Download Systematic Observation Requirements for Space

Systematic Observation Requirements for
Space-based Products for Climate
Supplemental details to the satellite-based component of
the “Implementation Plan for the Global Observing System
for Climate in Support of the UNFCCC”
Stephan Bojinski
Global Climate Observing System Secretariat
Outline
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Background to GCOS and its activities
Road towards “Systematic Observation Requirements
for Satellite-based Products for Climate”
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Requirements: Examples
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Conclusion and Points for Discussion
GCOS Mission
To ensure that the data required to meet the needs of users
for climate information are obtained and made available for:
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Climate system monitoring, climate change detection and
attribution;
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Research, modelling and prediction of the climate system;
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Assessing impacts, vulnerability & adaptation;
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Application to sustainable economic development.
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Global, long-term, high-quality, sustainable, reliable
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3 science panels (Atmosphere, Oceans, Terrestrial),
Steering Committee, Secretariat
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Sponsored by WMO, UNEP, UNESCO, ICSU
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National GCOS coordinators and focal points, National
support
GCOS Observational Strategy
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Achieving an optimal balance of satellite and in-situ data
 Ensuring data are stable enough to allow reliable detection
of climate change –
 20 GCOS climate monitoring principles (10 basic + 10
especially for space-based observations)
 Making full use of all available data to achieve a costeffective global observing system for climate
 Network concept:
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Comprehensive networks of all relevant observations
Global Baseline networks
Reference networks
Research networks
Selected GCOS activities in the past
3 years
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GCOS Adequacy Report (2003): identified gaps and
deficiencies
GCOS Implementation Plan (2004): the roadmap for the
global climate observing system in the next 5-10 years
Both reports developed in response to and endorsed by
the UNFCCC
Broad participation and ownership by the climate
community, including WCRP, WCP
GCOS seen as the climate component of the GEOSS
Regional workshops
Regional implementation (e.g.,G8 follow-up, in conjunction
with donors and development agencies in Africa)
GCOS Implementation Plan
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Requirements in the ‘Second Adequacy Report’;
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Essential Climate Variables (ECVs)
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Integrated global analysis products
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Existing global, regional and national plans;
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Open review by nations, broad range of scientists and data
users;
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Indicators for measuring its implementation;
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Implementation priorities, agents and resource
requirements;
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131 Actions; estimated USD 631M additional annually
recurring cost.
Essential Climate Variables (ECVs)
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Atmospheric (16)
• Surface – Air temperature, Precipitation, Air pressure, Surface radiation
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budget, Wind speed and direction, Water vapour
Upper Air – Earth radiation budget (including solar irradiance), Upper-air
temperature (including MSU radiances), Wind speed and direction, Water
vapour, Cloud properties
Composition – Carbon dioxide, Methane, Ozone, Other long-lived
greenhouse gases, Aerosol properties.
Oceanic (15)
• Surface – Sea-surface temperature, Sea-surface salinity, Sea level, Sea
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state, Sea ice, Current, Ocean colour (for biological activity), Carbon
dioxide partial pressure
Sub-surface:Temperature, Salinity, Current, Nutrients, Carbon, Ocean
tracers, Phytoplankton
Terrestrial (13)
• River discharge, Water use, Ground water, Lake levels, Snow cover,
Glaciers and ice caps, Permafrost and seasonally-frozen ground, Albedo,
Land cover (including vegetation type), Fraction of absorbed
photosynthetically active radiation (FAPAR), Leaf area index (LAI),
[Biomass], Fire disturbance, [soil moisture]
Variables Largely Dependent Upon Satellites
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Atmospheric
• Surface – Precipitation, Surface Wind speed and direction over
oceans,
• Upper Air – Earth radiation budget (including solar irradiance),
Upper-air temperature (inc. MSU radiances), Water vapour, Cloud
properties
• Composition – Carbon dioxide, Methane, Ozone, Other long-lived
greenhouse gases, Aerosol properties.
