Measurements
Of Pollution In The Troposphere (MOPITT)
& SCISAT -1
The Measurements Of Pollution In The Troposphere (MOPITT) instrument was launched on NASA's Terra satellite at 10:57am on 18th December 1999. This instrument is designed to measure pollution in the lower atmosphere and specifically to measure the concentration of carbon monoxide and methane in the lower atmosphere - ie down to the ground. MOPITT is Canada's largest Space Science instrument to date. More details on the instrument can be found on the MOPITT web site .
By the summer of 2003 the Terra satellite will have orbited the earth nearly 18,000 times (and counting) and we already have a large amount of real data to analyse as well as a real space instrument to control. The advantage of a space instrument is that it produces a great deal of data after launch. The disadvantage of a space instrument is that it produces a great deal of data after launch.
The SCISAT-1 satellite will be launched May 2003 and will also collect a large amount of data on the ozone layer over the Arctic region and in mid-latitudes. The instruments are being finally tested now, and we will be in the first stages of getting the instruments functional in space during the summer. More details on the SCISAT instruments can be found on the SCISAT Web-site
We would like to offer a student the chance to join our data analysis effort. We can't really predict at this moment what challenges we will be facing - that's part of the fun. We will be calibrating the instruments to broaden our understanding of some of the finer aspects of the operation. We will also be working with our colleagues on the full data analysis. Other scientists from Canada and around the world are also working on these data.
The student selected for this position would join the data analysis team at the University of Toronto. Working with other members of the team, the student would work on calibration and retrieval algorithms the instruments. The work would also involve identifying trends and issues in the data.
We would expect the student to bring enthusiasm and an interest in remote sounding and we would provide training in the techniques and analysis tools that we use (e.g. Matlab, IDL, spreadsheets, etc....). This position would be suitable for a student in the second year or above.
Funding for this program comes from the Canadian Space Agency and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council. In addition, Prof. Drummond holds an Industrial Research Chair with COMDEV and ABB BOMEM as the industrial sponsors, with additional support from the Canadian Space Agency, the Meteorological Service of Canada and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council.
For more information, please contact Prof. James R. Drummond