GEO 2007 Work Plan
April 2007
Climate Task CL-06-03
Task Number
CL-06-03
Area
Climate
Relevant Committee
UIC
Key Terrestrial Observations for Climate
Develop intergovernmental mechanisms for coordinating terrestrial observations
needed for climate studies and forecasting. Develop a framework for the
preparation of guidance materials, standards, and reporting guidelines for
terrestrial (including land-coast interface) observing systems for climate and
associated data, metadata, and products to expand the comprehensiveness of
current networks and facilitate exchange of data.
Description of the Work to be Performed
1. GEO members endorse the recommendations of the GTOS/GCOS report in November, 2005 to the
UNFCC COP on the establishment of a proposed mechanism for the creation of international
standards for global terrestrial observations.
2. Informed by the activities of the Climate Data Task Force (see Task CL-06-02), ensure that the data
exchanges agreed upon in that task adequately cover the data requirements for the terrestrial sector.
3. Propose a structure for an intergovernmental mechanism for coordinating terrestrial climate
observations.
4. SBSTA has welcomed the efforts by the GTOS Secretariat to develop a framework for the
preparation of guidance materials, standards and reporting guidelines for terrestrial observing
systems for climate and encouraged the GTOS to continue its work. It also called on the GTOS
Secretariat to also assess the status of the development of standards for each of the essential climate
variables in the terrestrial domain. The SBSTA invited the GTOS secretariat to report on its progress
by SBSTA 26 (May 2007).
Output & Deliverables
An agreed-upon mechanism for creating international standards for global terrestrial climate observations.
A proposed intergovernmental mechanism for coordinating terrestrial climate observations.
Initial development of standards for observations to be endorsed and implemented at the national level.
Calendar (incl. milestones)
April 2007
Status reports on possible framework mechanisms and available standards submitted to
UNFCCC.
August 2006
Web forum created and up running.
October 2006
Initial draft of possible terrestrial framework mechanisms and implementation strategies.
May 2007
progress report to be submitted to SBSTA 26.
Financial Contributions (from GEO Operations Budget)
None.
Current Status
April 07: Considerable efforts have been made by GTOS and its collaborators to develop different proposals
for a terrestrial framework and in review of already available standards and methodologies for the 13
terrestrial Essential Climatic Variables (ECVs). Two status reports on progress have been prepared and have
been submitted to UNFCCC SBSTA for its 26th session (May 2007). Reports can be requested from
reuben.sessa@fao.org. Web pages are currently being created which will contain all the material collected
for each ECV. This will allow for the review by all interested stakeholders. Once available, the pages will be
GEO 2007 Work Plan
April 2007
Climate Task CL-06-03
accessible through the following link: www.fao.org/gtos/TOPC.html. Final documentation and
recommendations will be submitted to SBSTA 27th session in December 2007.
Sep 06: A new summary report should be available by October 2006. Summary of current results can be
viewed at: www.fao.org/gtos/doc/2006-GTOS-SC/13-UNFCCC-reporting-v4.doc
Coordination with other tasks of committees
Lead of the Climate Data Task Force (CL-06-02) will be informed of developments.
GEO Member Potential Contributions Reported to date
GTOS
GTOS, through the GTOS Secretariat and in coordination with the relevant GTOS Panels, is leading and
collaborating in this task. This activity will compliment those of participating organizations in the GCOS IP.
Additional funds will be required for activities outside of the current proposed scope of the Secretariat and
Panels for 2006. The GTOS Panel on Climate (TOPC) and on Forest and Land Cover Dynamics (GOFCGOLD) have coordinated the developed the standards for many of the essential climatic variables (ECVs)
required by the UNFCCC. The GTOS Panel on Terrestrial Carbon Observations (TCO) is preparing a
manual for terrestrial carbon productivity estimation, and guidelines for terrestrial carbon observations.
Through the UNFCCC process GTOS has been asked to coordinate the development of standards for the 13
identified terrestrial essential climatic variables (ECVs) these are: river discharge, water use, ground water,
lake levels, snow cover, glaciers and ice caps, permafrost and seasonally-frozen ground, albedo, land cover
(including vegetation type), fraction of absorbed photosynthetically active radiation (fAPAR), leaf area
index (LAI), biomass and fire disturbance.
The GTOS Secretariat has reviewed already operational intergovernmental mechanisms to see the suitability
of using a similar structure for terrestrial framework. These findings were already presented to the
Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA) Twenty-Third Session, Montréal, 28
November to 9 December 2005. Further investigations are now taking place to assess the institutional and
financial requirements to establish and run different possible mechanisms. These results will be circulated
for comments to the major stakeholders to establish the preferred mechanism. Progress made will be
presented by GTOS to SBSTA in May 2007.
To assist in the exchange of information, data and ideas relevant to the task a Web forum has been created on
the GTOS Web site. Currently the site is being populated with the relevant documentation. Link and access
code will be provided to individuals/institutions involved with the task.
