<strong>CEOP</strong>-<strong>HE</strong> 4
Executive summary High Elevations (<strong>HE</strong>) is an initiative within the Coordinated Energy and water cycle Observations Project (<strong>CEOP</strong>) of the World Climate Research Programme (WCRP) Global Energy and Water cycle Experiment (GEWEX). The Scientific Implementation Plan (SIP) of <strong>CEOP</strong> (see http://www.eol.ucar.edu/projects/ceop/dm/new) identifies <strong>HE</strong> as a “regional study”. <strong>HE</strong> intends to be a concerted, international and interdisciplinary effort aimed at furthering knowledge on physical and dynamic processes at high elevations, which intends to contribute to global climate and water cycle studies. The goal of <strong>HE</strong> is to study multi-scale variability of energy and water cycles in high elevation areas while improving corresponding observations, modelling and data management. In this context, the term “high elevations” should be understood to include altitudes above the timberline, high plateaus, rough reliefs, low atmospheric pressure and low average temperature. <strong>HE</strong> will address the current lack of high quality datasets in the majority of the world’s high elevation regions and the need to improve dialogue among researchers interested in such data. A network of high altitude observation stations, including but not limited to <strong>CEOP</strong> Reference Sites, will be set up to establish a coordinated activity between high elevation stations, in an effort to ensure the collection of quality data. Scientific investigations will ensue aimed at studying hydro-meteorological and climatological conditions and their variability in high elevations regions, while providing an overview of the water/energy budget in high elevation areas. New <strong>HE</strong> data will help to facilitate modeling and forecasting activities. The <strong>HE</strong> initiative will start by addressing common scientific issues in different high mountain areas and preparing study plans within the <strong>CEOP</strong> science framework. Partially, this will be achieved through an analysis of <strong>CEOP</strong> reference site data at high elevations. The next step will go on the identify new high elevation sites that could be representative for a global study of physical and dynamical processes in the high altitude range affecting water resources in surrounding lowlands. The focus will be largely on regions with sufficient data coverage. The planned activities mainly concern the improvement of long-term monitoring, observation, data assimilation over complex terrain, as well as data management and modelling. The research agenda will also include collaboration with other <strong>CEOP</strong> components such as Regional Hydroclimate Projects (particularly those w<strong>here</strong> high altitude regions are present - MAHASRI, CPPA), other Regional Studies (Cold Region Studies, Monsoons, SARS), cross-cutting activities (WEBS, Extremes, aerosol) and modelling studies. <strong>HE</strong> is particularly interested in collaborating with the aerosol group in the study of natural and anthropogenic aerosol impacts on the climate and hydro-geological cycle. <strong>CEOP</strong> is considered by GEO as the main water data management engine of GEOSS, and <strong>HE</strong> will strive to serve as a high altitude component of it. The establishment of the <strong>HE</strong> initiative under the GEWEX/<strong>CEOP</strong> framework was formally proposed at a joint planning meeting held in Washington DC, USA, in March 2007. The <strong>HE</strong> Working Group was established in early 2008 following the constitution of a <strong>HE</strong> Steering Committee (SC) composed of international experts in high elevation studies, and the creation of the <strong>CEOP</strong>-<strong>HE</strong> Secretariat (ceop-he@evk2cnr.org) at the Ev-K2-CNR Committee headquarters in Bergamo, Italy. The project web-site http://www.ceop-he.org was implemented and updated with information and news about this Working Group. In April, 2008 the 1 st <strong>CEOP</strong>-<strong>HE</strong> Steering Committee Meeting was held in Padua, Italy, to launch the Working Group and define <strong>HE</strong> goals, objectives and future actions. On this occasion the drafting of the <strong>HE</strong> Science Plan (SP) was also discussed. After the Padua meeting, considerable effort was devoted to preparing the SP, and particularly to determining the scientific rationale and methods for achieving <strong>HE</strong>’s objectives in compliance with <strong>CEOP</strong> goals. The SP includes contributions of all Steering Committee members based on their expertise in climatology, hydrology, glaciology and cryosp<strong>here</strong>, atmospheric chemistry and modeling. To enhance the current SP, broader input from hydrology and modeling experts will be sought.
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