GEO Coordination and GEO-relevant projects at the Austrian Meteorological Service

1
GEO Coordination and GEO-relevant projects at the
Austrian Meteorological Service

• Dr. Gerhard Wotawa, MA
• Division Data, Methods and Modelling
• GEO Coordinator, Austria
• Gerhard.Wotawa_at_zamg.ac.at

Presented at the EU Side event at the GEO-IX
Assembly, 21 November 2012,Foz do Iguacu, Brazil
2
Outline

• GEO structures in Austria
• Responsibilities of the Austrian GEO Secretariat
• Related projects and activities
• Phenology
• Sonnblick Observatory/Histalp
• Conrad Observatory/Space weather
• Soil moisture and agricultural modelling Eastern
  Africa
• EODC Water

3
History
Austria participated in GEO as observer since the
GEO-II Assembly in Geneva (December 2005) 2008
Feasibility study regarding possible Austrian
membership in GEO (by ZAMG and Austrian
Environmental Protection Agency) GEO considered
as a useful process April 2009 Decision to join
GEO as member August 2009 Establishment of a
GEO Secretariat at ZAMG
4
GEO Structures in Austria

• Responsible Ministry Federal Ministry of
  Science and Research (BMWF)
• BMWF has appointed ZAMG to coordinate GEO in
  Austria
• GEO Secretariat has been established at ZAMG in
  August 2009

5
Responsibilities of GEO Secretariat

• Participation in the GEO Assembly and the
  meetings of the European HLWG
• National Point of contact for persons and
  institutions interested and/or involved in GEO
  activities
• Coordination of the Austrian involvement in
  specific GEO tasks and Implementation Boards
• Identification of needs for research and
  development related to GEO, and channeling these
  needs to the Federal Ministry
• Public information related to GEO

6
Responsibilities of GEO Secretariat (2)

• Communication with the GEO Secretariat in
  Geneva
• Organization of national workshops and
  information events
• Analysis of the GEO-relevant data in Austria,
  and assessment of the data needs
• Establishment of a GEO Web site in Austria
• Organizing meetings of the Austrian GEO group
  (GEO principal, Ministry of Science and Research,
  GEO coordinator and various partners) twice a year

7
Inter-ministerial coordination
Different ministries in charge of GEO, GMES and
INSPIRE
Policy area
Existing Coordination
Geo-Portal of the Austrian Provinces
IMG Weltraumpolitik (Inter-Ministerial Group
Space Politics)
E-Government PG Umweltinformation (E-Government
Project Group for Environmental Data and
Information)
8
Public Web Site
http//www.zamg.ac.at/geo_office/ (English) http
//www.zamg.ac.at/geo-sekretariat/ (German)
9
GEO Workshop 2012, Vienna

• BMWF ZAMG co-organize a GEO Workshop on 10
  December 2012 in Vienna
• Information on GEO process and GEO-IX outcome
• Information on European initiatives (GMES)
• Oral and poster sessions bringing together
  data providers and users
• Engagement of private sector cooperation with
  Austrian Chamber of Commerce

10
GEO GCOS
The GEO Secretariat at ZAMG is also involved in
the Austrian GCOS process (GCOS Web site, GCOS
data survey)
11
GEO related projects and activities
Examples for GEO related activities and projects
12
Phenology
Phenology is the study of the timing of recurring
biological events in the animal and plant world
Examples Leaf unfolding and flowering of
plants in spring, fruit ripening, colour changing
and leaf fall in autumn, as well as the
appearance and departure of migrating birds and
the timing of animal breeding
13
Purpose of Phenological data
14
Phenological data shows climate change

• CLIMATE CHANGE INDICATOR
• 2 WEEKS EARLIER FRUIT RIPENING
• OF ELDER IN THE ALPS SINCE 1970S

y-axes left summer temperature deviation from
the meany-axes right entry date right of fruit
ripeness of elder (Sambucus nigra)
15
Phenology shows Seasonal variability
Green Wave in Spring
16
Sonnblick Observatory

• Sonnblick, Goldberggruppe, Hohe Tauern, 3106 m
• The only summit observatory world-wide above
  3000 m asl
• Highest continuously inhabited building of
  Austria
• Continuously active for more than 125 years

17
Measurement of air quality and CO2

• Environmental Protection Agency (UBA) Vienna
  measures the following parameters at Sonnblick
• Air quality CO, NOy and O3
• Greenhouse gases CO2

18
Aerosol measurements (ZAMG)

• New Aerosol inlet was installed in September
  2011
• PM10 monitor (Sharp) was installed in 2012

19
Sonnblick Observatory
125 YEARS OF CLIMATE VARIABILITY AND TRENDS AT
SONNBLICK
125 years of monitoring show It gets
continuously warmer and brighter in the Alps
http//www.zamg.ac.at/histalp
20
Meteorological records over the centuries
21

• The greater alpine region (GAR) has warmed
  stronger than the global mean

2
1
22
GEOSAF
Using GEO for Early Warning and Food Security in
East Africa

• Using GEO for Early Warning and Food Security in
  East Africa
• Investigate the influence of high impact weather
  (flood, drought) on African agriculture and water
  management.
• Improve monitoring and long range forecasting of
  soil moisture
• Use of space-borne sensors for monitoring and
  validation
• Seasonal, ensemble based weather forecasts and
  crop modeling
• Set up an early warning system for local farmers
  and international organisations

23
GEOSAF - Use of satellite data
24
EODC Water
Earth Observation Data Centrefor Water Resources
Monitoring
a cooperation of
25
Proposal for an Earth Observation Data Centre

• Following the example of other countries
• e.g. CEMS in the UK
• Thematic focus on water resources (instead of an
  Austrian EODC)
• Strategic goals
• Establish Austria as a key player in the
  operational EO ground segment and service market
• Strengthen its academic, institutional and
  commercial organisations by coordinating,
  focusing, and reinforcing their expertise and
  capabilities
• Be a focal point for water-related programmes
• Overall aims
• Provide unique EO products for improved
  monitoring of water resources
• Operate Collaborative Ground Segment components
  for the Sentinel satellites
• Apply service standards as commonly employed by
  NWP centres
• Focus on fully automatic and continental to
  global scale products
• Establish the logistics and seamless ITC
  infrastructure system

26
Product Portfolio

• Water resources management requires an integrated
  view of the complete water cycle
• Potential product portfolio is relatively broad
• Room for diversification

27
CONRAD Observatory
28
Space Weather
29
ZAMG contributions
30
Thank you for your attention! Please visit us in
the exhibition area.