Researcher helping pave the way for space-age climate science

Dr. Chris Fletcher is part of a scientific consortium developing satellite technology to better understand climate change - By Jon Parsons University Relations - A major funding announcement by the Government of Canada recently set in motion a new era of climate science, and a researcher at the University of Waterloo is a member of the group of scientists at the heart of the initiative. The High-altitude Aerosols, Water Vapour and Clouds (HAWC) mission received $200 million of funding to create transformative new satellite instruments for measuring changes in the atmosphere. HAWC is directly supported through the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) and will undertake a mission expected to last some 12 to 15 years. The CSA mission contributes three instruments and a satellite as part of the international NASA-led Atmosphere Observing System (AOS). The University of Waterloo is among the top institutions in the country that will participate and produce cutting-edge research to improve our understanding of global climate change. "This is generation defining for Canadian climate and atmospheric science," says Dr. Chris Fletcher, professor of geography and environmental management. "The last time a fully Canadian-designed and made instrument launched was in 2003, with the SCISAT mission." Fletcher specializes in earth system modelling.