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Oceanic
• Surface – Sea-surface temperature, (Sea-surface salinity), Sea
level, Sea state, Sea ice, Ocean colour
• Sub Surface – Altimetry for analysis/reanalysis
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Terrestrial
• (Ground water), (Lake levels), Snow cover, Glaciers and ice caps,
Albedo, Land cover, Fraction of absorbed photosynthetically active
radiation (FAPAR), Leaf area index , (Biomass), Fire disturbance,
(soil moisture)
Road towards the ‘Satellite supplement’
to the GCOS IP
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Space agencies were requested by UNFCCC to respond
to requirements in the GCOS IP by November 2006
 Space agencies asked GCOS, through CEOS, to provide
more details for these requirements
 Early draft in August 2005, based on space-based ECVs
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January 2006 workshop with 25 participants, using
 Template
 Requirements in Ohring et al. (2005)
 Requirements in WMO/CEOS database
Scope of the ‘Satellite supplement’
to the GCOS IP (v1.1)
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8 Cross-cutting needs (e.g., inter-calibration, unique data)
44 ECV-based needs
Needs for reanalysis (e.g., atmosphere-ocean coupling)
Detailed specifications, often in conjunction with in-situ data
for cal/val
Recognises, but does not detail, limited time research needs
for process studies
 Some engagement of research needs in relation to
developing and demonstrating improved and new
capabilities for the ECV’s (“Emerging Variables”)
Where do priority needs stop?
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Some in the science community have ambitions that “all”
research missions and/or datasets thereof be sustained
(“operational”)
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GCOS focus is on a priority sustained component that
deals with practical monitoring on a global scale, and
that should be feasible within a decade.
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GCOS nevertheless also considers benefits from
supplemental, less reliable measurements, or very
accurate measurements made only at intervals.
Nomenclature
Fundamental Climate Data Record (FCDR)
”a long-term data record, involving a series of
instruments, with potentially changing measurement
approaches, but with overlaps and calibrations sufficient
to allow the generation of homogeneous products
providing a measure of the intended variable that is
accurate and stable enough for climate monitoring.
FCDRs include the ancillary data used to calibrate
them.”
• Products (aka TCDRs)
”denotes geophysical variables derived from FCDRs,
often generated by blending satellite observations, insitu data and models.”
Example 1
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Aerosol Product:
Fields of aerosol optical depth, supported by single scattering albedo and
phase function, and the sampling of vertical profiles of aerosol properties at
regular time intervals
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Benefits: Reduce uncertainty in climate forcing
Spatial and temporal resolution (e.g., total column AOD):
1 km horizontal, 1-day cycle, RMS accuracy 0.01, decadal stability
0.005
Appropriate FCDR at selected VIS/NIR wavelengths, through:
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Optimal configuration of LEO/GEO satellites
Continuity by AVHRR-3, VIIRS, MTG
Reprocessing of AVHRR since 1981; of full GOES dataset
Research with active instruments
Cal/val needs: NDAC, WMO GAW, NASA AERONET
Immediate actions: Reprocessing of historical datasets
Other applications of product: Air quality, NWP, cloud chemistry
Example 2
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Land Cover Change Product:
Global georeferenced map of changes in land cover type
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Benefits: Quantify areal changes land cover; provide link between
global land cover maps and in-situ observations; support to national
GHG inventory reporting to the UNFCCC
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Spatial and temporal resolution:
10-30m horizontal, 1-year cycle (often shorter), RMS accuracy 5%,
decadal stability: not defined
Appropriate FCDR of high-resolution, multispectral VIS/NIR
imagery, e.g., Landsat ETM type
Adequacy: scattered regional 30-m resolution maps exist, but no
institution provides global maps on a regular basis
Immediate actions: Reprocessing of historical datasets; build on
existing rudimentary institutional arrangements; research to develop
feasible operational solutions
Other applications of product: Support change detection /
sustainable development in e.g., agriculture, forestry
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Outlook / Conclusions
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Output from 2002 NIST workshop (Ohring et al., 2005)
very helpful
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Ensure close collaboration between the ASIC3
workshop and GCOS effort (partly overlapping), for
consistency of requirements
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Nomenclature?
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Relation of US National Roadmap to international Space
Agencies’ (CEOS) response, in terms of
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FCDRs?
Products?
Research needs?
Outlook / Conclusions
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GCOS “Satellite Supplement” document:
Open review of version 1.1 until mid-June (your feedback
welcome!):
http://www.wmo.int/web/gcos/gcoshome.html
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Publication of GCOS document in September 2006
Space agencies’ report to UNFCCC in November 2006
Thank you for your attention.