Weathering the Storm: How Canada's Meteorological Research Division is Advancing Weather and Environmental Prediction in North America

Introduction

Weather and environmental prediction is a vital service that helps Canadians and Americans prepare for and cope with various natural hazards, such as storms, floods, droughts, wildfires, and air pollution. It also supports various sectors of the economy, such as agriculture, transportation, energy, and tourism, by providing reliable and timely information on current and future weather and environmental conditions.

The Meteorological Research Division

Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) maintains a Meteorological Research Division (MRD) that conducts cutting-edge research and development in various fields of meteorology and atmospheric science to improve the accuracy and reliability of weather and environmental prediction. MRD is located in Toronto, Ontario, and is part of the Meteorological Service of Canada (MSC), which is the federal agency responsible for providing weather and environmental services to Canadians.

MRD's Research Focus

MRD's research focuses on four main areas:

1. Atmospheric Numerical Weather Prediction Research: Developing and improving numerical models that simulate the dynamics and physics of the atmosphere at various scales, from global to regional to local.
2. Atmospheric Data Assimilation Research: Developing and improving data assimilation methods that combine observations from various sources, such as satellites, radars, aircrafts, buoys, and surface stations, with numerical models to produce optimal initial conditions for weather forecasts.
3. Atmospheric Physical Processes Research: Developing and improving parameterizations of physical processes that affect the atmosphere, such as clouds, precipitation, radiation, turbulence, convection, boundary layer, land surface, sea ice, aerosols, and chemistry.
4. Air Quality Research: Developing and improving air quality models that simulate the transport and transformation of air pollutants in the atmosphere and their impacts on human health and the environment.

MRD's Impact

MRD's research has had a significant impact on the accuracy and reliability of weather and environmental prediction in North America. For example, MRD's work on numerical weather prediction has helped to improve the accuracy of weather forecasts by up to 50% in recent decades. MRD's research on data assimilation has also helped to improve the quality of weather forecasts by better incorporating observations into numerical models.

MRD's Collaborations

MRD collaborates with various partners within ECCC, as well as with external partners from academia, industry, government agencies, non-governmental organizations, international organizations, and other countries. Some of MRD's key partners include:

• The University of Toronto (UofT), which hosts MRD's facilities on its campus and provides access to its academic resources and expertise.
• The Canadian Foundation for Climate and Atmospheric Sciences (CFCAS), which funds various research projects led by MRD scientists in collaboration with academic researchers across Canada.
• The World Meteorological Organization (WMO), which coordinates international cooperation on meteorology and atmospheric science through various programs and initiatives.
• The Global Atmosphere Watch (GAW), which is a WMO program that monitors the state of the atmosphere through a network of stations around the world.
• The European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), which is an intergovernmental organization that provides global medium-range weather forecasts and operates one of the most advanced numerical weather prediction systems in the world.
• The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which is a US federal agency that conducts research and provides services on weather, climate, oceans, fisheries, and coasts.

Conclusion

MRD plays a vital role in advancing weather and environmental prediction in North America. MRD's research has helped to improve the accuracy and reliability of weather forecasts, which has saved lives and protected property. MRD's collaborations with various partners help to ensure that its research is translated into operational products and services that benefit Canadians and Americans.