In 1992, 85 science teams were selected out of over 240 proposals to take part in BOREAS. These were organized into six disciplinary groups for easier organization doing the field phase. The objectives of these six science groups are summarized below, the list of groups designations, investigators, and their proposal names can be seen by clicking on a group name.
- Airborne Fluxes and Meteorology (AFM)
: Four aircraft were used to measure turbulent fluxes; sounding lidars and radars were also deployed. Ten mesometeorological stations and a dense array of upper air radiosounding stations operated over the region during 1994, see the Canadian Station Map. The Global Telecommunications System was used to transmit data from this network to operational meteorological centers for assimilation. Several investigators, including some with strong links to these centers, will use mesoscale and global scale atmospheric models in their studies of surface-atmosphere interactions.
A List of BOREAS Research Aircraft is available with brief descriptions of their equipment. Note that the aircraft are divided into two groups; remote sensing (optical and microwave/gamma) and flux measurement. View preliminary results from the AFM group.
- Hydrology (HYD)
: The HYD group is principally focused on the measurement of snow hydrology components to support remote sensing algorithm development, and has also worked on catchment hydrological processes in the SSA and NSA using precipitation gage networks, stream gages and a rain radar (SSA only). One team operated a program of almost continuous soil moisture measurements at the TF sites during the 1994 growing season. View preliminary results from the HYD group.
- Remote Sensing Science (RSS)
: The RSS group is developing linkages between optical and microwave remote sensing and boreal zone biophysical parameters at scales that include leaf, canopy and regional levels using field, aircraft and satellite-borne sensors and a range of radiative transfer models. A List of BOREAS Research Aircraft is available with brief descriptions of their equipment. Note that the aircraft are divided into two groups; remote sensing (optical and microwave/gamma) and flux measurement.View preliminary results from the RSS group.
- Staff Science
: The science teams are supported by a staff of scientists and support contractors from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA); Atmospheric Environment Services (AES), Canada; the Canadian Center for Remote Sensing (CCRS), the School of Forestry, University of Wisconsin and the Canadian Forest Service. The BOREAS staff oversee the components of the project that require significant logistical effort, extended and/or routine monitoring work, or work that requires the particular expertise and resources of one of the participating agencies.
- Terrestrial Ecology (TE)
: Over twenty teams are examining the biophysical controls on carbon, nutrient, water and energy fluxes for the major ecosystems in the boreal landscape and will develop models and algorithms to scale chamber measurements to stand, landscape, and regional scales. An important focus for the TE group is the measurement of components of the carbon cycle. A number of small towers were installed in the study areas to facilitate access to the vegetation canopy for chamber measurements and other in-situ work. View preliminary results from the TE group.
- Tower Fluxes (TF)
: Ten TF towers operated almost continuously during the growing season of 1994, measuring radiation, heat, water, CO2 and in some cases CH4 and other trace gas fluxes. Two of the sites, one in the NSA and one in the SSA have operated more-or-less continuously from the fall of 1993 onwards. View preliminary results from the TF group.
- Trace Gas Biogeochemistry (TGB)
: Ten TGB teams use chamber measurements and other techniques to characterize the flux of trace gases between the soil and the atmosphere, including CO2, CH4 and non-methane hydrocarbons (NMHC's). The TGB group is also trying to quantify the long-term accumulation of carbon in boreal soils. View preliminary results from the TGB group.
