GCOS Implementation Plan - WMO

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Implementation Plan for the Global Observing System for Climate in Support of the UNFCCC (2010 Update) health. Monitoring soil moisture is critical for managing these resources. This variable must be developed within the GCOS framework to ensure proper coordination with other land surface variables. In situ soil moisture activities can build on the soil-moisture data archive at Vienna University. A satellite-based soil moisture product from the Advanced Scatterometer (ASCAT) has recently been made available and could potentially contribute to a longer-term record by building on data from earlier scatterometers. The various ways of representing soil moisture from both satellite and in situ measurements, in combination with climate models, need harmonization and ultimately standardisation. This could be achieved by an expanded network of reference stations to support the validation of satellite measurements with in situ data. With this objective, a Global Terrestrial Network for Soil Moisture (GTN-SM) will be initiated with the aid of TOPC. Action T13 Action: Develop a record of validated globally-gridded near-surface soil moisture from satellites. Who: Parties’ national services and research programmes, through GEWEX and TOPC in collaboration with space agencies. Time frame: 2014. Performance indicator Availability of globally validated soil moisture products from the early satellites until now. Annual Cost Implications: 1-10M US$ (10% in non-Annex-I Parties). Action T14 Action: Develop Global Terrestrial Network for Soil Moisture (GTN-SM). Who: Parties’ national services and research programmes, through IGWCO, GEWEX and TOPC in collaboration with space agencies. Time frame: 2014. Performance indicator: Fully functional GTN-SM with a set of in situ observations (possibly collocated with reference network, cf. T3), with standard measurement protocol and data quality and archiving procedures. Annual Cost Implications: 1-10M US$ (40% in non-Annex-I Parties). ECV – Snow Cover Snowfall and snow cover play key roles with respect to feedback mechanisms within the climate system (albedo, runoff, soil moisture, and vegetation) and are important variables in monitoring climate change. About one third of the Earth's land surface is seasonally snow-covered and seasonal snow melt is a key factor in runoff regimes in middle and high latitudes as well as in many other high altitude locations. Snow depth and snow-cover duration affect the permafrost thermal state, the depth and timing of seasonal soil freeze/thaw /break-up, and the melting of land ice and sea ice. Many problems arise because: (a) snow-cover data are collected, even within one country, by several agencies with differing goals; (b) funding support for snow research is fragmentary and not wellcoordinated; (c) budget restrictions and attempts to reduce the cost of surface networks often result in reduced coverage or automated measurement using different instrumentation whose compatibility is not yet determined and (d) many existing datasets are not readily accessible. The submission of in situ snow observations from the WWW/GOS surface synoptic network has continued to show some decline due to financial pressures in many countries that have led to closures of remote northern observation stations. In addition, there are major observational gaps in mountainous areas and in Antarctica. Data receipt from the remaining stations has also been an issue, with few stations including snow data in their submissions to the WMO Global Telecommunication System (GTS) and not all providing the WMO SYNOP reports that normally include snow parameters. Furthermore, there is no systematic global monitoring of the amount and quality of in situ snow-related reports exchanged over the GTS. As a result, the creation of wellcalibrated satellite products has been made more difficult. Maintenance of adequate, representative surface networks of snow observations must begin with documentation and analysis of the network densities required in different environments. Resolution of the problem of data inaccessibility requires: promoting political commitment to data sharing, removing practical barriers by enhancing electronic inter-connectivity and metadata, and data rescue and digitization. The provision of necessary resources to improve, and to make available, existing archives 114
Implementation Plan for the Global Observing System for Climate in Support of the UNFCCC (2010 Update) of snow data will require national efforts. The emerging WMO Global Cryosphere Watch (GCW) is expected to provide facilitated access to such data. There are several sources that can provide snow-related data and products, but no central archive (especially for snow depth and snow water equivalent) currently exists and many national databases are not readily accessible. An in situ dataset (station and transect) for North America for the period 1980 to 2004 for more than 15 000 locations is available from NSIDC. Updates are expected. NSIDC has updated the Russian station snow depth data up to 2000 for over 200 stations. In addition, snow water equivalent is observed in many countries by national, state, provincial, and private networks on a 10-30 day basis. The WWW/GOS surface synoptic reports for the United States are available through NCDC. The Canadian Meteorological Centre has produced global daily 1/3 degree snowdepth analyses, and daily snow-depth data from the WMO data stream. These data are available from NSIDC for the period March 1998 to the present. There is a new effort within the Asia CliC Project to obtain station snow depth data from as many sources in Eurasia as possible. Action T15 [IP-04 T10] Action: Strengthen and maintain existing snow-cover and snowfall observing sites; ensure that sites exchange snow data internationally; establish global monitoring of that data on the GTS; and recover historical data. Who: National Meteorological and Hydrological Services and research agencies, in cooperation with WMO GCW and WCRP and with advice from TOPC, AOPC, and the GTN-H. Time-Frame: Continuing; receipt of 90% of snow measurements in International Data Centres. Performance Indicator: Data submission to national centres such as the National Snow and Ice Data Center (USA) and World Data Services. Annual Cost Implications: 1-10M US$ (20% in non-Annex-I Parties). To assist in providing global coverage of snow extent and snow water equivalent, optimal procedures to generate blended products of surface observations of snow cover with visible and microwave satellite data and related airborne measurements need to be agreed upon and implemented by national services and research groups involved in snow mapping. The Climate and Cryosphere Project (CliC) of the WCRP should take the lead in organizing this with GEWEX and other involved working groups. Snow-cover extent is mapped daily by operational satellites, but sensor channels change and continuing research and surface observations are needed to calibrate instruments, improve retrieval methods, and validate satellite products for snow depth and snow water equivalent. The National Environmental Satellite Data and Information Service (NESDIS) of NOAA began producing daily Northern Hemisphere snow extent maps in 1966, with weekly maps available from 1966 to 1999 and daily maps available in subsequent years. Southern Hemisphere snow extent maps have been available since 1999 from the MODIS sensor. NSIDC provides a weekly global snow extent product, which combines optical (MODIS) and passive microwave (Special Sensor Microwave/Imager (SSM/I)) data for the period 2000 to the present. Agencies currently generating Northern Hemisphere snow-cover products (particularly NASA groups and NOAA/NESDIS) should also routinely generate and archive Southern Hemisphere products. More recently, snow products have also been generated under ESA and EUMETSAT (Satellite Application Facility (SAF)) auspices. TOPC, in cooperation with the AOPC and the International Association of Cryospheric Sciences (IACS), should approach research and space agencies (through CGMS, CEOS, and the WMO Space Programme) to seek commitment to provide snow-cover products for both hemispheres. Global snow water equivalent (SWE) products have been available from the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer for EOS (AMSR-E) since 2002, but they remain to be validated. Refinements to the algorithm continue as validation experiments are undertaken. Plans are underway with space agencies to develop new satellite capabilities for measuring snow parameters. Development of snow products that blend multiple data sources and are globally applicable needs urgent focused attention. The research community through WCRP CliC could help lead such an effort. A global snow product generated from the blending of in situ and satellite data is one of the goals of the ESA GlobSnow Project, which is made up of an historical dataset comprising 15 to 30 years of snow data and which demonstrates an operational near real-time snow information service. 115
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WORLD METEOROLOGICAL ORGANIZATION I
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FOREWORD This 2010 Update of the Im
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6. TERRESTRIAL CLIMATE OBSERVING SY
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Implementation Plan for the Global
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GCOS Implementation Plan - WMO

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