Carbon dioxide rising on the edge of space

It's said that warm air rises, and heat from carbon dioxide in the Earth's upper atmosphere is having a cooling effect that has far-reaching implications for man-made objects in Low Earth Orbit.

A satellite-based research project with its roots at the University of Waterloo has found that human activity is causing levels of carbon dioxide (CO₂) to rise in the uppermost layers of the atmosphere, at a rate faster than can be explained by solar activity or exhaust from rocket launches. The project's CO₂ measurements are reported in the latest issue of Nature Geoscience, published on November 11.

"There hasn't been a lot of measurement of atmospheric chemistry at these high altitudes," said Chris Boone, a research associate in the Department of Chemistry. "This is a very unique data set."

In the earth's atmosphere, CO₂ molecules can accumulate energy through collisions with other atmospheric gases and then emit this energy as infrared radiation (heat). Near the earth's surface, CO₂ contributes to a heating of the atmosphere, making it a key factor in climate change. However, in the upper atmosphere, some of the infrared radiation emitted by the CO₂ makes it to space, inducing a cooling of the upper atmosphere that causes it to contract.

This effect actually reduces atmospheric drag on low-orbiting satellites and space junk — byproducts of space travel that include expended rocket components, deactivated satellites and other bits of debris left behind —meaning that objects in space will stay up longer before plunging to a fiery end deeper in the atmosphere. While this effect could aggravate the problem of space clutter, it may also reduce the use of fuel-consuming booster rockets required to keep large vehicles, such as the International Space Station, in position.

Boone and former Waterloo chemistry professor Peter Bernath were part of the research team involved in the observations. Bernath is now chair of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia. They joined colleagues John Emmert, Michael Stevens and Douglas Drob of the Naval Research Laboratory in Washington to analyze eight years of readings taken by satellite as part of the Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment, or ACE.

ACE is comprised of a set of scientific instruments on board the Canadian satellite SCISAT-1, which was launched in 2003 and is currently orbiting Earth at an altitude of 650 km (compared to around 330 km for the International Space Station). The instruments are aimed at the sun and measure the spectral pattern that was absorbed through the sunlight as it passed through the atmosphere, from which one can infer the atmospheric concentrations of CO₂ and dozens of other gases. Professor Bernath initiated the ACE mission when he was at Waterloo.

ACE has previously provided scientists with information about air pollution and ozone depletion, among other things. Beamed to ground stations in Canada, Alaska, and Sweden, readings from SCISAT-1 are processed and archived at Waterloo's space operations centre in the Department of Chemistry.

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Career centre helps you take your next step

by Karina Graf, Co-operative Education and Career Services (CECA).

We know that students come to university to get ready for life after school. In fact, according to the 2011 Incoming Student Survey, the top six factors influencing students’ decision to attend Waterloo relate to careers and job preparation.  Lucky for them, we’re one of the top universities in Canada for career prep. Here are a few of our recent successes:

The Council of Ontario Universities recently released a report on how Ontario university career centres prepare students for the future. Waterloo’s innovative career education tactics are mentioned in the report – three times! It highlights our professional development program’s co-op preparation course; our Career Boot Camp that helps prepare master’s and PhD students for a career after graduate school; and our work in conjunction with four other Ontario career centres on an online guide for evaluating career development services. We also offer most of the other services mentioned in the report, including our staff career advisor and alumni career advisors.

Have you heard of our Career Development eManual? Everyone on campus who has a uWaterloo user ID can use it. The manual guides you through the career development process in six steps. The public can access it for a fee; over the years different organizations have purchased the material from us, revised it to meet their company’s needs, and posted it on their company’s intranet. Dick Bolles, author of “What Color Is Your Parachute” references the manual on his website jobhuntersbible.com, saying “its self-assessment is one of the best on the internet.” And, finally, we gave permission to Career Cruising, a website used widely in elementary and high schools, to use many of our materials in their “employment guide.” To check out the Career Cruising site, log in through our our Career Action website.

Many of you will have read the Globe and Mail’s Canadian University Report 2013. It confirms our leadership in career education. In this year’s new category of Co-op/Internships, we’re the top and only institution with an A.  We also remained in 1^st place in Reputation with Employers with an A+. And we remained in 1st place, as the only large institution with A in Career Preparation.

