Global Climate Observing System
GCOS – Status and Plans
Carolin Richter
Director, GCOS Secretariat
28th CEOS Plenary, Tromsø, Norway
29-30 October 2014
Sponsors and Partners
GCOS assesses progress and requirements, advises on implementation, and
reports to UNFCCC on the status of observing systems for climate.
GEOSS
Status
Achievements & Expert Panels
Achievements in the past 20 years
We know what needs to be measured to monitor climate
change and we have identified dedicated networks and measuring systems.
Implementation
Plans
We know about how well the GCOS` ”agents of implementations “ made progress
in following the recommended actions of the Implementation Plan and its
Satellite Supplement.
Progress & Adequacy
Reports
We know how much it would cost to observe all required ECVs.
» made progress in Implementation Plan and its Satellite Supplement.
We achieved that space agencies, National Meteorological Services and
Governments represented at the UN Framework Convention for Climate Change
respond to GCOS requirements and contribute to its implementation.
We are managing a system improvement trust fund which enables us to renovate
climate stations which are not operational anymore.
2.5 Billion USD
per year
Joint CEOS-CGMS WG Climate,
WMO Monitoring
of GUAN and GSN,
GCOS reporting to SBSTA
GCOS Coordination
Mechanism
Overview of atmospheric products
Essential Climate Variable (ECV)
Global Products
Wind Speed and Direction
Surface wind retrievals
Precipitation
Estimates (liquid & solid)
Upper-air Temperature
Temperature retrievals
Upper-air Winds
Upper-air wind retrievals
Water Vapour (Trop., strat.)
Total column, profiles
Cloud Properties
Amount, top P & T, etc.
Earth Radiation Budget
TOA/Surf. ERB, irradiance
CO2, CH4 and other GHGs
GHG retrievals (regional)
Ozone
Total column, profiles
Aerosol Properties
Optical depth, albedo, etc.
Precursors of O3 & Aerosols
Retrievals of precursors,
e.g. NO2, SO2, HCHO & CO
GCOS Surface
Network (GSN)
Air Temperature, Pressure
Water Vapour
Wind speed and direction
Radiation Budget
GCOS Reference
Upper-Air Network
(GRUAN)
New network, hybrid observing
system composed out of
research and operational
sites.
Monitoring of vertical profiles of
atmospheric ECVs.
Table credit of: J.-L. Fellous, CEOS WGClimate, Asheville, NC, USA
5
Overview of oceanic products
Essential Climate Variable (ECV)
Global Products
Sea-surface Temperature
Integrated SST analyses
based on satellite and in situ
data records
Sea-surface Salinity
Datasets for research on
sea-surface salinity
Sea Level
Sea level global mean and
regional variability
Sea State
Wave height, other measures
of sea
Sea Ice
Sea-ice concentration,
extent, edge, supported by
thickness & drift
Ocean color
Surface ECVs from insitu systems only:
Current, Ocean acidity,
Carbon dioxide partial
pressure, Phytoplankton
Sub-Surface ECVs
from in-situ systems
only:
Temperature, Salinity,
Current, Nutrients, Carbon
dioxide partial pressure,
Ocean acidity, Oxygen,
Tracers
Deep Ocean Strategy
Ocean radiometry, Chl-a
Table credit of: J.-L. Fellous, CEOS WGClimate, Asheville, NC, USA
Explore the
«Blue Planet»
6
Overview of terrestrial products
Essential Climate Variable (ECV)
Global Products
Lakes
Lake levels, areas
Snow Cover
Snow areal extent, SWE
Glaciers and Ice Caps
2D vector outlines, DEM
Ice Sheets
Elevation changes
Albedo
BRDF
Land Cover
Moderate/High res. maps
FAPAR
Maps
LAI
Maps
Biomass (Forest)
Regional, above ground
Fire Disturbance
Maps, burnt areas/active
Soil Moisture
Maps
(Land surface Temperature)
Temperature records
ECVs from in-situ
systems only:
Soil Carbon, River discharge,
Water Use, Ground Water,
Permafrost
International Surface
Temperature
Initiative (ISTI)
www.surfacetemperatures.org
Explore the
«White Continent»
Table credit of: J.-L. Fellous, CEOS WGClimate, Asheville, NC, USA
7
Review of the GCOS programme
(2013 – 2014)
Review Process 2013-2014
• Aims:
-
to review its objectives, ToR and MoU
-
to assess the added value of the GCOS
programme
-
to take account of institutional changes,
and evolving needs for observation
• Process:
-
Independent review board of experts
(nominated by sponsors) under the
chairmanship of Dr Wolfgang Kusch
-
Community input through surveys
• Outcomes
-
Synthesis report, including a list of 18
recommendations, has been published in
March 2014
Recommendations of the Review
Strategic Recommendations:
Mission Statement,
Cooperation between sponsors and GCOS
Secretariat,
terrestrial climate observations,
strategic approach to capacity building,
joint strategic plan to define the functions of
GCOS in GFCS,
ECV concept.
