CHARS and Cambridge Bay (from talk slides by CHARS Chief Scientist Dr. Raillard here)

While there would be value in doing atmospheric measurements at CHARS, Cambridge Bay isn’t an ideal place to do all the research done at PEARL. For example, the location is too far south for it to be within the Polar Vortex regularly during the February/March window when sunlight returns and ozone depletion chemistry occurs. AStrO/PEARL was built in Eureka because scientists needed measurements that far north.

Location of the Polar Vortex, PEARL, and CHARS (January 2018). Image source: earth.nullschool.net

Cambridge Bay can’t offer the same ability to do satellite validation, either. Eureka is a sweet-spot, where many Canadian and international satellites frequently pass overhead due to their orbital geometry.

Satellite overpasses at Canadian Arctic sites — Available satellite overpasses at Canadian Arctic sites for a common orbit (Fogal et al. 2013)

Lastly, the environment is simply different at CHARS than at PEARL. As noted, they are quite distant from one another. If you want to measure the atmosphere of the high Arctic, you have to go there.

The type of science they do.

CHARS’s original priorities were resource development, science, and the development and commercialization of technology. When the Trudeau government came into power, they shifted that mandate away from resource development and technology commercialization and towards northern communities and sustainability.

The physical lab space of CHARS was designed with biology in mind. For example, there is a large animal necropsy facility (complete with a crane for loading large animals), genomics lab, as well as a cold lab for studying ice cores and a growth chamber for studying plant growth. (The CHARS floor plan is online here.) Indeed the CHARS Chief Scientist, Dr. Martin Raillard, is formerly a field scientist for Parks Canada and the Canadian Wildlife Service. His expertise aligns very well with the station’s priorities.

There are no rooftop labs at CHARS. Skyward-looking science was not part of the CHARS design. There are no astronomy or atmospheric instruments, for example. The promotion of CHARS in the media and elsewhere often describe it as a facility for “Arctic science”. I think this is why I keep getting asked about CHARS: people get the mistaken impression that it is able to do everything involving science in the Arctic.

CHARS from air — View of the CHARS facility. Photo credit: Government of Canada. Source here.

I’m certain there are atmospheric scientists keen to potentially set up instruments at CHARS. It could be a useful addition to existing networks. But CHARS would have to have an interest in doing so, and such a collaboration wouldn’t replace other observation sites like PEARL.

Roof of the PEARL Ridge Lab: where the action is

PEARL doesn’t have facilities for biology or ice core analysis. But it does have world-class instruments that measure the high Arctic atmosphere and that contributes to studies of atmospheric chemistry, climate, aerosols, and many other related topics. None of these measurements are done at CHARS.

Scale

CHARS is a larger operation than PEARL. The annual budget for CHARS operations is $26.5 million. There is over 50 staff. The site has space for dozens of scientists, including housing for about 50. There is also a large public space inside and outside the main building aimed at fostering connections with the surrounding community. Science done through CHARS involves fieldwork across the territories, not only the Cambridge Bay site.

Nunatsiaq News reports that the government spent $1 million on artwork that was installed outside the main CHARS building (the “Polar Iconic Structure” by Wei Yew). I fully support public art. It looks really great. But its cost illustrates the different the scale of these two facilities. The money spent on that art installation could fund PEARL for a year.

PEARL, when fully funded, operates on a budget of about $1.5 million. The current Minister of Science, Kirsty Duncan, once called the amount needed to operate PEARL “a pittance” for what it accomplishes. (Indeed, she recently helped arrange temporary support to prevent PEARL from closing due to budget cuts to Canadian climate and atmospheric science funding.)

PEARL has one major scale advantage over CHARS: some of its key datasets go back 25 years. These long-term measurements are extremely valuable for scientists looking at how the atmosphere and climate are changing over time. CHARS will build up datasets over time, but for the moment, they’re still in year one.

Polar Iconic Structure by Wei Yew. Photo credit: Government of Canada / CIRNA flickr account (here)

PEARL has an extensive suite of instruments spread across multiple locations near Eureka. Often, only one or two technicians are on site. Researchers at Canadian universities connect to instruments remotely through the world’s most northern geostationary satellite internet link.

PEARL technician cleans wind instruments at the flux tower

For a few weeks at a time, campaign teams of 2 to 10 researchers conduct more intensive operations on site at PEARL. Although the PEARL Ridge Lab has two rooms with bunk beds, PEARL researchers typically sleep and eat at the nearby Eureka Weather Station.

Summary

POLAR/CHARS could decide to expand its activity to include atmospheric measurements. That could be beneficial for both CHARS and the Canadian atmospheric and climate community. What is far less clear is whether POLAR/CHARS could expand to become a source for funding the type of research formerly supported by CCAR and other lost programs. Since PEARL offers capabilities CHARS lacks, it could be a complementary match. But this would not be an easy fit, given the differences in structure and priorities. NSERC, the organization that funds physical sciences in Canada, recommended renewal of CCAR.

