Alert Observatory, Canada - ALT
Station Information:
Geographic Location: Alert, Northwest Territories, Canada
Latitude: 82o 28' N Longitude: 62o
30'W
Elevation: 210 m Time: UT-4 hours
Station Description (provided by Doug
Worthy, AES):
Canadian Forces Station Alert is located at 82o
28' N, 62o 30'W on the edge of the Lincoln
Sea at the northeast tip of Ellesmere Island in the Canadian Arctic. The terrain
in the immediate area is steeply rolling, on the order of 100 - 150 m absolute
sea level, with frequent deep ravines and high cliffs. The land around Alert
is covered with snow for almost ten months of the year and has a sparse covering
of polar desert vegetation in the summer. The main camp is stationed with around
200 to 300 military and civilian personnel year round.
The Canadian Baseline Observatory at Alert consists of a 200 m2 laboratory
space located on plateau approximately 6 km SSW of the main camp. As it is approached
from the main camp, this plateau rises abruptly to an elevation of approximately
200 m with local hills to 500 m. This is the northern edge of the Hazen Plateau
which continues ro rise to the south, reaching a typical elevation of 1000 m
and extending through the central part of northern Ellesmere Island. Southwest
of Alert is the rugged United States range, with peaks exceeding 2500 m. The
Greenland coast is 60 km east of Alert. The southeastern edge of the the Hazen
plateau is defined by the 7500 km2 Agassiz Ice Cap, a permanent feature
with a central elevation greater than 2000 m.
The annual mean air temperature at the Observatory is -18 oC
and the monthly mean air temperature increases to 3 oC
in August and decreases to below -30 oC from
December to the end of March. The annual mean value of the wind velocity is
3.5 m s-1. The prevailing winds are SSE to WWS due to channelling
by the mountainous regions of northern Ellesmere Island and Greenland. A more
detailed meterological summary can be found in Hopper and Hart [1994].
Reference:
Hopper, J.F. and W. Hart .Meteorological aspects of the 1992 Polar Sunrise Experiment,
Journal of Geophysical Research, 99, (D12), 25315-25328, 1994.
Related Links:
Atmospheric Environment Service
Station Operated by:
Environment Canada
Atmospheric Environment Service (AES)
4905 Dufferin Street
Downsview, Ontario CANADA M3H 5T4
Phone: (416) 739-4662
Fax: (416) 739-4664
AES Contact: Mr. Doug E. J. Worthy
Contacts for HATS activities only at Alert:
Dr.
James W. Elkins (principal investigator, NOAA)
Flasks:
Data analysis and flask project leaders: Drs.
James H. Butler and Stephen
A. Montzka
Sample analysis and preliminary data analysis: Debbie Mondeel
In situ measurements (currently N2O and SF6 once an
hour):
Operations manager: Mr. Geoffrey S. Dutton
The original in situ GC was setup by Dr. Paula R. Wamsley.