Dr. Neil Trivett Global Atmosphere Watch Observatory

Dr. Neil Trivett Global Atmosphere Watch Observatory

The observatory as it appeared on June 1, 2016
Alternative names	NOAA arctic atmospheric observatory at Alert
Organization	Environment and Climate Change Canada
Location	Alert, Nunavut, Canada
Coordinates	82°27′03″N 62°30′26″W
Altitude	185 m
Established	August 29, 1986 (1986-08-29)
Website	www.ec.gc.ca
Dr. Neil Trivett Global Atmosphere Watch Observatory Location in Arctic
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The Dr. Neil Trivett Global Atmosphere Watch Observatory is an atmospheric baseline station operated by Environment and Climate Change Canada located at Alert, Nunavut, on the north-eastern tip of Ellesmere Island, about 800 km south of the geographic north pole.

The observatory is the northernmost of 31 Global Stations in an international network coordinated by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) under its Global Atmosphere Watch (GAW) program to study the long-term effects of pollution on the atmospheric environment. Among these 31 stations, Alert is one of three so-called 'intercomparison supersites', along with Mauna Loa in Hawaii and Cape Grim in Australia, which, due to their locations far from industrial activity, provide the international scientific community with a baseline record of atmospheric chemistry.

Geography and Climate

The observatory is located on a plateau about 6 km south of Canadian Forces Station (CFS) Alert, which is itself located on the shore of the Lincoln Sea, 15 kilometres from the mouth of the Nares Strait. The region is characterized by recent glacial activity, with still extant glaciers visible among the peaks of the United States Range approximately 40 kilometres to the west. The landscape immediately surrounding the observatory is undulating, marked by cliffs and crevasses and a number of gently-flowing rivers which can become impassable torrents during freshet.

To the south, the Winchester Hills are the dominant visible feature. A number of small freshwater lakes provide the station (and by extension, the observatory) with drinking water.

Due to its extreme high latitude, the observatory experiences 24-hour daylight from the beginning of April to early September, and the sun remains below the horizon from mid-October to late February. The intermediate periods are marked by a slight diurnal cycle. The dark season is responsible for much of the unique atmospheric chemistry that occurs during polar sunrise. The lack of sunlight to act as a catalyst causes the buildup of pollution from industrial areas down south, which is drawn northwards by the polar vortex. During sunrise, this pollution is responsible for a phenomenon known as Arctic haze.

Alert's high latitude also affects the visibility of the moon. Due to the moon's slight (5.145°) inclination relative to Earth's orbit, for exactly half of its orbital period (28 days), the moon is above the horizon and circles it in a clockwise direction. For the other half, it remains below and is not visible. Which phase of the moon is visible also varies throughout the year: during the summer, when the sun is always above the horizon, the moon rises at the last quarter and sets at the first quarter, meaning the full moon is never seen. In the winter, this is reversed: full moons are visible while new moons are not.

Due to frequently strong temperature inversions (an atmospheric condition where the temperature close to the ground is significantly lower than the temperature several hundred metres above) the Novaya Zemlya effect is commonly seen in Alert. Though these illusions can occur at any time of year, they are most common in the spring months as the atmosphere warms faster than the snow-covered ground below it, causing inversions as great as 20 degrees.

Alert's climate is exceptionally dry, seeing extremely little annual precipitation. (It is, in fact, considered a desert.) What rain does arrive generally comes in the form of mist or drizzle. Heavy snowfalls are typically confined to the period from September through November, but can occur again after polar sunrise.

Despite the lack of rain and snow, fog frequently rolls in off the nearby ocean, particularly in the summer and fall. When temperatures drop below freezing in September and October, the damp air also causes accumulations of hoar frost on buildings and instruments.

Though conditions in Alert are cold, with only two months of the year seeing average temperatures above the freezing point (snow is possible in any month of the year), they are not as cold as other locations further south, such as Eureka Weather Station. Proximity to the Arctic Ocean serves to moderate temperatures somewhat. It is more accurate to characterize conditions in Alert as consistently cold, rather than extremely cold.

Prevailing winds in Alert are from the southwest, which usually bring clear skies and warmer temperatures. North winds off the ocean are typically accompanied by fog and sudden drops in temperature. (North winds are also unwelcome at the observatory, as they bring exhaust from the station's diesel generators.) Conditions are typically calm through the dark winter months, once the polar vortex has set up for the season. Three out of five days have wind speeds below two metres per second at this time of year. (However, when windy conditions arise in the winter, they tend to be extreme. Storms can last for days at a time.) These conditions continue through polar sunrise, but reverse dramatically with the onset of freshet, which brings high, gusting winds.

History

Official opening of the BAPMoN Observatory, August 29, 1986. Assistant Deputy Minister Howard Ferguson, left, stands at the entrance to the observatory with the Project Commander from 1 CEU, Winnipeg and Dr. Neil Trivett.

The establishment of the Joint Arctic Weather Station (JAWS) on April 9, 1950 marked the beginning of continuous meteorological measurements in Alert. The weather station frequently provided support for scientific research in Alert, including the collection of weekly flask samples for the measurement of carbon dioxide, the first of which was taken on July 8, 1975.

Increasing interest in studies of phenomena such as Arctic haze led to the expansion of regular sampling in Alert to include high-volume filter samples for the study of aerosols, under the auspices of the Canadian Arctic Aerosol Sampling Network (CAASN). In 1984, the program was condensed and refocused. The sampling programs in Igloolik and Mould Bay were discontinued, and the program in Alert became part of the core mandate of the newly formed Canadian Arctic Aerosol Chemistry Program (CAACP).

The gradually increasing amount of experimental research being done in Alert made the construction of a permanent observatory a viable option. In 1985, the Canadian Baseline Program was founded, and on August 29 the following year the Alert Background Air Pollution Monitoring Network (BAPMoN) Observatory was officially opened. In 1989, the WMO's BAPMoN program was merged with the Global Ozone Observing System (GO₃OS) to form the Global Atmosphere Watch Program.

In 1992, the original observatory building was expanded to roughly three times its size, including the addition of a 10 m tall walk-up tower.

Following the death of Dr. Neil Trivett in 2002 (an Environment Canada researcher who was largely responsible for the construction of the observatory), it was officially renamed in July 2006 as the Dr. Neil Trivett Global Atmosphere Watch Observatory.

Measurements and Research

In addition to the ongoing flask sample programs, the observatory maintains a core group of continuous measurement programs which include monitoring of aerosols, mercury, greenhouse gases, ozone (both ground level and stratospheric), broadband solar irradiance and albedo, permafrost levels, persistent organic pollutants (POPs), and ground level meteorological conditions.

The observatory also supports experimental testing of new monitoring equipment, and short-term, intensive research programs, e.g., NETCARE (Network on Climate and Aerosols: Addressing Key Uncertainties in Remote Canadian Environments).

Much of the research and data collection at the observatory is collaborative, including long-standing partnerships with, e.g., NOAA, the University of Heidelberg, and the Scripps Institution of Oceanography.