There are many fields of science that contribute to understanding the vast Canadian Arctic. CHARS is a huge investment in northern science that should be celebrated. But we also have to recognize what it doesn’t accomplish, and the value of other research projects going on across the region as well. At the moment, there is a significant gap in Canadian climate science funding left by the Trudeau government’s cancellation of CCAR. CHARS doesn’t fill it. At least, not in its current form. In my view, Canadian science is best served by supporting both CHARS and PEARL as separate entities that each contribute important research in the Canadian Arctic.

References & more information:

“About Polar Knowledge Canada.” URL: https://www.canada.ca/en/polar-knowledge/behindthescenes.html

CANDAC website. URL: www.candac.ca

CHARS website. URL: https://www.canada.ca/en/polar-knowledge/constructingstation.html

CHARS floor plans. URL: https://www.canada.ca/en/polar-knowledge/constructingstation/charsfloorplan.html

CHARS Act. URL: http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/C-17.8/FullText.html

“CHARS: Canada’s Arctic research hub.” Canadian Geographic, July 22, 2015. URL: https://www.canadiangeographic.ca/article/chars-canadas-arctic-research-hub

“Canada Announces Request for Proposals for high Arctic Research Station.” Foreign Policy Association, September 26, 2011. URL: https://foreignpolicyblogs.com/2011/09/26/canada-announces-request-for-proposals-for-canadian-high-arctic-research-station/

“Canada’s new Arctic research station readies for its grand opening.” University Affairs, September 19, 2017. URL: https://www.universityaffairs.ca/news/news-article/canadas-new-arctic-research-station-readies-grand-opening/

“CHARS steamrolls into Nunavut’s Cambridge Bay.” Nunatsiaq News, October 30, 2017. URL: http://www.nunatsiaqonline.ca/stories/article/65674chars_steamrolls_into_nunavuts_cambridge_bay/

Fogal, P., LeBlanc, L. M., and Drummond, J.R.: The Polar Environment Atmospheric Research Laboratory (PEARL): Sounding the Atmosphere at 80 North. Arctic, 66 (3), 2013. Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/23594645

Talk slides by Dr. Raillard, “CHARS: Updates and opportunities for collaboration”, available on POLAR’s website: http://www.polarcom.gc.ca/sites/default/files/canadian_high_arctic_research_station_updates_and_opportunities_for_collaboration_-_m._raillard.pdf

“Nunavut’s Canadian High Arctic Research Station gets set for 2017 launch.” Nunatsiaq News, September 19, 2016. URL: http://www.nunatsiaqonline.ca/stories/article/65674nunavuts_canadian_high_arctic_research_station_readies_for_july_1_2017/

June 18, 2017February 5, 2018

Two recent cover photos

Recently my photography has been featured in two Canadian science journals.

In between taking measurements of the Canadian high Arctic atmosphere, troubleshooting instruments, and running communications for the research team at PEARL, I took plenty of photos. They’ve been useful for public talks, science communications, and general enjoyment. So far, my photos have found their way into a calendar, major news outlets, a variety of websites, and now the two cover photos.

First up was the Canadian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society (CMOS) Bulletin. Their December 2016 issue featured a photo of the PEARL research team installing instruments on the roof. These instruments were for satellite validation. I also contributed an article about the fieldwork and a small collection of photos. And, of course, the cover! You can find the excerpt I contributed here:

CMOS Bulletin – Dec. 2016 (Dan Weaver cover and article)

Here’s the cover only:

Canadian Arctic researchers install instruments for ground-based measurements of the atmosphere at PEARL. — CMOS Bulletin cover with my photo taken at PEARL

Next was the Physics in Canada Issue 01 of 2017. While it was the first issue of the year, it wasn’t published until June. In any case, my photo is on the cover! The photo is also taken on the PEARL roof. It features the protective enclosure of a sun tracking instrument that sends a beam of sunlight down into the infrared (IR) spectroscopy lab below. I spent plenty of time during campaigns both on the roof and within the IR lab.

Research from colleagues of mine filled the issue. However, there isn’t a way to provide direct links to specific issues on the PiC site.

The cover photo can be seen here:

Physics in Canada – 2017 Iss.01 – Cover (photo by Dan Weaver)

Suntracking instrument housing on the roof of the Polar Environment Atmospheric Research Laboratory (PEARL) in the Canadian high Arctic, near Eureka, Nunavut — Physics in Canada (Vol. 73, No. 01) with my photo on the cover.

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The location.

The type of science they do.

Scale

Summary

References & more information:

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