Recent GEWEX Developments arising from SSG meeting New Delhi India, Jan 2010

Kevin Trenberth

The Tools

GEWEX achieves its goals through data set development andanalysis, process studies and model improvement

Domains

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GEWEX : post 2013

• Global and Regional Energy and Water project (GREW)

• [GEWEX grew]• Possible new name

mooted

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GEWEX: post 2013

Mission statement• To develop improved observational,

diagnostic and modeling capabilities to measure and predict global and regional energy and water variations, trends, and extremes such as heat waves, floods and droughts; and provide the science underpinning climate services.

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ImperativesDATA• Develop climate data records of atmospheric and land

variables, complete with metadata and error bars.• Provide descriptions and analyses of observed variations,

trends and extremes in hydrological and energy-related quantities.

ANALYSIS• Develop advanced diagnostic tools and identify pathways for

model improvement.• Increase understanding of energy and water cycle processes,

quantify their contribution to climate feedbacks, and develop improved hydro-meteorological parameterizations.

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Imperatives• Develop and exploit methods of dealing with non-stationarity

of hydrological variables, and especially extremes of floods and droughts, associated with climate and global change.

• Contribute to building a comprehensive end-to-end pan-WCRP initiative on climate extremes addressing the compound and nonlinear nature of extreme events, their ubiquity and risk coping issues.

MODELING• Attribute causes of trends, and determine the predictability

of energy and water cycles on a global and regional basis in collaboration with the wider WCRP community.

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Imperatives• Accelerate developments in models of the land, atmosphere

and entire climate system.• Improve capabilities for predictions of water and energy cycle

variability on all time scales.

APPLICATIONS• Develop observational sites, data processing tools, data

management and archival systems, model initialization and synthesis capabilities, and other research outcomes for transition to operations.

• Promote and foster capacity building through training of scientists and the user community.

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Frontiers

• Understanding and modeling:• anthropogenic influences on land and water use, including urbanization• effects of climate variability and change on land surface properties and processes• anthropogenic aerosols

• Improved representation of hydrological processes in land surface schemes, including groundwater

• Assimilation of local and regional data to constrain global model parameterizations• Extremes in water cycle effects on, for example, ecosystems, land forms, food

systems, human health, ...• Linkages with biogeochemical processes, including modeling of water quality and

other non physical variables• Geo-engineering

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Imperatives implementation

• Each Imperative has with it a list of the lead group, partners and actions

• This needs to be developed (draft exists)• Buy in needed by Panels and WGs• Plan for how to get there from here at Pan-

GEWEX mtg

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Pan GEWEX meeting August 2010, Seattle

• Organizing Committee: Dennis Lettenmaier, Tom Ackerman, (Hosts); Peter van Oevelen+IGPO, Collen Marquist

General structure (straw man): 4 days• Half day for WCRP and GEWEX presentations – focus on the future of GEWEX

activities and science• Half day for “sponsor” presentations – NASA, ESA, JAXA, SCOPE-CM(?), NWP,

hydrologic user community• One day for each panel to meet alone

– Discuss future panel science activities (including climate services)– Discuss panel science – try to draw on expertise from other panels

• One day for panel interaction science sessions (RHP science interactions)• One day for GEWEX science interactions with other WCRP programs

– Cross-cutting science issues– “Hot” topics (polar climate, ocean fluxes/acidification, ??)

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Pan GEWEX meeting August 2010, Seattle

SSG to meet along with meeting, evenings and Friday and ½ Saturday (replaces next Jan mtg)

What do we want to get out of the meeting?• Convergence on a plan for the future of GEWEX science

– Identification and definition of imperatives

• Better working connections among the panels and WCRP elements, and SSG

• Exposure for GEWEX successes and activities• Sponsor needs and buy-on • Groundwork for some GEWEX articles?

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Recommendations to the JSC

• Approve New Chair :– Nominated: Kevin Trenberth

• Approve New Vice Chair:– Nominated: Howard Wheater

• Nominations of 3 SSG members:– Nominated: Eleanor Blythe, Massimo Menenti and

George Tselioudis

• Support for the PAN-GEWEX Meeting

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