On Wednesday March 14th, the team woke up to an overcast sky with light
snow, and a temperature around -40 degrees at the Eureka weather
station. This temperature held throughout most of the day, and similarly
at the PEARL Ridge Lab the temperature was steady at -32 degrees. About
10 hours and 50 minutes of sunlight was expected today, however the team
would not able to take advantage of it. Instead of heading up to the
Ridge Lab as the team had done for the past three weeks, after breakfast
the team gathered all their gear, bid farewell to the weather station
staff and its visitors, and headed to the nearby airstrip. After saying
goodbye to Pierre and John, who would be continuing their work during
the extended phase of the campaign, the team boarded the chartered plane
that would take them to Yellowknife. Around 9 o’clock in the morning the
team took off, and they arrived in Yellowknife around 4 in the
afternoon, having stopped in Resolute Bay and Cambridge Bay on the way.
To make the most of this last day of the campaign, the team spent part
of their evening in Yellowknife visiting a nearby ice castle, and trying
to catch a glimpse of the northern lights. On Thursday morning the team
will part ways as we all head home.
As the intensive phase of the 2018 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:
- André Bouchard 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 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 David Shortt, who kept the lights on, the
station warm, and the roads clear.
-James Allen, the Senior Aerological Observer, and Mike Maurice, Haley
Senkoe, Edward Saul, 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.
Cheers,
Paul Jeffery
[On Behalf of the 2018 Canadian ACE/OSIRIS Arctic Validation Campaign Team]