Systematic Observation Requirements for Space-based Products for Climate

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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, GCOS Secretariat WOAP-II, JRC
Ispra, Italy
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• Outline
• Road towards Systematic Observation
  Requirements for Satellite-based Products for
  Climate
• Requirements Examples
• Outlook / Conclusion

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GCOS Implementation Plan

• Requirements in the Second Adequacy Report
• Essential Climate Variables (ECVs)
• Integrated global analysis products
• Existing global, regional and national plans
• Indicators for measuring its implementation
• Implementation priorities, agents and resource
  requirements
• 131 Actions estimated USD 631M additional
  annually recurring cost
• Major satellite component.

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Variables Largely Dependent Upon Satellites (2AR)

• 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.
• Oceanic
• Surface Sea-surface temperature, (Sea-surface
  salinity), Sea level, Sea state, Sea ice, Ocean
  colour
• Sub Surface Altimetry for analysis/reanalysis
• 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)

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Road towards the Satellite Supplement to the
GCOS IP

• 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
• January 2006 workshop with 25 participants, using
• Requirements in Ohring et al. (2005)
• Requirements in WMO/CEOS database
• Hand-over of version 1.0 to CEOS (3 March)
• 2 months open review on the web
• Continuing interaction with CEOS
• Publication mid-September

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Requirements in the Satellite supplement to
the GCOS IP (near-final v2.0)

• 9 Cross-cutting needs (related to, e.g., GCOS
  climate monitoring principles, inter-calibration,
  unique datasets, independent scientific groups,
  data access)
• 35 ECV-based Products, based on Fundamental
  Climate Data Records - FCDRs
• Needs for reanalysis (e.g., atmosphere-ocean
  coupling)
• Detailed specifications, often in conjunction
  with in-situ data for cal/val
• Recommended immediate actions and opportunities

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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 and in-situ data, and using physical
  model frameworks.

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Remarks on FCDRs and Products

• FCDR specifications kept generic (e.g.,
  appropriate radiances in VIS/NIR) based on
  current expertise
• Clear links to GCOS IP
• Accuracy stability resolution requirements
  given as indicators sampling issues not
  addressed
• Continuing involvement of expert groups required
  to
• Improve methodology for product generation and
  analysis
• Update of specifications/requirements
• Obtain reliable estimates of climate variability
  and trends
• Independent scientific groups, independent FCDRs

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Where do priority needs stop?

• Some in the science community have ambitions that
  all research missions and/or datasets thereof
  be sustained (operational)
• 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.
• This Satellite Report recognises, but does not
  detail, research needs and supplemental datasets
  and products that aid interpretation/ validation
• Key recommdation 6 in the Executive Summary
  reads
• Sustain active research satellite programmes
  that address challenging measurement needs and
  that allow capabilities to advance and be more
  cost effective.

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Example 1

• Aerosol Product
• Aerosol optical depth, and other aerosol
  properties
• Benefits Reduce uncertainty in climate forcing
• Spatial and temporal resolution (total column
  AOD)
• 1 km horizontal, 1-day cycle, RMS accuracy 0.01,
  decadal stability 0.005
• Appropriate FCDR at selected VIS/NIR/SWIR
  wavelengths, through
• Optimal configuration of LEO/GEO satellites
• Continuity by AVHRR-3, VIIRS, MTG
• Reprocessing of AVHRR since 1981 of full GOES
  dataset
• Supplemented by
• Research with active instruments
• Cal/val needs NDACC, WMO GAW, NASA AERONET
• Immediate actions Reprocessing of historical
  datasets
• Other applications of product Air quality, NWP,
  cloud chemistry

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Example 2

• Land Cover Change Product
• High-resolution maps of land cover type, for the
  detection of land cover change
• 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
• Spatial and temporal resolution
• 10-30m horizontal, 5-year cycle, 20 maximum
  error of omission and commission (accuracy and
  stability)
• 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

• GCOS Satellite Supplement Report used in
• Updated UNFCCC Guidelines on Systematic
  Observation (to be adopted in November 2006)
• Space Agencies (CEOS) Response to the GCOS IP
  long-term planning / Constellation concept?
• Evolution of the WMO Global Observing System and
  the WMO Space Programme Meeting 4-8 September
  (ET-SAT/SUP joint session)
• US National Research Council Decadal Survey
  Report Earth Science and Applications from
  Space (communication with Rick Anthes)

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Thank you for your attention.
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• GCOS Mission
• To ensure that the data required to meet the
  needs of users for climate information are
  obtained and made available for
• Climate system monitoring, climate change
  detection and attribution
• Research, modelling and prediction of the
  climate system
• Assessing impacts, vulnerability adaptation
• Application to sustainable economic
  development.
• Global, long-term, high-quality, sustainable,
  reliable
• 3 science panels (Atmosphere, Oceans,
  Terrestrial), Steering Committee, Secretariat
• Sponsored by WMO, UNEP, UNESCO, ICSU
• National GCOS coordinators and focal points,
  National support

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GCOS Observational Strategy

• 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 cost-effective global observing system for
  climate
• Network concept
• Comprehensive networks of all relevant
  observations
• Global Baseline networks
• Reference networks
• Research networks

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Selected GCOS activities in the past 3 years

• 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)

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Essential Climate Variables (ECVs)

• Atmospheric (16)
• Surface Air temperature, Precipitation, Air
  pressure, Surface radiation 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 state, Sea ice, Current,
  Ocean colour (for biological activity), Carbon
  dioxide partial pressure
• Sub-surfaceTemperature, 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