Monday's weather report from Halifax, Nova Scotia

Monday, 29 April 2013
Dalhousie Atmospheric Observatory
Location: Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia
Time of measurement:  1200 local (ADT)
Temperature:  +14 C
Wind:  NNE 7 km/h
Sky: Beautifully clear above with some low clouds to the NE.

In the foreground is part of an instrument I use to monitor the composition of the atmosphere above Halifax!

Data collected by Jonathan Franklin on Monday, 29 April 2013

Weather Report from Mrs. Sturrup's Grade 1 Students

Class: Mrs. Sturrup's Grade 1 Class
Location: Pickering College, Newmarket, Ontario
Time of measurement: 12:30 pm
Weather conditions: Breezy, clear, sunny with clouds, and cool.
Temperature: +13ᵒC

Data collected by Mrs. Sturrup's grade 1 students on Monday, April 29, 2013. 

Weather Report from CANDAC Toronto

CANDAC Scientists in Toronto
Location: University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario
Time of measurement: 12:00 PM (noon)
Weather conditions: Cloudy, stratus clouds, 90% overcast
Temperature: +11.2ᵒC
Wind speed: 11.2 km/h from the East
Solar insolation value: 276 W/m2 

Data collected by Orfeo Colebatch on Monday, April 29, 2013.

Weather Report from Mrs. Furlan's Kindergarten Students

Class: Mrs. Alexis Furlan's JK/SK Class
Location: Pickering College, Newmarket, Ontario
Time of measurement: 11:30 am
Weather conditions: Breezy, clear and cloudy
Temperature: +13ᵒC

Data collected by Mrs. Furlan's kindergarten students on Monday, April 29, 2013. 

Weather Report Please!

Please post your weather report for Monday, April 29 (tomorrow!) sometime this week. Please include the following or if you've got a camera handy, just take a picture of your observation page and post that instead!

Grades K-2
- teacher's name
- time of measurement
- weather conditions (sunny, sunny with clouds, cloudy, rainy or snowy)
- temperature (ᵒC)

Grades 2-4
- teacher's name
- time of measurement
- weather conditions (sunny, sunny with clouds, cloudy, rainy or snowy)
- temperature (ᵒC)
- wind speed (km/h)

Grades 5-7
- teacher's name
- time of measurement
- pyranometer measurement (mV)
- solar insolation value (W/m2)

Earth Day with Mrs. Demarco's Grade 2 Students and The Lorax!

The Grade 2 students were very excited to participate in Earth day activities. They read the story "The Lorax" and wrote about what they would do to help the Earth if they were the Lorax. The students wrote and shared some very thoughtful and Earth friendly ideas. I think the best part of the day for the students was making their own Lorax moustache and getting to wear it all day. 

Written by Sarah Demarco, Grade 2 Teacher at Pickering College in Newmarket, Ontario.

 Photo credit: Sarah Demarco.

 Photo credit: Sarah Demarco.

Photo credit: Sarah Demarco.

Earth Day is Monday, April 22, 2013

Earth Day has been around for over 40 years! It's aim is to inspire people to learn more about Earth's changing environments and perform acts to service (e.g. planting trees, picking up trash, walking or biking to work, etc.) to Earth. 

Tell us (or show us with a photo) how you will celebrate Earth Day!!  

Hello from Pickering College!

The Primary students at Pickering College in Newmarket, Ontario are thrilled to be part of the CANDAC student researchers outreach programme again this year.  Students in Kindergarten to Grade 3 are taking daily weather, temperature and wind measurements.  We have had such a fluctuation in temperature this April that it makes our recordings both interesting and surprising, with lots to talk about!  These young students are engaged in what they are learning about the weather and enjoy collaborating on the project.

Written by Lisa Sturrup, Grade 1 Teacher at Pickering College in Newmarket, Ontario.

Photo credit: Lisa Sturrup.

Photo credit: Lisa Sturrup.

AES Students Under the Sun!

Over the past 2 weeks it's become a very common sight to observe a pair of students heading out under a clear blue sky to take some weather measurements and note their observations.  Observing the weather is nothing new to Inuit children.  Traditionally, it was the job of the kids to go out in the morning and check the weather.  

Our students are out recording the wind speed/direction, temperature, solar radiation and noting cloud formations on a daily basis.  They are quite excited about the process and many of the older students are out working cooperatively with their peers while some of the younger students are being assisted by their teacher.

