AEROCAN: the Canadian Sunphotometer Network

Growing out of the 2-site BOREAS sunphotometer network of 1994, the current AEROCAN network comprises 12 stations with at least one site in each of Canada\´s major geographic regions. The network, a joint collaboration between the Universite de Sherbrooke and Meteorological Services of Canada, is a member of the much larger AERONET system of CIMEL sunphotometers. The overall AEROCAN objective is to provide a sampling density of columnar aerosol properties which are as representative as possible of national, regional and local variations across Canada. Most of the sites are rural, but several of the sites have been "twined" with an urban sunphotometer. A number of the AEROCAN sites are in the most northern regions of Canada, >55 degrees north latitude (Churchill, Kuujjuarapik, and Resolute Bay) with a new CIMEL and starphotometer to be located in Eureka (80°N). Cimel sunphotometers have also been deployed for very short durations in support of regional air quality and trans-boundary flow studies. Over the last several years the AEROCAN network has generated about 1000 days of observations/year. The network goal is to increase the number of possible observation days by minimizing problems that limit data collection and transmission. The AEROCAN network is now being used to support satellite and airborne remote sensing projects, investigate cross border pollution issues, supplement LIDAR observations of aerosols and provide inputs to large scale aerosol transport models. While working within the AERONET protocols our group is experimenting with new methods to collect data on aerosol parameters including increasing optical depth observations to once every 4-5 minutes and near real-time assimilation of this information into air quality forecast models. The network will expand in the coming year with several new sites planned.