Abstracts: CMOS
Ottawa, 2014-2015
(in
language
given)
MacLeod:
In the past and at present, aviation weather forecasts for airports
(TAFs) were/are produced manually by meteorologists, using the same
models and data as are used for public and other types of
forecasts. In 2009, Scotia Weather Services Inc. (SWSI) began to
automate this for its private aviation clients using its in-house
Weather Forecast and Research (WRF) model. Under a federal government
program for product commercialization, SWSI implemented a test version
of their system to use the outputs of the WRF configured in ultra- fine
scale over an airport to produce automated TAF products. This test
version was used to produce automated aviation forecasts for several
DND airports.
Hannah: The
World Class Tanker Safety Initiative is a major program of the
Government of Canada to improve the overall regime under which oil
tankers operate in Canada. Oceanography plays a small but vital role in
this initiative. This presentation will provide an overview of the
oceanographic program for the North Coast of British Columbia. This
includes results from deployments of a new low-cost satellite-tracked
surface drifter, current meter moorings, observation of flow over a
shallow sill, and the development of a high resolution circulation
model for the fjord system of the North Coast of BC.
Lewkowicz:
Broad patterns of permafrost distribution across latitudinal and
elevational gradients in the mountains of western and eastern Canada
can be described using empirical-statistical modeling based on climate
data derived from networks of simple air and ground temperature
monitoring stations. Finer scale determinations within the region
require physical modeling but are limited by a lack of baseline
information on substrate characteristics, snow and the surface organic
layer. New techniques, such as the use of electrical resistivity
tomography and low level aerial imaging using an unmanned aerial
vehicle (drone) have proved critical to site-level investigations.
Field observations of permafrost using these new techniques will be
discussed.
Watson-Wright: The need for the
management of our links to the ocean, including both how we benefit
from the ocean and impact on it, requires ocean-related research,
observations and monitoring, including data management, ocean and earth
system forecasting, and the development of information for societal
benefit. This information comes in the form of services, as well as in
a longer term building of a knowledge base and from scientific
assessments. The role of the Intergovernmental
Oceanographic
Commission (IOC) of UNESCO in each of these, as well as some of the
current global initiatives in which the IOC is involved, will be
discussed.
Ianson:
As the oceans absorb anthropogenic CO 2 they become
more acidic, a problem termed ocean acidification (OA). This increase
in CO 2 is occurring rapidly, and so may have significant
negative implications for marine ecosystems. The body of scientific
literature concerning OA is also growing rapidly. However, if one looks
carefully at specific geographic regions, there are significant
`knowledge gaps'. In many coastal zones the mean present day level of
acidity is unknown. These regions tend to be highly variable and so it
is unlikely that reported global means, commonly assumed in OA
experiments, apply. Furthermore, many marine organisms, especially
those that are of economic and cultural importance (like salmon), live
or spend part of their life in nearshore regions where the carbonate
system may be more difficult to measure. Finally, as trophic level
increases, less is known about the impact of OA in general. I explore
all of these issues in the context of the Canadian west coast and its
present day fisheries, as well as the potential for local contributions
(such as sewage) to acidity in the region.
Hains & Youngblut: In the
summer of 2014, members of a multi-disciplinary team
continued the multi-year search for HMS Erebus and HMS Terror, the lost
ships of Sir John Franklin's expedition, which were beset and later
abandoned in the ice of Victoria Strait in 1848, west of King William
Island. The team discovered HMS Erebus in southern Queen Maud
Gulf, generating extensive interest around the world.
Like many pivotal moments in discoveries, it was luck and generosity
that set off a chain of historical events that led to the discovery of
Captain Franklin's lead ship, starting with the simple act of a CHS
hydrographer offering extra helicopter space to a team of Nunavut
archeologists, and ending with a marine survey by the Canadian
Hydrographic Service to produce stunning three-dimensional images of
the located wreck, images that ultimately enabled Park Canada's marine
archeologists to confirm the identity of HMS Erebus.
This is the story of how the Canadian Hydrographic Service set out to
collect high definition bathymetric data showing highly detailed images
of the seabed in order to make better marine navigation charts and
ended up helping to make history.
Jackson: The
Canadian Ice Service (CIS) has been the unique Canadian government
organization providing timely and accurate ice information for over 50
years. From its origins as the provider of ice information solely to
the Canadian Navy's Arctic patrols in the 1950s to its current role as
a provider of ice information and services to a myriad of different
clients, CIS has undergone dramatic changes. These changes have
occurred over the years in dramatic leaps and bounds as a result of
technological changes and improvements as well as an augmentation of
CIS capacity, such as its new role in monitoring Canada's navigable
waterways for oil pollution. The coming years will see more changes
spurred on by a number of stimuli including establishment of five new
METAREAS in the Arctic; the Tanker Safety Panel recommendations both
south and north of 60 degrees N; the Audit on Marine Transportation in
the Arctic by the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable
Development (CESD) within the Office of the Auditor General; two new
Arctic Council international Pan-Arctic treaties; and the
implementation of the IMO Mandatory Polar Code.
The
next 10 years will see a revolution in the development and maturity of
CIS. In this presentation, you will experience CIS' past, its present
and its future.
Ahluwalia:
The Canadian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society (CMOS) aims to
advance meteorology and oceanography in Canada, and counts amongst its
members, professionals, students and organizations drawn from
government, academia and the private sector. Through several recent
surveys and discussions amongst members and non-members, CMOS is
reviewing its purpose in the current world, discussing its relevance to
individuals and organizations in these sectors and has identified a
number of priorities for the evolution of the Society. In his talk on
"The Future of CMOS", the President, Dr Harinder Ahluwalia, will
propose steps to be taken over the next several years to respond to the
identified priorities and to ensure that CMOS remains a vibrant,
effective organization that can provide timely, relevant information
and positions, based on sound science, on current and future matters
relevant to meteorology and oceanography for Canada, for both its
domestic and international interests.
Dr
Ahluwalia will discuss aspects including volunteerism, the benefits
CMOS offers to professionals within its sphere of interests, and its
current and future cooperation with other societies in Canada and
internationally. The surveys told us that the respondents would
like us to develop a very strong linkage between AMS and CMOS.
The steps already taken in that direction will be covered.
He
will offer his perspectives on strengthening the Society and on
engaging young scientists and entrepreneurs early in their careers in
the work of CMOS. New opportunities for career development for
student members will also be outlined.
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