Monday night, the last night of the intensive phase of the 2017 Canadian Arctic ACE/OSIRIS Validation Campaign, was a quiet affair. Most of the team watched the second last ozonesonde launch of the campaign. The evening was then spent by the team wrapping up any loose ends and packing the rest of their possessions. After the team finished packing, they spent the remainder of the evening socializing with the weather station staff and the pilots who would be flying them out in the morning.
On Tuesday morning the temperature was -25 degrees with blowing snow. We were expecting 10 hours and 54 minutes with the sun above the horizon during the day, however we would not be going up to the Ridge Lab to make measurements. Instead shortly after eating breakfast and verifying that conditions were clear enough to fly out in, the team gathered all their gear, bid farewell to the weather station staff whom we had gotten to know over the past few weeks, and made our way over to the airfield to catch a flight out of Eureka. This flight to Yellowknife took almost 8 hours, and we arrived safely just past 5 in the afternoon. On Wednesday morning the team will part ways as we all head home.
As the intensive phase of the 2017 Canadian Arctic ACE/OSIRIS Validation Campaign draws to a close, we would like to express our sincere gratitude to the staff of ECCC's Eureka Weather Station, without whom our campaign would not have been possible.
We wish to thank: -Al Gaudet and John McIver, the station program managers during our stay in the Arctic, who welcomed us, oversaw accommodations, and made our stay a pleasant one. -Dean Prior, Flora Neiley, and Donna White who made incredible meals for us, considered all our dietary restrictions and preferences, and never failed to keep the fridges stocked up with delicious food.
-John Oakoak, Jay Roberts, and Mark Lane, who kept the lights on, the station warm, and the roads clear. -Allison Taylor, April Lazar, Renée Cossitt, James Allen and Don Lavallée, the meteorological technicians, who kept us informed of weather conditions, launched the ozonesondes, and kept us updated on their status. We appreciate their hard-work, commitment, and good company, and their presence certainly had a positive effect on our morale and the campaign as a whole.
We would also like to thank the Canadian Space Agency, Environment and Climate Change Canada, NSERC, the Northern Scientific Training Program, and CANDAC for continuing to financially and logistically support the Canadian Arctic ACE/OSIRIS Validation Campaigns. The opportunities that come with being in Eureka are unmatched. The useful data we collect, in addition to the irreplaceable learning experience for us all, is only possible because of the support these organizations have provided.
Finally thank you to all those who've read these daily reports. We hope that you've enjoyed following along with our time in the Arctic.