The CEOS Carbon Task Force Report

SIT 2727th – 28th March 2012, La Jolla

Takashi Moriyama (JAXA) & Diane Wickland (NASA)

Carbon Task Force Co-Chairs

Rationale

CEOS established the Carbon Task Force (CTF) to coordinate the response from space agencies to the GEO Carbon Strategy.• Take into account information requirements

of both the UNFCCC and IPCC and consider how future satellite missions will support them

• Also take account of, and be consistent with, the GCOS and GEO Implementation Plans.

• Help definition of next generation missions for individual agencies

• Provide a basis for systematic observation and reporting of progress towards satisfying society’s carbon information needs

Approach

Carbon Task Force co-leads (JAXA & NASA) take overall responsibility.

Domain leads have been identified by CTF to develop the atmospheric, terrestrial (land) and oceanic chapters:

Atmosphere: Prof Berrien Moore (Univ. Oklahoma, USA) Land: Prof Christiane Schmullius (Univ. Jena, Germany) Ocean: Dr Shubha Sathyendranath (Plymouth Marine Laboratory, UK)

Domain leads supported by co-authors from the international EO scientific community based on recommendations made by CTF members as well as from the domain leads.

Follows the model of the CEOS Response to the GCOS Implementation Plan with actions identified for each domain and for integration as the basis for monitoring and reporting.

Recognised that the GEO Carbon Strategy Report may not cover the full spectrum of societal needs and CEOS should aim to address this.

Slide: 4

Outline and Leads for CTF Report

CEOS Strategy for Carbon Observations from Space

Executive Summary (Moriyama, Plummer, Wickland)Section 1: Introduction (Ward)Section 2: Land Domain (Schmullius)Section 3: Ocean Domain (Sathyendranath)Section 4: Atmosphere Domain (Moore)Section 5: Integration (Plummer)Section 6: The Way Forward (Plummer, Moriyama, Wickland)

Appendices

Slide: 5

Key Milestones Since Last CEOS Plenary

Gap analyses for ocean observations from space completed. Gap analysis for land observations in early stages. CO2 and CH4 analysis have been/are being updated.

Working Meeting of domain chapter authors and CTF leads held on the side at American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting, San Francisco – December 6, 2011

Initial Drafting:• Rough drafts of introduction and four chapters (land, ocean,

atmosphere, and integration) prepared and delivered December-February; Domain Leads prepared these first rough drafts

• Rough drafts iterated with Domain co-author teams in January-February

• First complete drafts (Version 0) of the four chapters made available for initial review and feedback by CEOS SIT representatives March 20, 2012

• Way Forward chapter drafting will start immediately after March 29 consultative meeting

Slide: 6

It has been difficult to make coordinated progress with only volunteer labour and no dedicated travel support (leveraging existing meetings is not working well)Some Domain Leads have asked about the possibility of travel support for meetings as well as dedicated meetings for their writing teams

Can the CEOS agencies help with travel for the writing teams and/or host a writing meeting?

Support for co-author travel and a few small, dedicated meetings is believed to be necessary (1 writing meeting each for domain chapter teams, plus 1 for integration seems a desirable minimum).

NASA and JAXA have expressed a willingness to help with travel for leads and co-authors from their countries. ESA has contributed substantial time for S. Plummer to help coordinate the report and lead the integration activities

Additional support is needed for the travel of other authors and logistics for dedicated meetings – without this, there is risk that delivery of the report may be delayed.

Continuing Challenges

Slide: 7

Consultation Meeting on March 29

CEOS agencies are invited to attend and/or send representatives to a consultative meeting to follow SIT-27 to provide feedback on the draft report It is important to ensure community ownership of the report, since it will set out the framework by which we progress, monitor and report our collective efforts in years to come towards an integrated observing system that meets societal needs for carbon-related information.

CEOS agencies are requested to confirm that all their programs and perspectives are adequately represented in the report development process.

Slide: 8

Consultation Meeting for the Carbon Strategy Report: March 29, 2012

The purpose of the meeting is to take the opportunity to allow consultation on the draft report and its component chapters at an early stage in its development. Our objectives are:• to provide a status report on the progress towards development of the CEOS Carbon Strategy Report

• to discuss the main messages with regard to adequacy of satellite observations now and in future

• importantly, to ensure accurate representation of our respective national capabilities in the report, such that all relevant missions are suitably recognised and, to the extent possible, harmonised, for their contributions.