Up-date on the GCOS activitiesUp-date on the GCOS activities13 January 2011, WMO, Geneva, Switzerland

Dr Carolin Richter, Director, Global Climate Observing System Secretariat

1990

1990

1991

1991

Inaugural Meeting of the GCOS Scientific & Technical Steering

CommitteeApril 13 – 15, 1992, at the World Meteorological Organization

Front Row: Arthur Dahl (UNEP, sponsor), Pierre Morel (ICSU, sponsor), Ekundayo Balogun (* Nigeria),

Andre LeBeau (* France), S. Kalombratsos (GCOS Joint Planning Office),

Fredric DelSol (WMO, AREP)

Middle row: Alexandre Vasiliev (* Russian Federation),

Shelby Tilford (*, First Vice-chairman, USA),

Claudio Caponi (*, Second Vice-chairman,Venezuela),

Sir John Houghton (*, Chairman, UK),

Thomas Spence (Director, Joint Planning Office for GCOS),

Angus McEwan (* Australia),

Albert Tolkachev (IOC, sponsor)

Back row: T. Maruyama (Japan), Worth Nowlin, Jr. (* USA), Yukio Haruyama (* Japan),

Douglas Whelpdale (* Canada), Lennart Bengtsson (* Germany), DSG David Axford (WMO, sponsor),

Phillip Goldsmith (* UK), Alex Alusa (UNEP, sponsor), Ichtaque Rasool (WCRP), Su Jilan (*, China),

Francois Martin (GCOS, JPO), Jurgen Meincke (*, Germany) Shizuo Tsunogai (*, Japan)

1992

1992

The Composition and Scope The Composition and Scope of the Main Global Observing Systemsof the Main Global Observing Systems

SYSTEMS OCEAN ATMOSPHERE LAND

GEOSS

GOOS

GCOS

GTOSWIGOS

(GOS AND GAW)

1. Implementation Plan – up-date August 2010

Up-dated Implementation Plan:in brief: new ECVs, now 50 (before 44 )

reflection on ecosystems (biodiversity)

additional focus on reference and super site networks (measurements of several ECVs at one site for a more comprehensive understanding of the ecosystem)

cost estimation (additional costs and costs for existing systems)

GCOS Essential Climate Variables (ECVs)

Priority list of variables to be observed systematically Initiated in 1995 in The GCOS Plan, then called «principal observations»  Submitted first time 1998 in 1st Adequacy Report to the UNFCCC, Buenos Aires Global observations feasible (practical, cost-effective) High impact on needs of UNFCCC, climate change assessments (IPCC) Term « ECV » promoted in 2003, 2nd Adequacy Report to the UNFCCC

Global observations feasible (practical, cost-effective)

High impact on needs of UNFCCC, climate research (WCRP), climate change assessments (IPCC)

GCOS Essential Climate Variables (ECVs) Atmospheric

• Surface – Air temperature, Precipitation, Pressure, Surface radiation budget, Wind speed and direction, Water vapour

• Upper Air – Earth radiation budget (including solar irradiance), Temperature, Wind speed and direction, Water vapour, Cloud properties

• Composition – Carbon dioxide, Methane and other long-lived greenhouse gases (N2O, CFCs, HCFCs, HFCs, SF6 and PFCs), Ozone and Aerosol, supported by their precursors (NO2, SO2, HCHO and CO).

Oceanic• Surface – Sea-surface temperature, Sea-surface salinity, Sea level, Sea state,

Sea ice, Surface Current, Ocean colour, Carbon dioxide partial pressure, Ocean acidity, Phytoplankton.

• Sub-surface:Temperature, Salinity, Current, Nutrients, Carbon dioxide partial pressure, Ocean acidity, Oxygen, Tracers.

Terrestrial • River discharge, Water use, Ground water, Lakes, Snow cover, Glaciers and ice

caps, Ice sheets, Permafrost and seasonally-frozen ground, Albedo, Land cover (including vegetation type), Fraction of absorbed photosynthetically active radiation (FAPAR), Leaf area index (LAI), Above ground biomass, Soil carbon, Fire disturbance, Soil moisture.

Blue/bold = largely space-based

2. Satellite Supplement – up-date in January 2011

Update 2006 Satellite Supplement to the GCOS IP (GCOS-107)

Update detailed GCOS requirements for FCDRs and ECV products in terms of accuracy, stability, temporal/spatial resolution, calibration and validation needs and opportunities, relevant international working groups.

for Atmosphere, Ocean, Land and Cross-Cutting actions.

Expert Meeting, January 10 – 12, 2011, Geneva improvements on most of the ECVs, extra sections, e.g., GHGs,

precursors, « pressure » emerges now also as space-based observed ECV.

Open for public review, March 2011 Finalising draft, 2nd Qrt 2011.

2. Satellite Supplement – up-date in January 2011

3. GCOS Progress Report 2004-2008

GCOS Progress Report 2004-2008 - Summary

Satellite agencies: improved mission continuity and capability increasingly meeting climate needs

Progress made, but: Many gaps persist, Continued engagement needed for coordinated

implementation and long-term continuity

Summary of progress on all 131 Actions in 2004 GCOS IP

Developed Countries: improved climate observation

capabilities, limited progress in resolving financial

issues related to long-term continuity

Developing Countries: limited (in-situ) progress, with decline

in some regions, capacity building support remains

small in relation to needs

Monitoring and Generating Climate Data

GCOS Guideline for generation of ECV datasets and products, May 2010 (GCOS-143)

Responds to increasing demand by producers to ensure climate quality / meeting GCOS requirements;

Ensure transparency.

GCOS Climate Monitoring Principles (Annex II, GCOS-143)

Requirements for the operation of observing systems Ensure continuity of missions; Ensure stability of instruments and orbits; Ensure traceability

4. Continuous Improvement and Assessment Cycle GCOS – an all domain

system

5. System improvement through all domains (atmosphere, ocean and land) Systematic

observation requirements for in-situ based products for climate

Needed for validation and ground truth.

In-situ data supplement to the Implementation Plan needed.

Global Climate Observing System (GCOS)

Climate- sensitive Sectors

Prediction & Information IPCC

UNFCCC

Adaptation Mitigation

World Climate Research Programme (WCRP)

Interface

GCOS as building block: Global Framework for Climate Service – GFCS as the major outcome of the WCC-3, 2009.