Transcript Global Terrestrial Network for Glacier

TOPC Meeting, Birmensdorf, 16-18 March 2015
Global Terrestrial Network for Glacier:
Monitoring of an ECV in a
research-based environment
Michael Zemp
Director WGMS, PD Dr. sc. nat.
World Glacier Monitoring Service
Department of Geography, University of Zurich
Switzerland
Global Terrestrial Network for Glaciers (GTN-G):
http://www.gtn-g.org
121 years of internationally
coordinated glacier
monitoring
compilation and dissemination of
standardized data about glacier
distribution and changes
GTN-G is
today’s organisational
framework for the glacier
data centers and services
www.wgms.ch
¦
www.nsidc.org
¦
www.glims.org
GTN-G
¦
www.gtn-g.org
Global Terrestrial Network for Glaciers (GTN-G):
http://www.gtn-g.org
Current glacier research paradigm
SCIENCE
Too much focused
on innovation driven
science.
modelling
Lack of funding for
long-term
monitoring.
in-situ
observations
MONITORING
remote
sensing
Limited scientific
reproducibility due
to non-availability of
basic data.
Global Terrestrial Network for Glaciers (GTN-G):
http://www.gtn-g.org
Science vs. monitoring: Alpine glacier mass balance
Glacier mass balance:
+ 400 obs series
+ 5,000 observations
+ 13 years avg obs length
+ 40 series > 30 years
Global Terrestrial Network for Glaciers (GTN-G):
http://www.gtn-g.org
Monitoring of an ECV in a research-based environment



How to implement a research-based monitoring system?

Get World Data Centers/Services in charge

Set up a collaboration network of observers

Set up sustainable funding for monitoring
How to motivate scientists to share their observations?

Provide easy data access for different audiences

Increase the visibility of their work

Provide consulting service for data users
How to close the gaps in the global data coverage?

Capacity building and twinning

Data mining

Remotes sensing
Global Terrestrial Network for Glaciers (GTN-G):

http://www.gtn-g.org
How to implement a research-based monitoring system?

Get World Data Centers/Services in charge

Set up a collaboration network of observers
Global Terrestrial Network for Glaciers (GTN-G):

http://www.gtn-g.org
How to implement a research-based monitoring system?

Get World Data Centers/Services in charge

Set up a collaboration network of observers

Set up sustainable funding for monitoring
Global Terrestrial Network for Glaciers (GTN-G):

http://www.gtn-g.org
How to motivate scientists to share their observations?

Provide easy data access for different audiences

Increase the visibility of their work
Global Glacier Browser
Global Terrestrial Network for Glaciers (GTN-G):

http://www.gtn-g.org
How to motivate scientists to share their observations?

Provide easy data access for different audiences

Increase the visibility of their work
CITATION instead of acknowledgement
When using these data, please cite as WGMS (2012, and earlier issues)
and/or the original investigators and sponsoring agencies according to the
available meta-information:
WGMS (2012): Fluctuations of Glaciers 2005-2010 (Vol. X): Zemp, M.,
Frey, H., Gärtner-Roer, I., Nussbaumer, S.U., Hoelzle, M., Paul, F. & W.
Haeberli (eds.), ICSU (WDS)/ IUGG (IACS)/ UNEP/ UNESCO/ WMO,
World Glacier Monitoring Service, Zurich, Switzerland. Based on database
version doi: 10.5904/wgms-fog-2012-11.
Global Terrestrial Network for Glaciers (GTN-G):

http://www.gtn-g.org
How to motivate scientists to share their observations?

Provide easy data access for different audiences

Increase the visibility of their work

Provide consulting service for data users
Global Terrestrial Network for Glaciers (GTN-G):
Lewis Glacier, Mount Kenya, photo by Simon
Norfolk
2014 vs 1934
http://www.gtn-g.org
Global Terrestrial Network for Glaciers (GTN-G):

http://www.gtn-g.org
How to close the gaps in the global data coverage?

Capacity building and twinning

Data mining

Remotes sensing
Global Terrestrial Network for Glaciers (GTN-G):

http://www.gtn-g.org
How to close the gaps in the global data coverage?

Capacity building and twinning

Data mining

Remotes sensing
Global Terrestrial Network for Glaciers (GTN-G):
http://www.gtn-g.org
Monitoring of an ECV in a research-based environment



How to implement a research-based monitoring system?

Get World Data Centers/Services in charge

Set up a collaboration network of observers

Set up sustainable funding for monitoring
How to motivate scientists to share their observations?

Provide easy data access for different audiences

Increase the visibility of their work

Provide consulting service for data users
How to close the gaps in the global data coverage?

Capacity building and twinning

Data mining

Remotes sensing
Global Terrestrial Network for Glaciers (GTN-G):
http://www.gtn-g.org
Monitoring of an ECV in a research-based environment

How to implement
a research-based
monitoring
Suggestion
for TOPC
tasks: system?


Get World Data Centers/Services in charge

(A)
each ECV,network
find (individual
or groups
Set
up for
a collaboration
of observers
of) world data
centers/services
that
take the lead for compiling and
 Set up sustainable
funding for
monitoring
disseminating corresponding observations in standardized
How to motivate scientists to share their observations?
formats.
 Provide easy data access for different audiences
(=> discussion about Terms of Reference for TOPC)

Increase the visibility of their work
Provide
consulting service forthe
datacorrect
users citation and use of digital
(B)
foster/push/enforce
object
identifiers
for datasets
general
specifically related
How
to close
the gaps
in the (in
global
dataand
coverage?
to ECVs)
 Capacity building and twinning
(=> e.g., official letter to national science foundations and
 Data mining
international journals)



Remotes sensing
Global Terrestrial Network for Glaciers (GTN-G):
http://www.gtn-g.org
Evaluation of GTN-G in 2014
 through GTN-G Advisory Board, under the lead of the International Association of
Cryospheric Sciences
 C. Rolstad Denby, L.M. Andreassen, A. Arendt, G. Cogley, V. Ryabinin
 (evaluation is a WDS-requirement)
 Evaluation of GTN-G and its operational bodies (WGMS, GLIMS, NSIDC) concerning
the monitoring of glaciers and ice caps:
 WGMS Klausur, 13 February 2014
 self-evaluation report (Q2)
 site visite (9-11 June 2014, Boulder)
 final evaluation report (Q4)
Global Terrestrial Network for Glaciers (GTN-G):
http://www.gtn-g.org
Evaluation of GTN-G in 2014 – outcome relevant to WGMS activities
 “The WGMS staff does an admirable job with data compilation, outreach, training
activities as well as scientific production.”
=>  (CATCOS, SMD4GC, MoU IRD/CRNS)
 “We do see strong potential for WGMS to act as a distributor of high level data derived
from remote sensing products, for example glacier-wide mass balances determined from
laser altimetry.”
=> Strengthen the remote sensing competence at WGMS (Glaciers_cci Option 5)
=> GLIMS/RGI issue to be solved at NSIDC and with NASA proposal
 “The Advisory Board supports the idea of merging the two products as a biennial
Fluctuations of Glaciers, which will free resources and offer the public a more timely
product.”
=> Global Glacier Change Bulletin (GGCB) series
 “the GTN-G web portal should be an early focus for improvements in publication of,
and access to, services that are already provided.”
=> WGMS MetaData Browser update postponed to 2015, priority on finalization of
GTN-G Global Glacier Browser