Transcript 2010-gcos-update

Up-date on the GCOS activities
13 January 2011, WMO, Geneva, Switzerland
Dr Carolin Richter, Director, Global Climate Observing System Secretariat
Inaugural Meeting
of the GCOS Scientific & Technical Steering Committee
April 13 – 15, 1992, at the World Meteorological Organization
Back row: T. Maruyama (Japan), Worth Nowlin, Jr. (* USA), Yukio Haruyama (* Japan),
Douglas Whelpdale (* Canada), Lennart Bengtsson (* Germany), DSG David Axford (WMO, sponsor),
Phillip Goldsmith (* UK), Alex Alusa (UNEP, sponsor), Ichtaque Rasool (WCRP), Su Jilan (*, China),
Francois Martin (GCOS, JPO), Jurgen Meincke (*, Germany) Shizuo Tsunogai (*, Japan)
Middle row: Alexandre Vasiliev (* Russian
Federation),
Shelby Tilford (*, First Vice-chairman, USA),
Claudio Caponi (*, Second Vicechairman,Venezuela),
Sir John Houghton (*, Chairman, UK),
Thomas Spence (Director, Joint Planning
Office for GCOS),
Angus McEwan (* Australia),
Albert Tolkachev (IOC, sponsor)
Front Row: Arthur Dahl (UNEP, sponsor), Pierre Morel (ICSU, sponsor), Ekundayo Balogun (* Nigeria),
Andre LeBeau (* France), S. Kalombratsos (GCOS Joint Planning Office),
Fredric DelSol (WMO, AREP)
The Composition and Scope
of the Main Global Observing Systems
SYSTEMS
OCEAN
ATMOSPHERE
LAND
GEOSS
GOOS
WIGOS
GCOS
(GOS AND GAW)
GTOS
1. Implementation Plan
– up-date August 2010
Up-dated Implementation Plan:
in brief:
 new ECVs, now 50 (before 44 )
 reflection on ecosystems (biodiversity)
 additional focus on reference and super site networks
(measurements of several ECVs at one site for a more
comprehensive understanding of the ecosystem)
 cost estimation (additional costs and costs for existing
systems)
GCOS Essential Climate Variables (ECVs)
Global observations feasible (practical, cost-effective)
High impact on needs of UNFCCC, climate research (WCRP), climate
change assessments (IPCC)
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Priority list of variables to be observed systematically
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Initiated in 1995 in The GCOS Plan, then called «principal observations»
Submitted first time 1998 in 1st Adequacy Report to the UNFCCC, Buenos Aires
Global observations feasible (practical, cost-effective)
 High impact on needs of UNFCCC, climate change assessments (IPCC)
 Term « ECV » promoted in 2003, 2nd Adequacy Report to the UNFCCC
GCOS Essential Climate Variables (ECVs)
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Atmospheric
• Surface – Air temperature, Precipitation, Pressure, Surface radiation budget,
Wind speed and direction, Water vapour
• Upper Air – Earth radiation budget (including solar irradiance), Temperature,
Wind speed and direction, Water vapour, Cloud properties
• Composition – Carbon dioxide, Methane and other long-lived greenhouse
gases (N2O, CFCs, HCFCs, HFCs, SF6 and PFCs), Ozone and Aerosol,
supported by their precursors (NO2, SO2, HCHO and CO).
Oceanic
• Surface – Sea-surface temperature, Sea-surface salinity, Sea level, Sea state,
Sea ice, Surface Current, Ocean colour, Carbon dioxide partial pressure, Ocean
acidity, Phytoplankton.
• Sub-surface:Temperature, Salinity, Current, Nutrients, Carbon dioxide partial
pressure, Ocean acidity, Oxygen, Tracers.
Terrestrial
• River discharge, Water use, Ground water, Lakes, Snow cover, Glaciers and ice
caps, Ice sheets, Permafrost and seasonally-frozen ground, Albedo, Land cover
(including vegetation type), Fraction of absorbed photosynthetically active
radiation (FAPAR), Leaf area index (LAI), Above ground biomass, Soil carbon,
Fire disturbance, Soil moisture.
Blue/bold = largely space-based
2. Satellite Supplement
– up-date in January 2011
2. Satellite Supplement
– up-date in January 2011
Update 2006 Satellite Supplement to the GCOS IP (GCOS-107)
 Update detailed GCOS requirements for FCDRs and ECV
products in terms of
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accuracy,
stability,
temporal/spatial resolution,
calibration and validation needs and opportunities,
relevant international working groups.
for Atmosphere, Ocean, Land and Cross-Cutting actions.
 Expert Meeting, January 10 – 12, 2011, Geneva
improvements on most of the ECVs, extra sections, e.g., GHGs,
precursors, « pressure » emerges now also as space-based observed
ECV.
 Open for public review, March 2011
 Finalising draft, 2nd Qrt 2011.
3. GCOS Progress Report 2004-2008
GCOS Progress Report 2004-2008 - Summary
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Developed Countries:
 improved climate observation
capabilities,
 limited progress in resolving financial
issues related to long-term continuity
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Developing Countries:
 limited (in-situ) progress, with decline
in some regions,
 capacity building support remains
small in relation to needs
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Satellite agencies:
 improved mission continuity and capability
 increasingly meeting climate needs
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Progress made, but:
 Many gaps persist,
 Continued engagement needed for coordinated
implementation and long-term continuity
Summary of progress on all 131
Actions in 2004 GCOS IP
Monitoring and Generating
Climate Data
GCOS Guideline for generation of ECV datasets and products,
May 2010 (GCOS-143)
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Responds to increasing demand by producers to ensure climate quality /
meeting GCOS requirements;
Ensure transparency.
GCOS Climate Monitoring Principles (Annex II, GCOS-143)
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Requirements for the operation of observing systems
Ensure continuity of missions;
Ensure stability of instruments and orbits;
Ensure traceability
4. Continuous Improvement and Assessment Cycle
GCOS – an all domain system
5. System improvement through all
domains (atmosphere, ocean and land)
Systematic
observation
requirements
for in-situ
based
products for
climate
 Needed for
validation and
ground truth.
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In-situ data supplement to the Implementation Plan needed.
GCOS as building block: Global Framework for Climate Service – GFCS as the
major outcome of the WCC-3, 2009.
Adaptation
Mitigation
Climate- sensitive
Sectors
UNFCCC
Interface
Prediction & Information
IPCC
World Climate Research Programme (WCRP)
Global Climate Observing System (GCOS)