Partnerships:
relations with GEO, PROVIA, Future Earth,
GFCS
Memorandum of Understanding:
Revision available for WMO Congress in May 2015.
Plans (2014 – 2016)
GCOS supports the Global Framework for Climate Services
Future Questions for Climate Services
• What needs to be observed to support climate
services?
• What observations help to make the right decisions on
adaptation and mitigation measures?
• What observations are needed to assess impacts of
adaptation and mitigation actions?
GCOS Continuous Improvement & Assessment Cycle
The GCOS programme has started the process for:
• a 2015 report on the progress and status of climate observation
• a new “Implementation Plan” in 2016, which should identify:
− continuing and new requirements, including a restatement of the rationale
for the list of ECVs and possible amendment of the list
− the adequacy of present arrangements for meeting the requirements
− the additional actions needed, with indicative costs, performance indicators
and potential agents for implementation
• statements of specific requirements for products
− from both in situ networks and the space-based component
− and from integration of the data provided by both
either embedded in the main Plan or as separate supplement(s)
Input to the new assessment
Content will be based on various inputs, including from:
• 2011 WCRP Conference and 2013 SPARC Data Workshop
• 2013/2014 IPCC Fifth Assessment Report
• 2013/2014 national reporting to UNFCCC on systematic observation
• 2014 EUMETSAT/WCRP Climate Symposium
• WMO (GFCS, WIGOS), IOC (GOOS) and post-2015 GEO planning
• CEOS/CGMS/WMO initiatives (Architecture, Inventory of datasets)
• other assessments of requirements (GEO, ESA-CCI)
• assessments by GCOS/WCRP panels
• dedicated GCOS workshops (on adaptation and mitigation needs)
• an open review
Timeline of work for 2014-2016
Discussed at scoping meeting, and reviewed by “management” in April 2014
• 2014 panel sessions considered ECV/EOV tables
− Most ECV entries for Atmosphere and Land are complete or in progress
− EOV tables (more technical in content) have been revised and are being populated
• Workshops (GCOS: Aspects of mitigation and Atmospheric observing networks;
WCRP /IPCC: AR5 follow up) have been held
• 2nd Meeting on Status Report, 30 September 2014
• Drafting to be undertaken, November 2014 – February 2015
• GCOS/IPCC/UNFCCC Workshop, 10-12 February 2015 (moved from Nov 2014)
• AOPC/TOPC sessions, to be held in part jointly, 16-20 March 2015; OOPC in April
• Expert Workshop to consider Report (2 days) and IP (3 days), Jan/April/May 2015
• Report in draft for open review by end of May, and finalised August/September
• Completion may require a meeting of panel/secretariat representatives
Observations for Adaptation to Climate Variability and
Change
GCOS, jointly with WMO, IOC of UNESCO,
UNEP and DECC has organized a workshop to
discuss Observations for Adaptation to Climate
Variability and Change.
Sectors:
Cross-cutting issues:
Water Resources
Risk Management
Coastal Zones
Early Warning Systems
Health
Forestry
Agriculture
Energy
Transport
Research, Modeling and
Assessment
Data Rescue and
Management
Observations for Climate Change Mitigation
GCOS, in collaboration with the Land
Cover Project Office from the Global
Observation for Forest Cover and Land
Dynamics (GOFC-GOLD), has
organized an international workshop to
consider the climate observation
requirements to support actions for
climate change mitigation.
 Focus on Land Use (Agriculture)
and Forest
 Representatives from UNFCCC,
FAO, ICRAF, ESA, IPCC, etc.