Only a few months ago, the sun didn't rise above the horizon and in the not too distant future, it will be up 24 hours a day.  It will be interesting to see how much the radiation of the sun will increase as the sun rises higher into the sky.  We will also likely experience some high winds and storms in the coming month.

Above left are grade 7 students Sakku and Colleen using the Pyranometer to measure the sun's radiation, and the bottom photo is of grade 3 students who are out to measure the wind speed and direction.

We all look forward to the return of our CANDAC leaders Ashley, Niall and Mel near the end of May and are eager to share our findings and learn more about the Atmosphere.

Post a photo this week!

If you have got a camera handy, we would love to see a photo of your class using your instruments to make measurements! Here's one of Xiaoyi Zhao checking the sun tracker (located under the large, clear dome) on the roof of PEARL in Eureka, Nunavut.

Photo credit: Emily McCullough.

University of Toronto observations

We hope that you have enjoyed your first week of data collection! Here are today's weather observations from the University of Toronto's Atmospheric Observatory (TAO). Remember that TAO is located at 174 meters above sea level, so it might be a bit cooler than other places in the city.

Temperature: 3.1ᵒC

Wind speed: 5.9 km/h
Wind direction: NW

Solar insolation: 72.0 W/m2

Thank you Orfeo Colebatch for collecting today's weather observations. 

Photo credit: Dan Weaver.

First day of measurements!!

Just a quick reminder that today is our first official day of measurements!! Grab your instruments and your red CANDAC observation logbook, and get outside to record your measurements and observations! Good luck!

Image credit: www.wordle.net.

Last day at Ataguttaaluk Elementary School

Today was our final day at Ataguttaaluk Elementary School and we cannot believe how quickly the week has gone by. We really enjoyed our time with students and teachers, and are confident that everyone understands how to make measurements and record their weather observations.

 

Niall and Mel showed grade 5, 6 and 7 students how to make pyranometer measurements outside. 

Photo credit: Ashley Kilgour.

 

Students make their own thermometers to learn how they work. 

Photo credit: Ashley Kilgour.

Project Launch at Ataguttaaluk Elementary School!!

Niall, Mel and I have been at Attagutaaluk Elementary School launching the Student-Researchers Atmospheric Collaboration since Monday and we've been having an excellent time with the students! The grades 5, 6, and 7 students are using pyranometers to measure solar radiation (insolation), the grades 3 and 4 students are using wind socks and anemometers to measure wind direction and wind speed, and the grades 1 and 2 students are using thermometers to measure temperature.

The older students enjoyed playing the "Sock Name Game," which helped us remember everyone's name. We've met over 150 students this week, so remembering everyone by name is a bit of a challenge!

Most of the grades 5, 6, and 7 classes have had the chance to take their pyranometers outside to practice making measurements. We've learned that the wires the connect the pyranometer and multimeter need to be kept warm for as long as possible until the measurement is taken. Everyone is really getting the hang of it! Leah and Tami's classes have also performed an albedo science lab to determine which type of material reflects and which material absorbs the most heat.

Grade 7 students watch Niall as he demonstrates how a pyranometer and multimeter are used together to detect the amount of radiation. 

Photo credit: Melanie Wright.

Darlene and Meeka's classes have been having a hoot with the wind socks and anemometers. They've practiced with both instruments and caught some wind gusts of about 15km/h. We'll be doing a few more hands-on activities with them over the next two days.

Ataguttaaluk students practice using the wind sock and anemometer to make wind measurements. 

Photo credit: Melanie Wright.

Pat and Jeena's classes have been learning how to read the temperature from a thermometer. They've pretended to be both frozen and hot air particles and determined the temperatures of various water samples. We'll be determining ideal places for their thermometers tomorrow!

Grade 1 students pretend to be air particles as the hot sun (their hands) begins to shine down on them. 

Photo credit: Melanie Wright.

The cloudy sky cleared early this afternoon, so we are hoping to see the Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights) tonight.

Saint Patrick's Day in Igloolik!

Lá Fhéile Pádraig sona ón Igloolik daoibh!! (Happy Saint Patrick's Day from Igloolik!!).

This is definitely the coolest place in which I've spent my country's national holiday! We're having a great time here so far and looking forward to visiting the school tomorrow.

Photos of Igloolik

We had the chance to walk around Igloolik a bit this afternoon and thought that we would share some photos. According to Environment Canada it was -24C and -33 with the windchill, so we bundled up in our parkas and snow pants.

