Arctic Stratospheric Ozone Observatory, Eureka

The moon rises over the Observatory

General Information

In January 1993, a new scientific observatory to study the protective ozone layer over Canada's high Arctic became fully operational on Ellesmere Island. Located 15 km from Eureka, a remote weather station 1,100 km from the north pole, the ultra-modern facility became a centre for international research. The building shell was erected in summer 1992 and the scientific instrumentation was installed in 1993. The observatory includes four large laboratories, a roof-top observing platform for instrumentation and a small living quarters.

The ozone observatory enabled Canada to take its place in a new global network of highly sophisticated ozone-measuring stations. The global Network for the Detection of Stratospheric Change (NDSC), coordinated by the World Meteorological Organization, was created to keep close watch on the ozone layer at a time when significant changes due to human activities are becoming apparent.

Between 1993 and 2001, a full scientific program was carried out at the observatory, involving research partners from Japan, York University and the Universities of Denver and Saskatchewan. Interest in future programs has been expressed by Calgary and Western Ontario.

Researchers at the observatory relied on highly sophisticated scientific equipment, which had to be specially modified to withstand the frigid temperatures. The instrumentation, which was built primarily by Canada's high-tech industry, cost more than $1.5 million. This included the Brewer Ozone Spectrophotometer, designed by Environment Canada, which is recognized as the world's most accurate ozone-measuring instrument. The high-quality data provided by this instrument was the basis for the success of Environment Canada's recent study linking ozone depletion to UV increases. About one third of the instrumentation costs were funded by Japan, as part of their joint venture.

Presently the observatory is not operating. The most delicate instruments remain in the observatory while the Brewer ozone spectrophotometers have been re-located to the nearby Eureka weather station. This allows the continuation of stratospheric ozone monitoring.

Address:

Weather Station Eureka, Nunavut Canada X0A 0G0

For further information about the ARQX Arctic Stratospheric Ozone Observatory go to Contact Us and indicate "Eureka Laboratory" as the subject.