measurement challenges for global observation systems for ... · pdf file assessing climate...

Report on the WMO-BIPM workshop on

Measurement Challenges for Global Observation Systems for Climate Change Monitoring

Traceability, Stability and Uncertainty

30 March – 1 April 2010 WMO Headquarters Geneva, Switzerland

IOM-Report No. 105 WMO/TD-No. 1557 Rapport BIPM-2010/08

WMO

IOM-Report No. 105 Rapport BIPM -2010/08

WMO/TD-No. 1557

Report on the WMO-BIPM workshop on

Measurement Challenges for Global Observation

Systems for Climate Change Monitoring:

Traceability, Stability and Uncertainty

30 March - 1 April 2010

WMO Headquarters

Geneva, Switzerland

World Meteorological Organization Bureau international des poids et mesures

© World Meteorological Organization, 2010

The right of publication in print, electronic and any other form and in any language is reserved

by WMO. Short extracts from WMO publications may be reproduced without authorization,

provided that the complete source is clearly indicated. Editorial correspondence and requests

to publish, reproduce or translate this publication in part or in whole should be addressed to:

Chairperson, Publications Board

World Meteorological Organization (WMO)

7 bis, avenue de la Paix Tel.: +41 (0) 22 730 84 03

P.O. Box 2300 Fax: +41 (0) 22 730 80 40

CH-1211 Geneva 2, Switzerland E-mail: [email protected]

NOTE

The designations employed in WMO publications and the presentation of material in this

publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the

Secretariat of WMO concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its

authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.

Opinions expressed in WMO publications are those of the authors and do not necessarily

reflect those of WMO. The mention of specific companies or products does not imply that they

are endorsed or recommended by WMO in preference to others of a similar nature which are

not mentioned or advertised.

This document (or report) is not an official publication of WMO and has not been subjected to

its standard editorial procedures. The views expressed herein do not necessarily have the

endorsement of the Organization.

Edited by the BIPM,

Pavillon de Breteuil,

F-92312 Sèvres Cedex

France

Printed by: Imprimerie Centrale, Luxembourg

ISBN 13 978-92-822-2239-3

WMO- BIPM workshop on Measurement Challenges for Global Observation Systems

for Climate Change Monitoring: Traceability, Stability and Uncertainty.

Main contributors (in alphabetical order)

Chairmen

Andrew Wallard, BIPM, France

Wenjian Zhang, WMO, Switzerland

Steering Committee

Omar Baddour (co-coordinator of the workshop), WMO, Switzerland

William Bell, ECMWF, UK

James Butler, AREP, GAW and GCOS, USA

Bertrand Calpini (co-chair of the Steering Committee, CIMO/WMO), MeteoSwiss, Switzerland

Bruce Sumner, HMEI, Switzerland

Pedro Espina (co-coordinator of the workshop), NIST, USA

Werner Schmutz, WRC, Switzerland

Nigel Fox, NPL, UK

Gerald Fraser, GSICS, USA

Martin Milton, NPL, UK

Petra Spitzer, PTB, Germany

David Walker, NIST, USA

Andrew Wallard (co-chair of the workshop), BIPM, France

Fuzhong Weng, NOAA, USA

James Whetstone, NIST, USA

Robert Wielgosz (co-chair of the Steering Committee), BIPM, France

Wenjian Zhang (co-chair of the workshop), WMO, Switzerland

Other major participants

James G. Anderson, Harvard College, USA

Urs Baltensperger, Paul Scherrer Institut, Switzerland

Ernst O Göbel, PTB, Germany

Michel Jarraud, Secretary General, WMO, Switzerland

Pascal Lecomte, ESA, UK

Karen St. Germain, IPO JPSS, USA

Klaus-Dieter Sommer, PTB, Germany

Jean-Pascal van Ypersele, IPCC, Switzerland

For a list of speakers, see page 88

1

Table of Contents

Links to the presentations are available on the BIPM website at:

http://www.bipm.org/ws/AllowedDocuments.jsp?ws=WMO-BIPM

Foreword .................................................................................................................................. 5

Executive Summary................................................................................................................. 7

Plenary Session ..................................................................................................................... 11

Summaries of the sessions .................................................................................................. 13

Session A: Climate trends from satellite sounding data...................................................... 13

Session B1: Stable time series for key greenhouse gases and other trace species. ......... 14

Session B2: Remote sensing of atmospheric composition and traceability issues in

spectroscopic data. ............................................................................................................. 17

Session C: Radiation and Earth energy balance. ............................................................... 20

Session D: Earth surface (land and water) temperature..................................................... 22

Session F: Microwave imagery data in climate and NWP. ................................................. 24

Session G: Surface properties: Albedo, land cover, and ocean cover. .............................. 26

Session H: Ocean salinity. .................................................................................................. 29

Abstracts from the sessions ................................................................................................ 33

Session A: Climate trends from satellite sounding data................................................... 33

A1. Climate trends from microwave sounding data: Lessons learned - a post-launch

perspective .......................................................................................................................... 33

A2. Reanalysis, climate trends and an evaluation of the satellite sounding data record.... 34

A3. Improved atmospheric sounding with ATMS ................................................................ 35

A5. Microwave sounding and imaging requirements for the future EUMETSAT Polar

System................................................................................................................................. 36

A6. A review of microwave metrology at NIST in support of satellite sounding missions... 36

A7. Towards to standard pre-launch and post-launch calibration/validation of microwave

sensors................................................................................................................................ 37

Session B1: Stable time series for key GHGs and other trace species........................... 38

B11. Greenhouse gas observations in the GAW programme............................................. 38

B12. Ensuring traceability and comparability of measurements for greenhouse gas

monitoring............................................................................................................................ 39

B13. The World Calibration Centre for VOCs ..................................................................... 40

B14. Supporting traceable global measurements through international comparison

exercises ............................................................................................................................. 41

B15. Calibrating measurements of long-lived atmospheric trace gases: The dominant

importance of precision over accuracy and the role of defined calibration scales.............. 42

2

B16. Trend analysis for greenhouse and reactive gases.................................................... 43

B17. Ozone cross-sections and primary standards ............................................................ 44

Session B2: Remote sensing of atmospheric composition and traceability issues in

spectroscopic data. ............................................................................................................... 46

B21. Relating point measurements of atmospheric composition to integrated-path and

range-resolved measurements ........................................................................................... 46

B22. Satellite measurements of tropospheric species from GOSAT .................................. 47

B23. Reference standards for space-based remote sensing of carbon dioxide and

greenhouse gases............................................................................................................... 48

B24. Integration of column CO2 measurements into the existing in situ network for

greenhouse gases............................................................................................................... 48

B25. Global observations of greenhouse gases using SCIAMACHY ..................