Transcript South America & Asia workshop outcomes

The Global Cryosphere Watch
CryoNet Asia 1st Workshop
(Beijing, China, 2-5 December 2013)
1st CryoNet South America Workshop
(Santiago, Chile, 27-29 October, 2014)
Lessons Learned – or Not
Barry Goodison,
Vice-Chair, GCW Steering Group
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Purpose of Asia CryoNet Workshop
To continue efforts in implementing CryoNet and
addressing identified gaps, with an emphasis on the
measurement sites, observations, and issues in Asia. This
included, but was not limited to, the “Third Pole Project”
region of the Himalayas
Presentations are available:
http://www.wmo.int/pages/prog/www/OSY/Meetings/GCW-CNAsia/CryoNet_Asia_Documentation_Plan.html
Final report of workshop:
http://www.wmo.int/pages/prog/www/OSY/Meetings/GCW-CNSouthAmerica/CryoNet_Asia_FinalReport.doc
Purpose of CryoNet South America Workshop
To identify stations/sites that could be selected for CryoNet in South
America, discuss practices that should be applied and to foster the
development of cryospheric activities in the region
Review of environmental regulations related to glaciers and the
periglacial environment within the different countries represented in
the Workshop, a topic of particular relevance to Chile in view of the
glacier law initiative currently being discussed in Congress.
Presentations are available:
http://www.wmo.int/pages/prog/www/OSY/Meetings/GCW-CNSouthAmerica/CryoNet_SoutAmerica_DocPlan.html
Draft Final report of workshop:
http://www.wmo.int/pages/prog/www/OSY/Meetings/GCW-CNT2/GCWCNT2-PT-2.html
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CryoNet Asia -Background
Participants: from China, Pakistan, India, Japan, Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan,
Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, USA, Canada, Austria, Italy, and Switzerland.
Meeting Language: English only
Feedback with respect to cryospheric observation and monitoring:
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For CryoNet, establishment of a tiered network was ranked as the
highest priority
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High need for harmonization as well as standards and guidelines in
cryospheric observations
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Existing cryospheric networks are highly interested in cooperation with
GCW
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CryoNet should fill gaps in existing networks
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For the cryospheric community, data policy and data accessibility is of
highest priority
Participants helped refine the CryoNet network strategy, levels of observation,
requirements for site inclusion in the network, and measurement practices.
General and site questionnaires were completed by participants.
CryoNet South America -Background
Participants: from Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru, Austria,
Canada, France, Iceland, Switzerland, USA – strong co-operation among
SA/LA countries already which strengthened discussion
Meeting Languages: English and Spanish, with excellent simultaneous
interpretation; questionnaire offered in Spanish; final report summary in
English and Spanish (special thanks for arrangements by Chile)
Feedback with respect to cryospheric observation and monitoring:
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Implementation of tiered network
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High need for standards and guidelines in cryospheric observations
(many counts)
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Serve science and practitioners
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Cooperate with existing networks
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Fill gaps in existing networks
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Data policy and data provision
General and site questionnaires were completed by participants.
Asia Workshop Presentations and Discussion
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Potential GCW and CryoNet sites presented and discussed; updated site
questionnaires submitted for further review and discussion;
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High Elevation stations in Central Asia were the focus of most participants;
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several Chinese stations were proposed to be part into CryoNet Asia;
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Reviewed existing observation sites/observatories over the “Third Pole”
region. Achievements and gaps in observations were identified.
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Need to pursue continuous support and upgrade for observations in Third
Pole region toward the GCW standard.
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Defined the boundary of Asia CryoNet - will not limited to “Third Pole” only,
but whole Asia except Arctic; Asia CryoNet will be in coinciding spatially
with WMO Region II.
BUT, the following actions have not been followed up:

Set up guidelines on how Asia CryoNet to be organized.
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Need to complete list of focal points (station leaders) for stations/sites,
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Highlight the importance of GCW to the responsible bodies in China, like
CAS and CMA
Responsibilities were not explicitly assigned at the meeting
SA Workshop Presentations and Discussion
Should we focus on the Andes as one region, or by three climate zones –
tropical, dry, and wet Andes?
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No clear agreement on this question as several participants thought that this
region should be considered as a whole while many others asked to
distinguish inner and outer tropics areas
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Discussion on regional vs national data centres - meeting opted in favor of
small data centre as some centres already exist; noted by D/OBS that
coordination on national level is more important and we should stay with the
WMO definition for regional centres; in future GCW could offer a “data
centre” (e.g. Met Norway) for data that are not stored anywhere else.
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Meeting agreed that at least metadata should be made freely available;
some networks are financed by third countries and these data are made
available first to that entity, and as a second step made available to others.
GCW can also access the data; Chile emphasized that there should be no
issue with sharing Chilean data –open data policy
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The need for adequate cryospheric definitions was stressed in view of their
legal implications.
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SA Workshop Presentations and Discussion
Should Antarctic stations/sites operated by South American countries be part of
South American CryoNet or Antarctic CryoNet?
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participants agreed that Antarctica should be treated separately from
CryoNet South America since it is a completely distinct region from a
geographic point of view and also because several countries outside South
America are involved
Is Mexico part of this region or part of North American region?
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CryoNet is not building a rigid regional network and Mexico may be included
in CryoNet Latin America; impacts of Mexican glaciers should be assessed in
comparison with the rest of the South American cryosphere.
Is South American boundary equivalent to WMO RA II countries (like Asia)?
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The meeting reaffirmed that no regional networks are planned.
There was extensive discussion of the stations presented for consideration as
CryoNet stations and new questionnaires were requested
It was agreed that snowpack chemistry should be included in GCW/CryoNet IP
Key Outcomes/Actions
To build CryoNet Asia:
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First step is to draft the site classification system and then try to assign
sites submitted by participants to test its applicability.
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Develop a data exchange mechanism,
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Compile appropriate best practices, guidelines, and standards
currently being used by different agencies, organizations
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Identify and pursue funding opportunities. As CryoNet sites would be
operated by national entities, it is important to start the dialogue with
national ministries to seek commitments to operate these sites.
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GCW Asia CryoNet will follow WMO’s resolution on data policies and
data sharing
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Asia CryoNet representative on GCW CryoNet
Thoughts from Xiao Cunde
CryoNet should be set up step by step; it would be good to have a model
station, guided by GCW standards, in Asia, South America, and
elsewhere.
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Because of the harsh condition of cryosphere region, having this kind of station
is not always an easy task. To save man-power and make the station
more accessible, it is smart to choose a relatively easier site or longer history
(good background) station at our initial stage.
New and high-level technologies for data saving and transmitting should be
encouraged and introduced to these stations. “If people can receive data
comfortably at home/office sent by satellite and don't need to visit the cold and
high-altitude sites very often to take care of the instruments and retrieve data, I
believe CryoNet will soon become very bloom around all cryospheric regions”.
WMO should seek innovative techniques, including training at a model
station, while being very patient.
After establishing a standard station, then we should discuss more in detail
about agreements, rules/regulations, management (gobally) for CryoNet or
GCW, and these will become much easier than what we can do today.
Moving Forward.....
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Actions and Responsibilities
Chewable Chunks (e.g. Snow Watch)
CryoNet and GCW Cryosphere Network
Stations, sites, AWS, virtual network
Contributing, Core, Baseline, Reference, Integrated
Cryosphere Terminology
GCW and CryoNet structure
GCW as a cross-cut – representation on existing WMO TC
or RA expert teams that have relevance to GCW
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Don’t forget ideas and outcomes of First CryoNet
Workshop, Vienna
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