GCOS Report to CM-11: Space-based Climate Observations

1. GCOS Report to CM-11Space-based climate observations 19 May 2011, Geneva, Switzerland

2. GCOS in support of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) 2010 Update to the GCOS Implementation Plan • A decision on systematic climate observations (Decision 9/CP.15) adopted by the 15th session of the Conference of the Parties held in Copenhagen in December 2009, contains provisions to further enhance climate observations, including through observations from space, coordinated through the Committee on Earth Observation Satellites (CEOS), and activities to be undertaken by the Global Climate Observing System (GCOS) and the Global Terrestrial Observing System (GTOS). • Submission of the of the updated GCOS Implementation Plan COP16, Cancun, Dec 2010

3. GCOS – 2011 Update to the Satellite Supplement • Expert Meeting, January 10–12, 2011, Geneva Outcome: - improvements on most of the ECVs - extra sections, e.g., on GHGs, precursors, for example « pressure » emerges now also as space- based observed ECV. Open for public review, 9 May – 1 July 2011 on http://gcos.wmo.int • Finalising draft, September 2011. • Submission to 35th SBSTA session at COP17, Durban 2011,as INFORMATION Document.

4. Key Recommendations of the 2011 Satellite Supplement: • 1. Ensure attention to the needs identified in this report related to the planning, initiation and continuity of satellite missions that are needed to provide satellite climate data records; • 2. Ensure a systematic approach in applying, to the greatest extent possible, the GCOS Climate Monitoring Principles for the generation of satellite climate data records, recognizing in particular the need for overlaps in missions and for in situ measurements for calibration and validation purposes; • 3. Ensure long-term custody of satellite climate data records and their associated metadata, and provide open access to these records; • 4. Ensure and encourage the generation of, and access to, products based on the satellite climate data records; • 5. Ensure wide and continuing interaction among the international scientific, operational and end-user communities, to ensure effective feedback mechanisms and continuing advice on observation and product needs; • 6. Sustain active research satellite programmes that address challenging measurement needs and that allow capabilities to advance and be more cost effective. Parties supporting space agencies ensure that the remits of those agencies enable them to incorporate the needs for systematic observation of climate as identified in this report (e.g., appropriate structural arrangements and responsibilities within agencies; planning for the maintenance of satellite climate data records and product generation).

5. Recommendation I: It is recommended that space agencies participate at the open review process and ensure the implementation of the tasks implied in the 2011 update of supplemental details to the satellite based component of the 2010 updated GCOS implementation plan.

6. Enhanced international activities support the Evaluation of GCOS ECV data sets Workshop on Continuity and Architecture Requirements for Space based Climate Monitoring, 13-14 January 2011, WMO, Geneva. Meeting of the writing team, 3 -4 February 2011, GCOS is invited as a reviewer, together with WCRP and GEOSS. GCOS – WCRP Observation and Assimilation Panel (WOAP) • Workshop, 18 - 20 April 2011, hosted by ESA/ESRIN, Frascati • Sponsored by WCRP / GCOS / WMO Space Programme • A technical report on detailed assessments of existing datasets for key ECVs relative to the GCOS Guideline • A framework for an inventory of all ECV datasets that includes indices of the maturity and uncertainties of each product • The identification of best practices in evaluating and inter-comparing global climate datasets, especially where there are more than one dataset for a given parameter

7. Involvement of the international space community in GCOS ESA Climate Change Initiative (CCI) – Tender Evaluation Board (April 2010) ESA Symposium, July 2010, Bergen, Norway Colocation Meeting, September 2010, ESRIN, Frascati Response by ESA to GCOS, Results of the CCI, Requiremet analyses (13th May 2011) EUMETSAT – SCOPE-CM Sustained Coordinated Processing of Environmental Satellite Data for Climate Monitoring; GCOS is providing oversight and support through the Executive Panel. EUMETSAT is also contributing to the GCOS Trust Fund. CGMS - Coordination Group for Meteorological Satellites (CGMS), no direct attendance, but GCOS is participating at WMO internal prep meetings. Committee on Earth Observation Satellites (CEOS): • GCOS is invited to report to the Strategic Implementation team (SIT) • CEOS Working Group on Climate : GCOS is invited as observer, first Meeting 26-27 May 2011 • CEOS Plenary, 08-09 November 2011, GCOS is an Associate. GCOS/GOOS/WCRP Ocean Observations Panel for Climate - OOPCled by IOC–UNESCO (Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission, Paris)Chaiman: Eric Lindstrom, NASA, USA

8. Recommendation II: It is recommended that space agencies support any follow-up on initiatives with regard to the evaluation of GCOS ECV data sets. The support of this assessment process is considered as a contribution to the «GCOS Improvement and Assessment Cycle”.

9. Report on Progress and Assessment of Adequacy Progress Report 2004-2008Progress Report 2009-2013 (?) Report on the Adequacy of the GCOS, 1998Second Report on the Adequacy of the GCOS, 2003Third Report on the Adequacy, (?) 2013-2015

10. United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), COP16, Cancún, Mexico The Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA) invited the GCOS secretariat • to report on progress made in the implementation of the 2010 updated GCOS implementation plan on a regular basis, at subsequent sessions of the SBSTA, as appropriate. • to review the adequacy of observing systems for climate, such as by updating the Second Report on the Adequacy of the Global Observing Systems for Climate in Support of the UNFCCC.  The SBSTA agreed to consider, at its 35th session at COP17, Durban 2011, issues related to the timing of GCOS contributions to the SBSTA.

