This dataset provides the background radiation dose results from Health Canada’s Canadian Radiological Monitoring Network (CRMN) monitoring sites. More information about the CRMN network can be found on the Health Canada website (see link below).This background radiation data contains both “monitoring” and “transit” dosimeters starting in 2016. The historical background radiation dose data can be found on the Open Data portal. A transit dosimeter is sent along with the monitoring dosimeter to determine if there is a significant dose recorded by the dosimeter while it is in transit to the sampling station. The transit dosimeter is shipped out with a station monitor, and shipped back with the station monitor from the previous quarter. The monitoring dosimeters are deployed over a longer time (around three months) than the transit dosimeters (around 3 weeks). This difference largely explains the lower recorded dose values for the transit dosimeter. The results provided for the monitoring and transit dosimeters are expressed as ambient dose equivalent to a cesium source, in units of millisieverts (mSv). The measured dose rate is reported in mSv/day. The external dose can be attributed almost exclusively to natural radiation (of terrestrial and cosmic origin) with fluctuations based on several factors including location, soil characteristics, and seasonal changes. The map shows the approximate sampling location for each monitoring station. Stations are found within the associated location range.

Health Canada routinely collects environmental samples for radioactivity analysis. The backbone of its monitoring comes from three separate networks: The Canadian Radiological Monitoring Network (CRMN), the Fixed Point Surveillance Network (FPS), and a Canadian contribution to the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTo). This dataset provides the approximate sampling location of the monitoring stations for each network.CRMN is a national network that routinely collects air particulate, precipitation, external gamma dose, drinking water, atmospheric water vapour, and milk samples for radioactivity analysis. The CRMN has been operating since 1959, and is used to establish long-term trends in naturally occurring environmental radioactivity, nuclear weapons fallout, as well as radioactivity generated by other human activities including nuclear power generation and medical isotope production. Full datasets for the Canadian Radiological Monitoring Network are available on the Open Government Portal.The Fixed Point Surveillance System (FPS) is an integrated network of radiation detectors providing terrestrial gamma radiation measurements in real time. The detectors are located in every province and territory of Canada with larger numbers in the vicinity of major Canadian nuclear facilities and ports where nuclear powered vessels sometimes harbour. Almost real time measurements are available on the EURDEP (EUropean Radiological Data Exchange Platform) website and monthly summaries are provided on the Health Canada website. The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) is a universal arms control treaty that bans all States from conducting nuclear explosions in any environment (atmosphere, underground, underwater). Canada is a signatory to the United Nations CTBT. The Radiation Protection Bureau of Health Canada is responsible for four certified radionuclide monitoring stations and a certified radionuclide laboratory. Additional information on the CTBT is available on the CTBTo website.The map shows the approximate sampling location for each monitoring station. Stations are found within the associated location range.

The Airborne Radionuclide Concentrations (ARC) Dataset is a general dataset of airborne radionuclide concentrations analyzed at the Radiation Protection Bureau (RPB). The RPB is responsible for delivering Health Canada’s program in the area of ionizing radiation protection. This dataset includes radionuclide concentrations at locations in RPB’s Canadian air monitoring networks including its Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) stations and the Canadian Radiological Monitoring Network (CRMN). The dataset may also include additional airborne radionuclide concentration data from other networks, fieldwork and any additional data collected during emergencies.The dataset shows concentrations of airborne radionuclides that were targeted for analysis and detected, for example, Beryllium-7 (7Be), Lead-210 (210Pb), Cesium-134 (134Cs), Cesium-137 (137Cs), Iodine-131 (131I), Xenon-133 (133Xe), and Xenon-135 (135Xe), among others. The data is presented in xml file format, selected to conform to the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) International Radiological Information Exchange (IRIX) Format. The IRIX format is used to facilitate the exchange of web-based emergency data and information to help organizations respond to radiological incidents and emergencies.The map shows the approximate sampling location for each monitoring station. Stations are found within the associated location range.

The data represents the annual solar radiation in Alberta over the 30-year period from 1971 to 2000. A 30-year period is use to describe the present climate since it is enough time to filter out short-term fluctuation by is not dominated by any long-term trend in the climate. Daily total incoming solar radiation is measured in megajoules per square metre (MJ/m2). Southern Alberta receives the greatest amount of annual global solar radiation with the amount gradually decreasing as you move farther north. However, cropping is successful in the northern (Peace River) area of Alberta because the longer summer day length helps compensate for the less intense solar radiation. Cloud cover in the mountains will reduce the amount of solar radiation received there.The amount of solar radiation received at the earth's surface varies with two factors that depend on latitude: the angle of the sun's rays and the hours of daylight. The distance from the equator, and therefore the intensity of the sun's radiation has the greatest effect on climate. Canada's position in the northern portion of the earth's northern hemisphere means that it receives less solar radiation compared to countries near the equator. The northward decrease in solar radiation is also noticeable within Alberta. Temperatures are generally higher in southern Alberta in comparison to northern Alberta because the south receives more solar radiation. This resource was created using ArcGIS.

