Canadian Air and Precipitation Monitoring Network (CAPMoN)

The Canadian Air and Precipitation Monitoring Network (CAPMoN), operated by Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), is designed to study the regional patterns and trends of atmospheric pollutants such as acid rain, smog, particulate matter and mercury, in both air and precipitation. The network began operating in 1983. CAPMoN updated and replaced two older networks known as the Canadian Network for Sampling Precipitation (CANSAP) and the Air and Precipitation Network (APN). The integration of APN as part of CAPMoN extended the data record as far back as 1978.

The Network was originally designed to help Canadians understand the sources and impacts of acid rain. This included integrated measurements of wet deposition (through rain or snow) and (inferential) dry deposition, as well as the ambient concentrations of acid-forming gases and particles. The regionally representative sites required to understand the sources and how long range transport impacts the Canadian environment have proven invaluable for a wide range of atmospheric issues.