GCOS Implementation Plan - WMO

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Implementation Plan for the Global Observing System for Climate in Support of the UNFCCC (2010 Update) programmes and their members to help ensure the sustained operation of essential research networks and systems for the ECVs. The Technical Commissions of WMO, the IOC, and the GTOS in partnership with FAO and other involved bodies provide overall guidance and coordination on the implementation of their operational networks. It is vital for these Technical Commissions and related functions to support and further strengthen the implementation of the GCMPs by all network operators, especially for the baseline networks. In addition, in order to properly characterise the uncertainties associated with every measurement, traceability to SI standards should be strived for where possible, in collaboration with national metrological institutes. This may require additional resources and international coordination to be fully implemented. Action C5 [IP-04 C7] Action: Ensure an orderly process for sustained operation of research-based networks and systems for ECVs. Who: All organizations operating networks contributing to GCOS. Time-Frame: Continuous. Performance Indicator: Number of sustained networks and systems. Annual Cost Implications: Covered in domains. Action C6 [IP-04 C8] Action: Ensure all climate observing activities adhere to the GCMPs. Who: Parties and agencies operating observing programmes, including calibration undertaken in collaboration with national metrology institutes. Time-Frame: Continuous, urgent. Performance Indicator: Extent to which GCMPs are applied. Annual Cost Implications: Covered in domains. See Action C8 for satellite component. 3.3. International Support for Critical Networks – Technical Cooperation While most climate observations are currently carried out by national agencies on a “bestendeavours” approach, the full benefits of the global baseline networks will only be realized if the observations are global. Their sustainability therefore can be seen as an international responsibility. At this time, many developing countries and countries with economies in transition do not have the capabilities or the resources to provide the essential in situ observations or carry out associated analysis of climate data. The many multinational and bilateral technical assistance programmes together with the GCOS Cooperation Mechanism (see section 2.6) can assist in addressing these difficulties especially in least-developed countries and some small island developing states. The support involves capacity-building, improving infrastructure and must, in some cases, sustain the required operating expenses associated with, e.g., radiosondes and balloons for upper-air measurements. More support to the GCOS Cooperation Fund as one means to assist developing countries to improve their climate observing networks is needed, and, for that purpose, more developed country Parties should become contributing members of the Mechanism. In addition, the GCOS Secretariat will continue to draw the attention to the various international funding agencies of the needs and opportunities for monitoring the climate system in many countries. Action C7 [IP-04 C9] Action: Support the implementation of the global observing system for climate in developing countries and countries with economies in transition through membership in the GCOS Cooperation Mechanism and contributions to the GCOS Cooperation Fund. Who: Parties (Annex-I), through their participation in multinational and bilateral technical cooperation programmes, and the GCOS Cooperation Mechanism. Time-Frame: Immediately and continuous. Performance Indicator: Resources dedicated to climate observing system projects in developing countries and countries with economies in transition; number of Parties contributing to the GCM. Annual Cost Implications: Covered in the domains. 32
Implementation Plan for the Global Observing System for Climate in Support of the UNFCCC (2010 Update) 3.4. Earth Observation Satellites Satellites now provide a vital means of obtaining observations of the climate system from a global perspective and comparing the behaviour of different parts of the globe (see Table 5). Further details and some update of satellite needs within IP-04 were provided in Systematic Observation Requirements for Satellite-Based Products for Climate 54 in 2006. Using that document (GCOS-107), Parties supporting satellite agencies have, through CEOS, provided their own plan 55 for responding to the IP-04 and regularly report to SBSTA on progress. The satellite-related elements in this IP-10 build incrementally upon GCOS-107. The main new elements relative to GCOS-107 concern the precursors of aerosols and ozone. Other changes are small and reflect the changing status of current and planned satellite missions and product generation activities. An update of GCOS-107 based on this Plan is scheduled for 2011. Table 5: Essential Climate Variables for which satellite observations make a significant contribution (cf. Table 3). Domain Essential Climate Variables Atmospheric (over land, sea and ice) Precipitation, Earth radiation budget (including solar irradiance), Upper-air temperature, Wind speed and direction, Water vapour; Cloud properties, Carbon dioxide, Methane; Ozone and Aerosol, supported by their precursors. Oceanic Terrestrial Sea-surface temperature, Sea level, Sea ice, Ocean colour, Sea state, Sea-surface salinity. Lakes, Snow cover, Glaciers and ice caps, Ice sheets, Albedo, Land cover (including vegetation type), Fraction of absorbed photosynthetically active radiation (FAPAR), Leaf area index (LAI), Above-ground biomass, Fire disturbance, Soil moisture. A detailed global climate record for the future critically depends upon an observing system involving a major satellite component. However, for satellite data to contribute fully and effectively to the determination of long-term records, the system must be implemented and operated in an appropriate manner to ensure that these data are sufficiently homogeneous, stable and accurate for climate purposes. This is major technical and resource challenge. To assist the space agencies, the GCMPs were extended specifically for satellite observations (see Appendix 4). They address the following satellite-specific key operational issues: • Continuity, homogeneity and overlap; • Orbit stability; • Sensor calibration; • Data interpretation, sustained data products and archiving. The implementation of the GCMPs by the space agencies for operational spacecraft and systematic research spacecraft would greatly enhance the utility of satellite information and benefit the climate record. For “one time” research spacecraft, the principles of continuity obviously do not fully apply, but as many of the other principles as possible (e.g., those for rigorous pre-launch instrument characterisation and calibration, on-board calibration, complementary surface-based observations, etc.) should be followed. Missions targeted on observation of a particular domain may additionally provide valuable information on another domain, as in the case of ocean colour and atmospheric 54 GCOS (2006): Systematic Observation Requirements for Satellite-Based Products for Climate, GCOS-107 (WMO/TD-No. 1338), September 2006, http://www.wmo.int/pages/prog/gcos/Publications/gcos-107.pdf 55 CEOS (2006): Satellite Observation of the Climate System – The Committee on Earth Observation Satellites (CEOS) Response to the Global Climate Observing System (GCOS) Implementation Plan. September 2006, http://www.ceos.org 33
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GCOS Implementation Plan - WMO

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