Workshop website:
http://www.wmo.int/pages/prog/gcos/index.
php?name=ObservationsforMitigation
Upcoming GCOS event
“Enhancing observations to support preparedness and adaptation in a
changing climate – Learning from the Fifth IPCC Assessment Report (AR5)”
10-12 February 2015
UNFCCC, Bonn, Germany
•
Considers observational and research needs for adaptation to climate change and
variability, and aims to enhance systematic observations, especially in developing
countries.
•
Focus on analysis needs for water, agriculture and food security, and disaster risk
reduction.
•
Will build on findings from IPCC AR5 and the GCOS Workshop on ‘Observations for
Adaptation to Climate Variability and Change’, held at the DWD in Offenbach from 2628 February 2013.
Upcoming GCOS event
Tentative Title: Global Climate Observations – the Road to the Future
GCOS Science Conference
Late 2015/ Early 2016
• Status of the Global Observation Systems for Climate
• ECVs in the context of scientific challenges
• Conference will launch the New Implementation Plan
Final Slide – Coordination of Climate Observing Systems
The Importance of Climate Observations
Co-sponsored GCOS/WCRP panels & related interactions
Atmospheric Observation Panel for Climate (AOPC)
•
New AOPC Chair Mr Kenneth Holmlund (EUMETSAT), and Vice-Chair Mr Albert Klein-Tank (KNMI)
•
Back-to-back meeting with TOPC from 16-20 March 2015 in Zurich, Switzerland.
•
Platform for discussions on the climate-components of existing research and operational atmospheric
observing systems and the related programmes, including important cross-cutting links to the World
Climate Research Programme (WCRP) as well as to the Global Atmosphere Watch (GAW)
Programme.
•
Focus is on the GCOS Surface Network (GSN), the GCOS Upper-Air Network (GUAN) and the
GCOS Reference Upper-Air Network (GRUAN) – ‘Workshop on the review of the GCOS Surface
Network (GSN), the GCOS Upper-Air Network (GUAN), and related atmospheric networks’ was being
held in April 2014.
•
Future considerations:
- strengthen relationship with other committees/initiatives (e.g. GFCS, CGMS, ESA-CCI,
stronger synergies between ground-based/in-situ and satellite-based observations
- discussion about ECVs (fit for purpose, parameters needed, etc.)
-
Co-sponsored GCOS/WCRP panels & related interactions
Ocean Observations Panel for Climate (OOPC)
•
Co-Chairs: Dr Mark Bourassa (University of Florida, US), and Dr Toshio Suga (Tohuku University,
Japan)
•
Due to a restructuring of the Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS) that follows the Framework for
Ocean Observations (FOO), GOOS has – similar to the structure of GCOS – three expert panels for
ocean physical observations (OOPC), biogeochemical observations (IOCCP), and biological
observations (formed in November 2013).
•
Tropical Pacific Observing System (TPOS) workshop, organized by NOAA and JAMSTEC, was held
at Scribbs Institute from 27-30 January 2014, and discussed the potential of existing (i.e. Argo,
satellite observation) and new technologies (i.e. profiling floats, gliders) in the region.
•
Future challenges:
- strengthen collaboration with GOOS sibling panels (biogeochemistry, and biology)
- strengthen collaboration with GCOS panels – potential back-to-back meeting with AOPC in
2016?
Co-sponsored GCOS/WCRP panels & related interactions
Terrestrial Observation Panel for Climate (TOPC)
•
Chair: Prof Konrad Steffen (Director, WSL)
•
Back-to-back meeting with AOPC from 16-20 March 2015 in Zurich, Switzerland.
•
Strong partnerships with the Global Terrestrial Networks (GTNs) on lakes, permafrost, glaciers, rivers,
and hydrological issues.
•
Joint workshop of GCOS and GOFC-GOLD on ‘Observations for Climate Change Mitigation’ in May
2014, which did focus on engaging the agriculture mitigation community, representatives from the
climate modelling and integrated impact assessment community, etc.
•
Future challenges:
- how to connect different ECVs, need to define a common integrator
- accuracy requirements for time series of 10+ years need to be discussed
- finding key data centres for ECVs like ice sheets, albedo, etc.
- financing workshops to gather communities around cross-cutting ECVs
- definition new terrestrial ECVs
- re-activation of the GTOS partnership/support – or find new supporting partners