The Centre for Career Action works with all students – regular and co-op, undergraduate and graduate – and staff, alumni, and post-docs so be sure to check out the services we offer.

Last week’s poll results: 27 per cent of you guessed correctly; on average 18,262 Waterloo co-op job interviews are conducted each term. Congratulations to last week’s draw winner Ronald Ho, management sciences student.

This week’s question: Small companies (those with fewer than 100 employees) account for what percentage of total employment in Canada? (Hint: you’ll find the answer in our Career Development eManual.) Take a guess and enter to win a Starbucks gift certificate.

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Memorial planned for exchange student

Friends, classmates and colleagues of Amelie Limberger, who died in an accident in Uptown Waterloo on October 25, will remember her in a ceremony that will be held on Saturday, November 17 at 10:00 a.m. The memorial will take place in MacKirdy Hall at St. Paul's University College.

Amelie Limberger was studying at the University of Waterloo on exchange from the University of Applied Sciences (Hochschule Karlsruhe Technik und Wirtschaft) in Karlsruhe Germany. Amelie is survived by her parents Karin and Norbert, her two sisters, Anika and Kathrin and her loving boyfriend Harry. Amelie was 23.

Light refreshments will be provided after the ceremony.

All those who wish to celebrate Amelie’s memory are welcome to attend. The ceremony will be live-streamed to Amelie’s friends and classmates in Karlsruhe, Germany.

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Where it is is where it's at

So, you've memorized the capital city and can instantly recall the gross national product of every country on the map. Your grasp of history is such that family and friends refuse to play Trivial Pursuit with you anymore. You scoff at the mistakes made by contestants on The Amazing Race. And you totally owned at Where In the World is Carmen Sandiego? back in the day.

If you think you know a lot about the world, Waterloo International is running a contest to put your knowledge to the test as part of International Education Week.

"Where is it?" runs all week, between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. The contest is open to all students, faculty, and staff.

To enter, all you need to do is drop by Waterloo International's office, located in NH 1101, and fill out a geography and history skill-testing questionnaire. No study aids are allowed, so keep that smartphone in your pocket while you fill in your answers and submit the questionnaire, which must be completed without leaving the office.

The winner of this cartographical challenge will receive a $150 gift card from Retail Services. And bragging rights, I suppose.

The winner will be emailed Monday, November 19 and the winner’s name will be announced Monday afternoon on Waterloo International’s website and on Facebook, and will be published in the Daily Bulletin.

Good luck, and keep your Mercator Projection handy.

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Flu clinics and other jabs this week

If you're a member of the University of Waterloo's "healthy population" and feel like staying that way, drop by the Student Life Centre's multipurpose room between the hours of 9:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. for Health Services' annual flu vaccination clinic starting today. The clinic runs Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. Health Services asks that you wear a loose fitting short-sleeved shirt. For more information call 519-888-4096.

University of Waterloo history professor Andrew Hunt will be on hand at the university bookstore tomorrow from 4:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. for a book signing event. Hunt's novel, "City of Saints," won the 2011 Tony Hillerman Prize, a literary award given to first-time authors of a mystery set in the American Southwest. "City of Saints" is set in 1930s Salt Lake City.

The second annual TEDxUW event, the University of Waterloo's official TEDx experience, is happening this Saturday, and there are still spots available for the TEDxUW Livestream Event, hosted by VeloCity, which gives attendees access to TEDxUW sessions via a webcast as well as in-person networking opportunities. Mike Kirkup, VeloCity's director of student innovation, will be the master of ceremonies. The livestreaming portion of the will take place in DC 1351, with networking sessions and other features to be held in the DC Fishbowl and DC Foyer. The event will be held from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Friends and colleagues of Ian Fraser (left) are inviting one and all to a retirement open house to celebrate Ian's 37 years of service to the University of Waterloo, including 25 of those years in the university's Safety Office. The event will take place in the Safety Office in the Commissary Building from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, December 12.

Please RSVP to Sheila Hurley at ext. 33587 or by emailing safety@uwaterloo.ca by December 7.

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