The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) is publishing a database with environmental monitoring results collected as part of the Eastern Athabasca Regional Monitoring Program. The samples are collected near communities located in northern Saskatchewan.

This dataset provides the results obtained by Health Canada’s Radiological Monitoring Network (CRMN) for tritium content in atmospheric water vapor sampled from monitoring stations in Ontario, Quebec and New Brunswick. More information about the CRMN network can be found on the Health Canada website (see link below). The results provided are for tritium activity concentration, expressed in units of becquerels per cubic meter (Bq/m3). Atmospheric water is sampled monthly for determination of tritium content. The majority of such monitoring activity occurs in close proximity to nuclear power plants. Until 1996, Health Canada monitored the areas near Darlington, Bruce and Pickering in Ontario, Gentilly in Quebec, and Point Lepreau in New Brunswick. In 1996, Health Canada’s monitoring of the Ontario stations was terminated to avoid redundancy, since a similar initiative was underway through the Ontario Ministry of Labour. Currently, the CRMN monitors six sites in the vicinity of Point Lepreau, four sites in the vicinity of Gentilly, and a single site in the Greater Toronto Area. The average tritium concentration for the CRMN stations is 0.22 Bq/m3 for the time period from 2004 to 2013. This is consistent with results reported for other monitoring stations in close proximity to Canadian nuclear power stations, and the levels are considered to be safe from a health perspective. Note that the tritium values are measured using liquid scintillator measurements. This requires removing the background contribution from the measurement. The uncertainty associated with each measurement, can lead to reported values of less than zero. The map shows the approximate sampling location for each monitoring station. Stations are found within the associated location range.

The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) and Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) are publishing databases with effluent and environmental monitoring results from nuclear facilities located along the Ottawa River watershed as part of the Regional Information and Monitoring Network (RIMNet) for the Ottawa River Watershed Basin initiative. The facilities included are Chalk River Laboratories, Nordion Canada Inc., SRB Technologies Canada Inc., and Nuclear Power Demonstration Waste Facility. The initiative was developed to address questions and concerns expressed by members of the public and Indigenous Nations and communities about the availability of publicly accessible environmental monitoring data in the Ottawa River Watershed Basin. More information about the initiative is available here: https://www.cnsc-ccsn.gc.ca/eng/resources/environmental-protection/rimnet/ This dataset contains effluent and environmental monitoring results from Chalk River Laboratories, Nordion Canada Inc., SRB Technologies Canada Inc., and Nuclear Power Demonstration Waste Facility. All of the effluent and emissions releases to the environment in this dataset are below the CNSC licensed release limits. All of the environmental monitoring results in this dataset are below environmental quality guidelines. More information about CNSC staff’s assessment of these facilities are found in CNSC staff’s regulatory oversight reports: https://www.cnsc-ccsn.gc.ca/eng/resources/publications/reports/regulatory-oversight-reports/

This dataset provides the results obtained by Health Canada’s Radiological Monitoring Network (CRMN) for airborne radioactivity content at monitoring stations across Canada. More information about the CRMN network can be found on the Health Canada website (see link below). The results provided are activity concentration, uncertainty and the minimum detectable concentration for the naturally occurring radionuclides, beryllium-7 (7Be) and lead-210 (210Pb), and the anthropogenic (originating from human activity) radionuclides, cesium-134 (134Cs), cesium-137 (137Cs), and iodine-131 (131I). The data comes from the analysis of particulates accumulated in filter media, drawn by high-volume air samplers fixed in the field. Such data is typically dominated by natural radionuclides, such as 7Be and 210Pb. 7Be is a natural cosmogenic radionuclide that is produced in the upper atmosphere when cosmic rays bombard oxygen and nitrogen. 210Pb is also a natural radioisotope that results from the decay of uranium (238U) to radium (226Ra). 238U comes from the soil and eventually decays to 210Pb. Radon-222, which is a natural radioactive gas, is also a part of this decay chain. Radon moves through the soil and becomes diluted in the atmosphere. If a home is built on soil or rocks that contain uranium, radon can seep into homes and may accumulate to high levels. More information about the Health Canada radon program can be found on the Health Canada website. For all our stations, the airborne radioactivity data shows a small increase in the activity concentration of 134Cs, 137Cs and 131I measured between March and May of 2011, attributable to the nuclear accident at the Fukushima-Daiichi Nuclear Power Station. It is important to note that, even at their respective peaks, the measured activity concentrations of 134Cs, 137Cs and 131I represent only a small fraction of typical background exposure from natural sources of radiation. Occasionally, other small increases in activity concentration of anthropogenic radionuclides are observed. Spikes in 137Cs activity are often associated with forest fires, which can lead to the re-suspension of 137Cs already present in the environment, most likely from atmospheric nuclear weapons testing in the 1960’s. Detection of small amounts of 131I is commonly associated with its medical use by hospitals.The map shows the approximate sampling location for each monitoring station. Stations are found within the associated location range.

