While there to assist wildlife biologist Zoe Lucas with environmental projects, I was given a tour of the weather station and research facilities. The station comprises houses for the employees and visitors, a weather office, a weather balloon building, a research laboratory and a variety of utility and storage buildings. Nav-can a crown corporation that provides weather reports to aviation services and public weather forecasters. Recently there has been a drive to automate weather stations. There are many advantages in having a manned station, however.
Humans can accurately read cloud cover and visibility by simple observation.
Automated equipment might interpret a small opening in cloud cover as a bright clear day. The visibility sensor reads light scattering in one cubic foot of air and extrapolates for the next 10 miles. This sensor provides merely an indicator of visibility, whereas a hu-man can provide an actual value. Hu-mans can also tell if there is thunder and lightning and can differentiate ocean spray from rain. Twice a day a technician releases a hydrogen-filled weather balloon for readings to altitudes reaching 35 kilometres.