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Agenda Item:
4.4.8
Person Responsible:
Steve
Pendlebury
XXXIII SCAR Delegates Meeting
Auckland, New Zealand, 1-3rd September 2014
WMO-led developments in Meteorological
(and related) Polar Observations,
Research and Services
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Executive Summary
Title: WMO-led developments in Meteorological (and related) Polar Observations, Research and Services
Authors: Steve Pendlebury, Mike Sparrow…..
Introduction/ Background: It is a policy of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) that meteorological
(and related) services, such as Antarctic weather forecasting, should be underpinned by methodologies which
are based on “solid” research and development. The Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research’s (SCAR)
mission is understood to be the leading, independent, non-governmental facilitator, coordinator, and advocate
of excellence in Antarctic and Southern Ocean science and research. It is appropriate therefore, that WMO and
SCAR work together to facilitate the delivery of effective Antarctic- focused meteorological and related services
designed to mitigate “real-time” risks to human operations in the Antarctic, and to mitigate risks to the Antarctic
environment resulting from human-induced climate change. SCAR’s role in this partnership would, of course, be
based on its capacity for fostering and delivering excellent Antarctic-related science: WMO’s role is to guide and
assist its relevant Member States in developing and delivering the services themselves in an effective and
efficient manner. To this end WMO has established its Executive Council panel of experts on Polar Observations,
Research, and Services (EC-PORS) – SCAR has been a very welcome contributor to recent meetings of EC-PORS.
Important Issues or Factors: WMO, through EC-PORS (and others), is championing key initiatives aimed at
supporting the above service delivery - these include: a Global Integrated Polar Prediction System (GIPPS)
informed by, among other things, a Polar Prediction Project (PPP) and a Polar Climate Predictability Initiative
(PCPI). Exceedingly important to each of these are meteorological (and related) observations, whether obtained
through the Antarctic Observations Network (AntON), or via the Global Cryosphere Watch (GCW), or spacebased.
Recommendations/Actions and Justification: Building on the participation of SCAR at recent meetings of ECPORS, Delegates are invited to note the Antarctic-related work of WMO. Moreover, WMO would warmly
welcome SCAR engagement, guidance, and participation in WMO’s Antarctic science-related initiatives,
especially those outlined above.
Expected Benefits/Outcomes: It is expected that SCAR’s involvement, as sketched above, would lead to more
accurate and effective meteorological and related services aimed at mitigating risks to the Antarctic
environment and to Antarctic operations.
Partners: There is a strong focus within WMO/EC-PORS in maintaining engagement, not only within the WMO
system, but with the broader global services, operations, and research communities. A summary of some of the
potential partners (in addition to SCAR) in the development of science-based Antarctic service delivery includes:
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Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting (ATCM); Council of Managers of National Antarctic Programs
(COMNAP); and the International Association of Antarctic Tourist Operators (IAATO);
Programmes such as World Weather Research Programme (WWRP) and the World Climate Research
Programme (WCRP);
WMO technical commissions, such as the Joint WMO/Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC)
Technical Commission for Oceanography and Marine Meteorology (JCOMM) Expert Team on Sea Ice
(JCOMM-ETSI);
The International Ice Charting Working Group (IICWG);
International operational numerical weather prediction (NWP) centres such as the European Centre for
Medium-range Weather Forecasting (ECMWF) along with the NWP centres of WMO Members states;
The Antarctic Meteorological Observation Modeling Forecasting Workshop (AMOMFW) community;
International research centres such as the Byrd Polar Research Center.
Budget Implications: At this early stage in the SCAR-WMO partnership no specific call on the SCAR bottom line
is envisaged. No doubt as the partnership matures there may be opportunities for focused and budgeted science
campaigns aimed at informing the scientific development of Antarctic meteorological and related services.
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WMO-led developments in Meteorological (and related)
Polar Observations, Research and Services
Introduction
“The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN). It is
the UN system's authoritative voice on the state and behaviour of the Earth's atmosphere, its interaction with
the oceans, the climate it produces and the resulting distribution of water resources”1. There is however, a
strong focus within the WMO system, in being in close collaboration with other service providers/users and
with relevant research communities, including the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR).
Historically WMO and SCAR have worked in partnership over many years e.g. the cryosphere theme report
for the IGOS partnership and the International Polar Year. Both organizations are currently cooperating on
several activities e.g. SCAR attend meeting of the WMO Executive Council panel of experts on Polar
Observations, Research and Services (EC-PORS) and over discussions on a potential International Polar
Partnership Initiative. This document outlines activities of WMO that may be of most interest to SCAR in
order to encourage future possible partnerships.
WMO-led Antarctic-related activities
Key activities include the World Weather Research Programme’s (WWRP)2 Polar Prediction Project (PPP)
and the World Climate Research Programme’s3 (WCRP) Polar Climate Predictability Initiative (PCPI). Both
the PPP and PCPI are part of the umbrella WMO Global Integrated Polar Prediction System4 (GIPPS).
Exceedingly important to each of these are meteorological (and related) observations, whether obtained
through the Antarctic Observations Network (AntON), the Global Cryosphere Watch5 (GCW) or spacebased.
Moreover, under the Global Framework for Climate Services (GFCS)6 WMO encourages, among other
things, the establishment of Regional, including polar, Climate Centres and Regional Climate Outlook
Forums7. And so it is appropriate to summarize the latest WMO/EC-PORS thinking on some of these
matters:
Antarctic Observing Network
AntON is comprised of the conventional surface and upper-air observations network in Antarctica.