We are staying at the Igloolik Inn, which is only a few minutes walk from Attaguttaaluk Elementary School. 

Photo credit: Ashley Kilgour. 

The Igloolik Research Station is owned and operated by the Department of Environment of the Government of Nunavut. Researchers mainly study terrestrial wildlife and their habitats. 

Photo credit: Ashley Kilgour.

The radio station building across the street from our hotel is painted with beautiful and colourful artwork.

Photo credit: Ashley Kilgour. 

Arrived in Igloolik!

Mel, Niall and I safely arrived in Igloolik this afternoon! We were originally scheduled to arrive in Igloolik yesterday around 4:30PM; however, our connecting flight from Iqaluit to Igloolik was canceled due to inclement weather conditions. We spent the night in Iqaluit and enjoyed a windy walk around the city, stopping at Yummy Shawarma for dinner and browsing the Unikkaarvik Visitor Centre and the Nunatta Sunakkataangit Museum to learn more about the history and culture of Nunavummiut. We will post some photos from Igloolik tomorrow!

This bright yellow building is the Iqaluit Airport. It has one main runway that is 2623 meters long. 

Photo credit: Ashley Kilgour.

Northern bottle-nosed whale skull without the lower jaw bones displayed upstairs at the Nunatta Sunakkataangit Museum in Iqaluit.

Photo credit: Melanie Wright.

Sun setting over the city of Iqaluit on Friday, March 15. 

Photo credit: Melanie Wright.

Packing for Igloolik!

Today we are packing all of our outreach materials for our upcoming trip to Ataguttaaluk Elementary School in Igloolik, Nunavut. Checklists are the best way to ensure we remember everything!

 All of our outreach materials were organized on our office mate Stephanie's desk before checking them off our checklist and packing them. Good thing she's working from home today! Thanks Stephanie. :)

Photo credit: Ashley Kilgour. 

Project Launch at Pickering College!

Left to right: Camille Viatte, Patrick Sheese, and Keven Roy at Pickering College in Newmarket, Ontario.

Photo credit: Ashley Kilgour.

Ashley, Camille, Patrick, and Keven visited Pickering College this morning (Friday, March 8th) to launch the Student-Researchers Atmospheric Collaboration with kindergarten, grade 1, grade 2, and grade 3 students. Students were in good spirits, as it was the last day before March Break! It was lovely to see so many familiar faces and meet a few new ones as well. Students learned more about the Arctic environment and had fun trying on Arctic gear that was WAY too big for them!

Kindergarten and grade 1 students tried on official Canada Goose Arctic gear (parka, snow pants, boot, mitts, scarf, toque, and goggles). 

Photo credit: Ashley Kilgour.

Camille showed kindergarten and grade 1 students how to make their own thermometers using plastic bottles, molding clay, straws, and rubbing alcohol to help them better understand how thermometers work. Everyone seemed to get their thermometers working - well done!  Keven also used a large demonstration thermometer to review steps for reading the temperature.

Keven reviewed the temperature scale in degrees Celsius with students.

 Photo credit: Ashley Kilgour.

Grade 2 and 3 students helped Patrick perform a science demonstration that showed how temperature and pressure affect air density, resulting in atmospheric circulation and winds. They then practiced using their windsock and compass to determine wind direction, and their anemometer to determine wind speed.

Patrick made a bit of a mess doing this demonstration!

Photo credit: Ashley Kilgour.

This year, students will be partnering with students at Ataguttaaluk Elementary School in Igloolik, Nunavut to share and discuss their findings. CANDAC scientists will be visiting Ataguttaaluk School from March 18-22, so please let us know if you have any questions about Igloolik and/or Nunavut!

Point "A" is Newmarket, Ontario (latitude of 44ᵒN) and point "B" is Igloolik, Nunavut (latitude of 69ᵒN).

Image credit: Google Maps.

Thanks again for inviting us into your classrooms. We are looking forward to hearing from you after March Break!!

CANDAC scientists blogging from Eureka, Nunavut!

Dan Weaver, a PhD student working with Prof. Strong at the University of Toronto, just blogged about the 2013 Canadian Arctic ACE/OSIRIS Validation Campaign from CANDAC's iconic red PEARL lab in Eureka, Nunavut. Read his informative blog at http://createarcticscience.wordpress.com/.

Environment Canada colleagues welcomed back CANDAC scientists for another year of measurements. 

Photo credit: Dan Weaver.

