BOREAS Canadian Surface and Upper Air Meteorological Data

Canada's Atmospheric Environment Service provided this dataset, containing 5-day averaged surface data from 23 stations and full-resolution upper air data from one station in The Pas, Manitoba. The surface data span from 1975 to 1996, while the upper air records cover a longer period from 1961 to 1996. This collection was compiled for the Boreal Ecosystem-Atmosphere Study (BOREAS) and distributed by NASA.

Use Cases

• Analyzing long-term trends in surface temperature and atmospheric pressure across Canadian stations.
• Studying humidity and dew point variations to understand water vapor indicators in the boreal region.
• Investigating wind patterns and precipitation amounts for climate model validation.
• Examining cloud frequency and snow depth data for ecosystem and cryosphere studies.
• Using full-resolution upper air profiles from The Pas for atmospheric column research.

Strengths

• Data originates from 23 official Canadian Atmospheric Environment Service meteorological stations, ensuring authoritative measurements.
• Upper air data from The Pas, Manitoba, is provided at full temporal resolution from 1961 to 1996.
• Surface parameter records cover a 21-year period from 1975 to 1996, offering a substantial temporal baseline.

Limitations

• Surface meteorological parameters are only available as 5-day averages, not hourly or daily values, due to copyright restrictions.
• Conflicting metadata exists: one platform lists a last update date of 2026-03 -13, while another lists 1997-01-01, creating uncertainty about maintenance.
• Specific row counts, file sizes, and detailed column names are not provided across any source.

Provenance

Source

Canadian Atmospheric Environment Service (AES), provided for the Boreal Ecosystem-Atmosphere Study (BOREAS).

Collection Method

Collected from 23 AES surface meteorological stations and one upper air station using standard instrumentation.

Time Range

1961 to 1996 (upper air: 1961-1996; surface: 1975-1996).

Freshness

2026-03-13 12:53:02.960823

Geography

Canada, with 23 surface stations across the country and one upper air station at The Pas, Manitoba.