Meteorological Service of Canada (MSC)

International Activities

World Meteorological Organization

Canada, through the MSC, is a key player in the World Meteorological Organization. It cooperates by participating in global telecommunications networks and by respecting international data standards for the global exchange of meteorological data and products. These data are shared with more than 179 countries around the world. Thousands of volunteer severe-weather watchers, ham radio operators and shipboard observers assist in monitoring Canada's weather and climate.

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

MSC coordinates Canada's contribution to the work of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Thirty scientists from government (including MSC), universities and the private sector worked within the IPCC to prepare the Panel's Third Assessment and related Special Reports. The MSC continues its involvement within the IPCC in the preparation of the Panel's Fourth Assessment, including being a member of the IPCC Bureau of Working Group Two, Impacts and Adaptation.

Cooperative Meteorological Programs with China

We have a number of cooperative agreements such as the collaboration of the MSC and the China Meteorological Administration (CMA). The Meteorological Service of Canada and the China Meteorological Administration (CMA) first signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Cooperative Meteorological Programmes on June 1, 1986. The MOU focused on cooperation and exchanges between technical experts to improve the coordination of national programs directed at the provision of meteorological and related services. During a Joint Working Group meeting in October the MOU was re-negotiated. After 15 years of collaboration, a new MOU on Science and Technology Related to Meteorology, Hydrology, Environmental Predictions and Climate Change was signed.

The Chinese delegation was led by Dr. Qin Dahe, Administrator of CMA and noted climate scientist seen here with Marc Denis Everell following the signing ceremony.

Canadian Weather Research Program

The Canadian Weather Research Program (CWRP), developed under the leadership of the Canadian government, is a partnership between government, universities and the private sector to promote research initiatives on weather forecasting. Strong ties with the United States Weather Research Program and the World Weather Research Program will accelerate the development of new methods and more efficient ways to forecast weather and reduce the impacts of extreme events. Two substantial initiatives led by McGill University have received $3M in funds from the Canadian Foundation for Climate and Atmospheric Science (CFCAS). These projects have substantial MSC involvement, and will advance research and development in the analyses and prediction of heavy precipitation using the MSC modelling and radar infrastructure. Other current CWRP projects include an international study on aircraft icing hazards, and the study of hurricanes affecting Atlantic Canada.

The Mackenzie GEWEX Study

A variety of hydrology, climate/meteorology and extreme weather studies are being carried out in the Mackenzie River Basin by MSC Prairie and Northern Region staff as part of Canada's contribution to the international Global Energy and Water Cycle Experiment (GEWEX) program. The Region also hosted a Mackenzie GEWEX workshop on Hydrologic and Climatological Scaling Issues in Yellowknife in June 2001.

Hydrologic-process field studies and modelling are being conducted in the subarctic Canadian Shield in partnership with universities and other government agencies. These processes will be incorporated into land-surface schemes and hydrological models that will allow scientists to better predict the effects of climate change and industrial development on water resources in the region. Meteorological studies are also being carried out to document and improve understanding of extreme weather characteristics and lightning in the Mackenzie Basin, and potential changes due to climate change. Relatively high lightning activity in the Basin plays a significant role in triggering forest fires, which allows new plants and trees to grow and helps control diseases and insects. Data from the Canadian Lightning Detection Network showed evidence of complex interactions between circulation patterns, storms, forest fires, and fire-enhancing smoke. Partners are being considered for investigations into the links between climate, fire, vegetation and wildlife populations.

Molecule-trapping Coating Wins R&D; Award

Establishing air-quality standards requires accurate measurements of pollutants in the air - a difficult task given the variety of sizes and kinds of particulates, and the fact that many pollutants exist in both particle and gas phases. A new fine XAD sorbent coating developed by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in collaboration with the MSC and the U.S. EPA has greatly improved the accuracy of such efforts, and won the Research and Development 100 Award.

The coating has 1 000 times the available surface-area-to-volume ratio of conventional, highly porous sorbent polymers. Applied to the inside surfaces of annular diffusion denuders (gas strippers), it traps molecules of organic gases, while allowing particles to travel straight through to a filter. This technology has revolutionized monitoring strategies for characterizing ambient particulate matter, and is used in studies of semi-volatile organic compounds at Environment Canada, throughout the United States and in Europe. Among these are investigations of the atmospheric behaviour of diesel, other vehicle exhausts, and wood smoke; their role in smog formation; and the characteristics of pollutant particles.

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