Web site: Earth Observation Data Services

The ESS Earth Observation Data Services (EODS) provides satellite data to NRCan programs and other governments of Canada in order to deliver on their outputs and outcomes. EODS provides data reception through two receiving stations, one in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, and the other in Gatineau, Quebec. Also included in the service are state-of-the-art archiving, processing and data dissemination systems. The Satellite Acquisition Services group in Ottawa provides the client interface for services to programs.

EODS provides data-reception coverage for North America. The ground stations receive data from several satellite sensors and maintain the National Earth Observation archives dating back to 1972. Data are made available to support near-real-time applications, such as forest-fire monitoring and mapping, natural hazards and ice monitoring; as well as non-real-time applications, such as sustainable development, including land use management and climate change.

Web site: Canadian Spatial Reference System

The Canadian Geodetic Service maintains the Canadian Spatial Reference System (CSRS) as a national standard for geospatial and Earth-sciences information. The associated frame of reference for latitude, longitude, height and gravity, serves as the foundation for spatially referenced information systems and related geoscience needs. Applications range from land surveys to mineral exploration, navigation and mapping, to the use of remote-sensing data for resource management; from the construction of infrastructure and development projects, to the interpretation of seismic disturbances. The maintenance of CSRS involves monitoring the Earth's systems and determining related time-varying parameters that are implicated in global and climate change, meteorology and space sciences. This, in turn, requires highly leveraged scientific and technological efforts on an international level and coordination at the national, provincial and territorial levels.

In the role of corporate surveyor for the federal government, the Surveyor General of Canada protects the interests of the Government of Canada as the owner of the vast majority of Canada Lands, through the operation and maintenance of the Canada Lands Survey System. Canada Lands are defined in the Canada Lands Surveys Act and include approximately 2600 Indian Reserves, the National Parks system, the off-shore areas of Canada, and both private and Crown lands in the Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut.

The Surveyor General's Office sets, maintains and updates survey standards, maintains and provides access to the Canada Lands Survey Records, establishes a regulatory regime, and manages both the digital cadastral databases and ground-based survey frameworks. The regulatory regime includes the issuance of survey instructions, quality monitoring of surveys and survey products, and the ratification and confirmation of surveys and survey plans.

The primary objective of the Canada Lands Survey System is to provide the foundation to establish property rights on Canada Lands, by defining, describing and documenting the extent of all land interests. An additional objective is to provide standards for customized survey products for land-interest holders, as required.

Certain activities are linked to the management of the land survey programs of administering departments, as required under Section 25 of the Canada Lands Surveys Act. These are managed separately, as part of the ESS issues-driven programs described previously in this plan.

Web site: Earthquakes Canada

The National Earthquake Monitoring System manages a network of over 130 seismograph stations across Canada and is co-located with strong ground-motion recorders at many sites. The service provides reliable, timely seismic data from earthquakes. These data are transmitted to mirrored data centres in Ottawa and Sidney, B.C. The System also provides information for the timely production of automatic and manually analysed seismic data for earthquake and tsunami hazard assessment, and emergency planning and response. The System incorporates data from international and university networks. As required by the Emergency Preparedness Act and the Federal Policy on Emergencies, the System provides information and advice related to the probable or actual occurrence and intensity of earthquakes and tsunamis to federal, provincial, municipal and private-sector emergency-measures organizations.

The System provides real-time data to the U.S. National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration's Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre and the International Seismological Centre, and maintains a publicly Web-accessible data archive for research and emergency management.

Web site: Geomagnetism

The Geomagnetic Monitoring Service comprises 13 magnetic observatories of the Canadian Magnetic Observatory Network, plus associated maintenance facilities. The observatory network monitors both long-term and rapid fluctuations in the Earth's magnetic field in all regions of the country, on a continuous basis. It provides this information in order to forecast solar-induced electromagnetic activity that could damage critical infrastructure, such as communications satellites, power-transmission facilities and pipelines, and to develop the Canadian Geomagnetic Reference Field necessary for safe terrestrial, marine and aeronautical navigation. As required by the Emergency Preparedness Act and the Federal Policy on Emergencies, the service provides information and advice related to the probable or actual occurrence and intensity of electromagnetic storms to federal, provincial, municipal and private-sector emergency-measures organizations.

The Service provides data to the International Real-time Magnetic Observatory Network INTERMAGNET) and maintains a publicly Web-accessible data archive for research and emergency management.

Web site: Nuclear Explosion Monitoring

NRCan, through ESS, together with the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, and Health Canada, form the National Authority for the Comprehensive Test-ban Treaty (CTBT). As required by the CTBT Implementation Act and an agreement between Canada and the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Test-ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO), ESS operates 11 stations of the International Monitoring System (IMS) and provides seismological, hydroacoustic and infrasound data, in accordance to agreed procedures to the CTBTO's International Data Centre in Vienna. ESS also maintains a National Data Centre for the National Authority, participates in nuclear-explosion event-identification exercises, in the technical meetings of the CTBTO, as needed, and leads the Canadian participation in the CTBTO in the areas of seismic, hydroacoustic and infrasound technologies, and the International Data Centre concerning infrastructure and communications.