Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) operates thirty-one (31) aerological observing stations throughout Canada. These stations complete observations of the upper atmosphere twice daily for each day of the year. The observations are taken by releasing a gas-filled balloon with an attached instrument which is tracked via one of a variety of electronic navigational methods. This attached instrument transmits meteorological data relating to temperature, humidity, and the height of standard atmospheric pressure levels. In addition, tracking of the balloon allows for computation of winds and wind shear at upper levels of the atmosphere.
Data is collected and processed automatically by observation equipment and transmitted to the Canadian Meteorological Centre for inclusion in atmospheric models which are used to produce a number of weather forecasts. In addition, the data is shared internationally for use in many global weather monitoring and forecasting programs.
ECCC requires the services of a Contractor to prepare the instruments and release the balloons twice each day, three hundred and sixty-five (365) days per year, (366 days in a leap year) to monitor the data and messages produced, and to ensure the prompt transmittal of the data. The work must be performed at the ECCC Weather Station located at the Department of National Defence, 12 Wing Shearwater in Halifax, NS and cannot be performed remotely.