Dan cools detectors in the Bruker spectrometer with liquid nitrogen. The Bruker measures tropospheric and stratospheric gases like ozone, carbon dioxide, methane, and many more. 

Photo credit: Paul Loewen.

The 2013 ACE Validation Team and Dr. Drummond (CANDAC/PEARL Principal Investigator) on route to Eureka, Nunavut!

Left to right: Dr. James Drummond, Paul Loewen, Joseph Mendonca, Xiaoyi Zhao, Volodya Savastiouk, Emily McCullough, Zen Mariani, Dan Weaver, and Debora Griffin on route to Eureka, Nunavut on February 24, 2013. 

Photo Credit: Paul Loewen.

Photo Credit: Dan Weaver.

CANDAC scientists arrived in Eureka, Nunavut on Sunday!

CANDAC scientists Debora, Zen, Joseph, Emily, Volodya, Dan, and Xiaoyi arrived at Eureka, Nunavut on Sunday, February 24 to begin measurements for the 2013 Canadian Arctic ACE Validation Campaign. You can learn more about their campaign by following their blog (http://createarcticscience.wordpress.com/) and checking out their website (http://acebox.uwaterloo.ca/eureka/). Their daily photo journal is always filled with magnificent photos showing Arctic wildlife, the surrounding environment, and their instruments/laboratory. Below are a few photos from the 2012 Campaign.

Left to right: Dan Weaver, Debora Griffin, Joseph Mendonca, Xiaoyi Zhao, Volodya Savastiouk, and Emily McCullough on route to Eureka, Nunavut on February 20, 2012. 

Photo credit: Debora Griffin.

The Polar Environment Arctic Research Laboratory (PEARL) in Eureka, Nunavut is located 80 degrees north of the equator and 86 degrees west of the Prime Meridian. It is 610 meters above sea level. 

Photo credit: Dan Weaver.

The Zero Altitude PEARL Auxiliary Laboratory (0PAL) is about 15 kilometers from PEARL and is located approximately at sea level to allow it to measure the lower part of the atmosphere. 

Photo credit: Emily McCullough.

Dan Weaver is re-positioning the Bruker's sun tracker located on the roof of PEARL. 

Photo credit: Volodya Savastiouk.

Emily McCullough is working on the CLR lidar, located inside 0PAL. 

Photo credit: Emily McCullough.

A scientist out for an Arctic stroll. Parhelion (commonly known as sundogs) can be seen in the sky around the sun. 

Photo credit: Emily McCullough.

Pictographs

 

What a beautiful day to be back at the Nakasuk School:  sunny and +2C!  All this week we will be working with four classes that participated in the Student-Researchers Atmospheric Collaboration: Keith’s grade 1, Nadine’s grade 3,  Ida’s grade 3 and Alison’s grade 3 students.  We were flattered that many students remembered Ashley and Camille – thanks!

At the beginning of each period, students reintroduced themselves and described their experiences with either a word or a short phrase.  We heard a lot of “awesome”, “fun” and even “I like CANDAC” statements.   After that, as scientists often do, we had a discussion about the data collection methods and the encountered difficulties.  Many classes began by taking measurements together as a class, and then recorded the data in groups of 3 or 4 as students gained confidence with their instruments.  In each case, however, there were challenges that young scientists had to face.  They had to battle cold weather and strong winds, properly make thermometer readings, determine the wind direction using a compass and a wind sock and even deal with a missing instrument. 

Everyone agreed that it would be great to share the acquired data.   One way they learned to do this was creating pictographs – graphs made out of pictures.  Students colored the pictures of thermometers and anemometers and then worked together to organize them chronologically.   

There are also other cool ways to share data and we’ll explore them in the days to come!  

- Your outreach team

Excited to be at Iqaluit!

Hello everyone!

My name is Konstantin Baibakov, a CANDAC researcher at the University of Sherbrooke in the province of Québec.  I’m currently studying small particles suspended in the air (called aerosols) at the PEARL High Arctic station.  These particles play an important role in the climate of our planet.    We perform our measurements during the Polar Night by observing the stars.  I can tell you that  starry nights in the Arctic are truly special and beautiful!

I’m a new addition to the CANDAC outreach team and I’m really excited to be at the Nakasuk School together with Ashley and Camille this week.  I’m looking forward to hear all about the temperature and wind measurements the Nakasuk students have been carefully collecting over the past months!

Clear and hazy sky conditions

Source: Ashley Kilgour
Date: May 10, 2012

Source: Ashley Kilgour
Date: May 3, 2012