Chebogue Point, Yarmouth, Nova Scotia
July 2004
They Came, They Saw, They Analyzed


Scientists from the University of Berkeley in California, the University of San Diego in California, the University of  Manchester in England, Tom Duck from Dalhousie University in Halifax and people from NOAH in Bolder Colorado and people from CMDL {Climate monitoring & Diagnostic Lab,  have set up their instruments on one of the most southerly tips of Canada, Chebougue Point, Yarmouth, Nova Scotia.  Over a period of about 10 weeks they collected data on atmospheric pollutants that travel through this location. Others studies may be done in New England and on Sable Island

Allan's Educational background
B.S., Chemistry, University of California at Santa Cruz, 1989
B.A., Politics, University of California at Santa Cruz, 1989
M.S., Chemistry, Harvard University, 1991
Ph.D., Chemistry, Harvard University, 1994 
The team was led by a Allan Goldstein from Berkeley University in California.  Allan can be seen on the left with his son, who is impatiently waiting for his dad to take him and his mom and his brother on a picnic.  This is where I came in.  Right in the middle of the little guys adventure with his dad.  He had come all the way from California to be with his dad and some short, fat, bearded frenchmen, probably not Santa, was obstructing justice.  His right to be with his dad. 

Despite this  Mr. Goldstein took the time to show us around the site, and to explain what they were trying to accomplish. 

In this brief video (50043 k) Allan explains the purpose of their visit to Nova Scotia.
Brief Overview
One set of instruments detects sound waves that bounce back to detection equipment that gives a vertical profile of the pressure and temperatures of various levels of the atmosphere.  Other sensors emit a green light that enables them to measure the height of the clouds, and the layers of aerosols in the atmosphere.  Other trailers on the site are measuring ozone, carbon monoxide, and hydrocarbons collected from a tube at the top of 10 meter tower..  "We care about aerosols in the atmosphere because they can affect human health and visibility," said Allen Goldstein(S)

It will be some time before the data is finalized but it will be available through Noah web site..
mass_spec1s.jpg The young scientist on the right, one of Allan's students from Berkeley, designed equipment and software to analyze the compounds in the atmosphere.  This computer is hooked up to a mass spectrometer that can evaluate the levels of various hydrocarbons.

Mass Spectrometer
The mass spectrometer is an instrument which can measure the masses and relative concentrations of atoms and molecules. It makes use of the basic magnetic force on a moving charged particle.
 
Links: Simple  basic principle History of

young_scientist1s.jpg

 
Tom Duck of Dalhousie University will be involved with evaluating  Lidar measurements of cloud and aerosol backscatter, depolarizaton, and extinction, and possibly water vapor, sun photometer.
The amount of instrumentation they brought with them was amazing.  Computing power that was probably a billion times greater then what it took to get man to the moon was crammed into several trailors that we on Chebogue Point.  Pictured below is a small sample. 


 


 


 
 
Link Description
1 Allen Goldstein Associate Professor of Biogeochemistry University of California at Berkeley Division of Ecosystem Sciences Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management
2 Sierra Nevada Allan Goldstine: Study Finds Clues to Fate Of Sierra Nevada Smog
3
 NEAQS - ITCT 2004 Proposed instrumentation for Chebogue Point & List of Team members
4 Ground Site Chebogue Point Ground Site Logistics
5. Science Plan  81page PDF file overview of research project Chebogue Point
6. Thomas J. Duck Home Page of  Thomas J. Duck - B.Sc., Ph. D. (York)  Assistant Professor 

 

Thank you for the tour Allan.
All the best with your research, family and scientist friends. 

Godfrey LeBlanc

Past researchers at Chebogue Point : James Allen |
This page is still under construction

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Godfrey LeBlanc
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