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Scientific Goals
Environmental change is one
of the most important global issues facing society. Air quality,
ozone depletion, and climate change are all issues that receive
considerable exposure in the social and political arena. The
potential impact of atmospheric change on the economy and health of
Canadians is dramatic. Scientific research into the causes,
consequences, and mitigation of such changes is essential for
informed policy-making.
The overall goal of our research at
the University of Toronto Atmospheric Observatory is to investigate
atmospheric change. TAO is ideally located for long-term studies of
the urban atmosphere at mid-latitudes, and is able to support a range of
research activities in atmospheric science. The primary scientific
objectives of our work at TAO are:
- To make daily measurements (weather permitting) of the
vertical columns and profiles of tropospheric and stratospheric
gases.
- To identify and quantify the sources and sinks of
atmospheric pollutants, and to better understand the
interactions between topospheric trace gases that control urban
air quality.
- To investigate chemical and physical processes that control
the mid-latitude stratospheric ozone budget.
- To combine data with atmospheric measurements made by
space-based missions such as MOPIT, Odin (OSIRIS and SMR),
SCISAT-1 (ACE-FTS and MAESTRO), ENVISAT (SCIAMACHY, MIPAS), and
GOSAT
both for satellite validation and for correlative studies.
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