Managing AntON has issues that WMO is addressing, such as: encouraging more voluntary ship
observations; improving telecommunications; ensuring full compatibility with the WMO Integrated Global
Observing System8 (WIGOS); working with other organizations to increase data availability; and
encouraging WMO Member States to make available relevant metadata.
Global Cryosphere Watch
The vision for the GCW is an end-to-end system that not only monitors the Earth’s surface ice (the
cryosphere) but produces products that are of use to end-users. Whilst it is hoped that the GCW obtains final
1
Download on 16 March 2014 from http://www.wmo.int/pages/about/index_en.html
Eg see: http://www.wmo.int/pages/prog/arep/wwrp/new/wwrp_new_en.html
3
Eg see: http://www.wcrp-climate.org/
4
Eg see: http://polarprediction.net/en/home
5
Eg see: http://globalcryospherewatch.org/
6
Eg see http://www.gfcs-climate.org/
7
Eg see http://www.wmo.int/pages/prog/wcp/wcasp/clips/outlooks/climate_forecasts.html
8
Eg see: http://www.wmo.int/pages/prog/www/wigos/index_en.html
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WMO endorsement at the WMO Congress in May 2015 the GCW is already providing initial up-to-date
information on the state of the cryosphere through its website at http://globalcryospherewatch.org/.
Moreover, the GCW is seen as a key contributor to two of WMO’s highest priorities – the Global Framework
for Climate Services (GFCS) and the WMO Integrated Global Observing System (WIGOS).
The GCW is developing a core network of surface observations called "CryoNet", which builds on existing
networks; however there is also strong consortium developing with, for example, contributions from the
European Space Agency (ESA) through the Satellite Snow Products inter-comparison and Evaluation
Exercise (SnowPEX)9 project complementing the existing GlobSnow10 activity.
Space-based observations
Within EC-PORS there is a very active Polar Space Task Group (PSTG), which informs relevant space
programmes of the observational needs of the polar community. The PSTG provides an overview of existing
and planned missions: for example, noting that sea ice dynamics have a significant influence on ice mass
there are already satellite-derived products of sea-ice and its drift for both northern and southern hemisphere
polar regions, while forthcoming satellite missions related to snow thickness measurements, sea-ice drift
products, melt flux products and ice sheet mass balance inter-comparison to name a few.
There is a need for feedback from the surface observation communities on the use of in-situ data for
calibration and validation of satellite-derived data, (aka ground-truth) and so AntON and the GCW have
added importance. Several SCAR groups, such and the Southern Ocean Observing System (SOOS) are
already working with the PSTG.
Telecommunications
Whilst the Global Telecommunications System11 (GTS) remains the backbone for observational data
reaching processing centres, acquisition of data from remote areas often relies on satellite
telecommunications systems. It is anticipated that an international forum will be established to address
remote data communication requirements for automatic environment observing systems using satellite data,
telecommunication systems in remote areas including buoys, ship-based observing systems, seal level
observing stations, Automatic Weather Stations, Polar Observations, profiling floats, and animal tracking.
Global Integrated Polar Prediction System
GIPPS is a decadal endeavour which will: require research to improve understanding of physical processes
(e.g. polar clouds, sea ice/ocean dynamics, permafrost and ice sheet dynamics); enhance our understanding
of polar-lower latitude linkages; optimize the polar observing system; develop data assimilation systems;
enhance modelling systems, and advance ensemble prediction components, to improve predictions across a
wide range of time scales.
Integral to GIPPS is the Polar Prediction Project12 which is a long-term initiative by the WWRP together
with the WCRP. PPP involves the participation of research centres, universities, institutions and initiatives
from around the world and is set up to understand and evaluate predictability and enhance prediction
information and services in polar regions.
There are concentrated efforts within the PPP on sea ice prediction (which has a big impact on atmospheric
predictions), the linkage between polar and lower-latitude regions, and an emphasis on improved availability
of polar observations.
9
Eg see: http://calvalportal.ceos.org/projects/snowpex
Eg see: http://due.esrin.esa.int/prjs/prjs100.php
11
Eg see: http://www.wmo.int/pages/prog/www/TEM/index_en.html
12
Eg see: http://polarprediction.net/en/about_ppp/
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WCRP Polar Climate Predictability Initiative (PCPI)
The PCPI is working on a range of initiatives including: improving knowledge and understanding of past
polar climate variations (up to 100 years); assessing reanalyses in polar regions (jointly with the PPP
outlined above); and an improved understanding of polar climate predictability on seasonal to decadal
timescales (again jointly with PPP).
This work could underpin the effort of WMO in the development of the Global Framework of Climate
Services, under which WMO is, among others, aiming to establish Polar Regional Climate Centres and Polar
Regional Climate Outlook Forums. These forums will draw data and information from initiatives mentioned
earlier (eg. GIPPS; GCW; AntON and so on), in order to provide required climate data, information and
predictions to user community.
Conclusion
In conclusion, WMO warmly welcomes the opportunity to contribute to the deliberations of SCAR and
cannot overstate the benefits of the two organizations working synergistically together with the ultimate goal
of improved risk mitigation outcomes for Antarctic operations and the Antarctic environment. And so, WMO
encourages SCAR to help shape international efforts in the development of Antarctic-related meteorological
(and aligned) services through SCAR’s expertise in developing and delivering high-class and effective
Antarctic science.
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