Dynamic Habitat Index. (2000-2005) Satellite derived estimates of photosynthetically active radiation can be obtained from satellites such as MODIS. Knowledge of the land cover allows for calculation the fraction of incoming solar radiation that is absorbed by vegetation. This fraction of photosynthetically active radiation (fPAR) absorbed by vegetation describes rate at which carbon dioxide and energy from sunlight are assimilated into carbohydrates during photosynthesis of plant tissues. The summation of carbon assimilated by the vegetation canopy over time yields the landscape's gross primary productivity. Daily MODIS imagery is the basis for periodic composites and monthly data products. Over the 6 year period from 2000-2005, we calculate the annual average cumulative total of 72 monthly fPAR measurements, to describe the integrated annual vegetative production of the landscape, the integrated average annual minimum monthly fPAR measurement, which describes the annual minimum green cover of the observed landscape, and the integrated average of the annual covariance of fPAR, which describes the seasonality of the observed landscape. We also share the combination of the annual integrated values for visualization and analysis as the Dynamic Habitat Index (with additional information in Coops et al. 2008). When using this data, please cite as: Coops, N.C., Wulder, M.A., Duro, D.C., Han, T. and Berry, S., 2008. The development of a Canadian dynamic habitat index using multi-temporal satellite estimates of canopy light absorbance. Ecological Indicators, 8(5), pp.754-766. ( Coops et al. 2008).

Average of the hourly Direct Normal Irradiance (DNI) over 17 years (1998-2014). Data extracted from the National Solar Radiation Database (NSRDB) developed using the Physical Solar Model (PSM) by National Renewable Energy Laboratory ("NREL"), Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC, U.S. Department of Energy ("DOE").The current version of the National Solar Radiation Database (NSRDB) (v2.0.1) was developed using the Physical Solar Model (PSM), and offers users the solar resource datasets from 1998 to 2014). The NSRDB comprises 30-minute solar and meteorological data for approximately 2 million 0.038-degree latitude by 0.038-degree longitude surface pixels (nominally 4 km2). The area covered is bordered by longitudes 25° W on the east and 175° W on the west, and by latitudes -20° S on the south and 60° N on the north. The solar radiation values represent the resource available to solar energy systems. The AVHRR Pathfinder Atmospheres-Extended (PATMOS-x) model uses half-hourly radiance images in visible and infrared channels from the GOES series of geostationary weather satellites, a climatological albedo database and mixing ratio, temperature and pressure profiles from Modern Era-Retrospective Analysis (MERRA) to generate cloud masking and cloud properties. Cloud properties generated using PATMOS-x are used in fast radiative transfer models along with aerosol optical depth (AOD) and precipitable water vapor (PWV) from ancillary sources to estimate Direct Normal Irradiance (DNI) and Global Horizontal Irradiance (GHI). A daily AOD is retrieved by combining information from the MODIS and MISR satellites and ground-based AERONET stations. Water vapor and other inputs are obtained from MERRA. For clear sky scenes the direct normal irradiance (DNI) and GHI are computed using the REST2 radiative transfer model. For cloud scenes identified by the cloud mask, Fast All-sky Radiation Model for Solar applications (FARMS) is used to compute the GHI. The DNI for cloud scenes is then computed using the DISC model. The data in this layer is an average of the hourly GHI over 17 years (1998-2014). NOTE: The Geographical Information System (GIS) data and maps for solar resources for Global Horizontal Irradiance (GHI) and Direct Normal Irradiance (DNI) were developed by the U.S. National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and provided for Canada as an estimate. At present, neither the NREL data, nor the Physical Solar Model (PSM) on which the NREL data is based, have been either assessed or validated for the particular Canadian weather applications. A Canadian GHI map developed by the department of Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) is based on the State University of New York (SUNY) model and has been assessed and validated for the particular Canadian weather applications. The Canadian GHI map is available at http://atlas.gc.ca/cerp-rpep/en/.