ECMWF
Potential ECMWF contribution through expertise in re-analysis and provision of ERA (ECMWF Reanalysis) data sets
Netherlands
Participation for developing standards (radiometric, geometrical optica, Albedo)
Italy
The ENEA Special Project “Global Climate” (CLIM) includes different projects, programmes and ENEA
institutional activities/tasks. In general, the Project is aimed to provide scientific contributions to the national
and international research on climate studies, with specific attention to the south-Europe and Mediterranean
area. In particular the Project activities:
- contribute, on international basis, to improve scientific knowledge about climate process and its
environmental impact;
GEO 2007 Work Plan
April 2007
Climate Task CL-06-03
- carry out in situ measurements and utilize space Earth observation in order to study and evaluate socioeconomic and environmental impact of climate changes;
- support Italian Public Administration to manage environmental protection initiatives and to participate to
the international Conventions on global change. http://clima.casaccia.enea.it
Air Force National Meteorological Service: Operating full time climatic surface and upper air climatic
observing network.
FAO
As a sponsor of the Global Terrestrial Observing System, FAO will support the development of the
Terrestrial Climate Framework through the Inter-Agency Coordination and Planning Committee (ICPC) and
Committee of Executive Board. FAO, through the activities of the Environment and Natural Resource
Service (SDRN), could contribute to this task regarding the effectiveness of the meteorological data in
agricultural areas and related observations requirements.
Germany
Which proxies are appropriate for monitoring and modelling the evolution of climate change?
Relevant EC Projects
DG- ENTR, GEOLAND, (Infoterra GmbH, Alexander Kaptein, alexander.kaptein@infoterra-global.com)
Task Participants
Task POC
GTOS
FAO
Reuben Sessa
reuben.sessa@fao.org
Lead
GTOS
TCO
Antonio Bombelli
Antonio.Bombelli@fao.org
Lead
GTOS
GTOS/GLCN
GLCN@fao.org
Lead
GTOS
GTOS Secretariat
GTOS@fao.org
Lead
GTOS
John Latham
john.latham@fao.org
Contributor
Australia
CSIRO
Greg Ayers
Greg.Ayers@csiro.au
Contributor
CEOS
WGCV, ACSG
Ernest Hilsenrath
ernest.hilsenrath@nasa.gov
Contributor
CEOS
WGISS
Ivan Petiteville
ivan.petiteville@esa.int
Contributor
CEOS
WGISS
Lola Olsen
Lola.M.Olsen@nasa.gov
Contributor
Cyprus
Meteorological Service
Stelios Pashiardis
spashiardis@ms.moa.gov.cy
Contributor
Cyprus
Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resources
and Environment
K. Τheophilou
metservice@ms.moa.gov.cy
Contributor
ECMWF
Manfred Kloeppel
Manfred.Kloeppel@ecmwf.int
Contributor
EUMETNET
Jim Caughey
jim.caughey@metoffice.gov.uk
Contributor
FAO
FAO
environment@fao.org
Contributor
GCOS
David Goodrich
dgoodrich@wmo.int
Contributor
Germany
MPI-BGC Jena: CarboEurope
Annette Freibauer
afreib@bgc-jena.mpg.de
Contributor
Germany
Bundesanstalt für Geowissenschaften und Michael Kosinowski
Rohstoffe
m.kosinowski@bgr.de
Contributor
Greece
National Observatory of Athens
zerefos@geol.uoa.gr
Contributor
Greece
National Observatory of Athens - Institute Michael Petrakis
of Environment Research and Sustainable
Development(IERSD)
mike@meteo.noa.gr
Contributor
Greece
National Observatory of Athens - Institute Evangelos
of Environment Research and Sustainable Gerasopoulos
Development(IERSD)
egera@meteo.noa.gr
Contributor
Greece
National Observatory of Athens - Institute Dimitra Founda
of Environment Research and Sustainable
Development(IERSD)
founda@meteo.noa.gr
GTOS Secretariat
C. Zerefos
GEO 2007 Work Plan
April 2007
Climate Task CL-06-03
Contributor
Greece
National Observatory of Athens - Institute Vassilis Psiloglou
of Environment Research and Sustainable
Development(IERSD)
bill@meteo.noa.gr
Contributor
Greece
National Observatory of Athens - Institute Harry Kambezidis
of Environment Research and Sustainable
Development(IERSD)
harry@meteo.noa.gr
Contributor
Italy
Air Force National Meteorological Service, Costante De Simone
General Office for Meteorology
c.desimone@meteoam.it
Contributor
Italy
ENEA
Vincenzo Ferrara
ferrara@casaccia.enea.it
Contributor
Japan
Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science
and Technology (JAMSTEC)
Maiko Taniguchi
maikot@jamstec.go.jp
Contributor
Netherlands
TNO – Defence Security and Safety
Gerrit de Leeuw
gerrit.deleeuw@tno.nl
Contributor
Niger
Issoufou Wata
iwata@intnet.ne
Contributor
Norway
Norwegian Institute for Air Research
AAsmund Fahre Vik
afv@nilu.no
Contributor
Norway
Norwegian Institute for Air Research
Kjetil Torset
kt@nilu.no
Contributor
Norway
Norwegian Meteorological Institute
Oystein Hov
Oystein.Hov@met.no
Contributor
Spain
INM-Instituto Nacional de Meteorología
Jorge Tamayo
tamayo@inm.es
Contributor
Thailand
Thai Meteorological Department
Boonprasert Nongbua
untika_n@hotmail.com
Contributor
Thailand
Thai Meteorological Department
Kornrawee
Sitthichivapak
kornrawee@tmd.go.th
Contributor
USA
NOAA
Chet Koblinsky
Chester.J.Koblinsky@noaa.gov