11. Recommendation III: It is recommended that space agencies continue to closely cooperate with GCOS on future progress reports with regard to the actions of the Implementation Plan and on reviewing the adequacy of observing systems for climate.

12. Planning the next improvements to the system Satellite Supplement up-date in January 2011 Climate Monitoring PrinciplesGuidelines for Datasets and Products • In-situ data supplement to the Implementation Plan

13. The GCOS Steering Committee at its eighteenth session in September 2010 discussed a supplement to the 2010 updated GCOS implementation plan for in-situ based products for climate, needed for validation and ground truth for space based observations. • The GCOS SC requested that the idea should be developed of either an in situ supplement document or, alternatively, a report which is focusing on observational needs on data requirement for adaption, to be published in 2012.

14. Recommendation IV: It is recommended that space agencies support the improvement of in situ networks through all domains (atmosphere, ocean and land), needed for validation and ground truth for space based observations, supporting also the concept of reference and super site networks discussed in the 2010 updated GCOS implementation plan. Space agencies should feed back their requirements for ground-truth observations to the GCOS expert panels.

15. Currently, the GCOS Secretariat is working on revising the activities for the regional implementation of the global observing system for climate, focussing on South-America and Africa as the scope for improvement is particular large for those regions.

16. GCOS Implementation – Regional

17. Recommendation V: It is recommended that space agencies take part in future regional work shops and that they assist in encouraging regional cooperation at those meetings. Space agencies should support actions proposed in the updated GCOS regional action plans, specifically with regard to space based climate observations on a regional scale.

18. Thank you for listening!

19. Background

20. 2010 Update to the GCOS Implementation Plan • Basis: • 2004 GCOS IP (GCOS-92); 2006 Satellite Supplement (GCOS-107) • Update, not rewrite • Recognizing changes since 2004 in: • Science • Measurement Technology • Needs • International coordination (e.g., GEO/GEOSS, UN “Delivering as One”, Space agency response to climate) • Responding to Plan in 2010-2015 would contribute to: • Global observations addressing Essential Climate Variables • Associated analysis, research, infrastructure and capacity building

21. GCOS in support of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Milestones United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)COP16, Cancún, Mexico • The SBSTA welcomed the coordinated response by the CEOS to the relevant needs of the GCOS implementation plan and those of the Convention, and the progress and commitment by space agencies involved in climate observations to address the space-based component of the GCOS and improve climate monitoring capabilities from space on a sustained basis. • The SBSTA encouraged Parties that support space agencies involved in global observations to continue, through CEOS, cooperation with and support to the GCOS and to respond to the relevant needs identified in the 2010 updated GCOS implementation plan. It invited the CEOS to provide, by SBSTA 37, COP18, 2012, an updated report on progress made on major achievements in relevant areas. On Space-based Observations:

22. GCOS – 2011 Update to the Satellite Supplement Update to the 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. Satellite Supplement update 2011

23. GCOS – WCRP Observation and Assimilation Panel (WOAP) Evaluation of GCOS ECV data sets • Workshop, 18 - 20 April 2011, hosted by ESA/ESRIN, Frascati • Sponsored by WCRP / GCOS / WMO Space Programme ECVs to be considered: • Atmospheric domain: Cloud properties, Surface radiation budget • Ocean domain: Sea ice, Sea-surface temperature, Surface wind • Terrestrial domain: Snow cover, Soil moisture, Fraction of absorbed photosynthetically active radiation (fAPAR)

24. Expected Products and Outcomes of the WOAP Workshop • A technical report on detailed assessments of existing datasets for key ECVs relative to the GCOS Guideline • A framework for an inventory of all ECV datasets that includes indices of the maturity and uncertainties of each product • The identification of best practices in evaluating and inter-comparing global climate datasets, especially where there are more than one dataset for a given parameter

25. Continuous Improvement and Assessment Cycle GCOS – an all domain system

26. Space based ECVs

27. Requirements for products - Atmosphere

28. Requirements for products - Ocean

29. Requirements for products - Land

30. Recommendations • 1. Ensure attention to the needs identified in this report related to the planning, initiation and continuity of satellite missions that are needed to provide satellite climate data records; • 2. Ensure a systematic approach in applying, to the greatest extent possible, the GCOS Climate Monitoring Principles for the generation of satellite climate data records, recognizing in particular the need for overlaps in missions and for in situ measurements for calibration and validation purposes; • 3. Ensure long-term custody of satellite climate data records and their associated metadata, and provide open access to these records; • 4. Ensure and encourage the generation of, and access to, products based on the satellite climate data records; • 5. Ensure wide and continuing interaction among the international scientific, operational and end-user communities, to ensure effective feedback mechanisms and continuing advice on observation and product needs; • 6. Sustain active research satellite programmes that address challenging measurement needs and that allow capabilities to advance and be more cost effective. • Parties supporting space agencies ensure that the remits of those agencies enable them to incorporate the needs for systematic observation of climate as identified in this report (e.g., appropriate structural arrangements and responsibilities within agencies; planning for the maintenance of satellite climate data records and product generation).