The Global Cryosphere Watch

Jeff Key1 and Barry Goodison2

1NOAA/NESDIS, Madison, Wisconsin USA2World Meteorological Organization, Geneva, Switzerland

EC-PORS-5, 25-28 February 2014, Wellington, NZ1

GCW MISSION

GCW will provide authoritative, clear, and useable data, information, and analyses on the past, current and future state of the cryosphere.

GCW will include observations, monitoring, assessment, product development, prediction, and research.

GCW is not assuming the mandate of any of its partners or collaborators. Instead, GCW enables partners/collaborators to exercise their mandate effectively.

What specifically is GCW doing?

• developing a network of surface observations called "CryoNet", which builds on existing networks;

• developing measurement guidelines and best practices;• refining observational requirements for the WMO Rolling Review of

Requirements;• engaging in and supportin, intercomparison of products;• contributing to WMO’s space-based capabilities database (with

PSTG);• assessing snow cover products through the GCW Snow Watch

project;• creating unique products, e.g., the SWE Tracker, in collaboration with

partners;• engaging in historical data rescue (e.g., snow depth);• building a snow and ice glossary;• developing international training and outreach materials;• providing up-to-date information on the state of the cryosphere;• providing access to data through a portal;• co-sponsoring workshops.

Since EC-PORS-4 (Lanzhou)

Recent Activities

Activity Status

Implementation Plan New version since EC-PORS-4; needs approval

GCW Structure

Steering Group Needs approval

Team membership Incomplete; needs approval

Terms of Reference Drafted for approval

Parternship Criteria Drafted for approval

Engagement, implementation meetings

Asia CryoNet (Dec 2013)Steering Group (Jan 2014)CryoNet Team (Jan 2014)

Recommendations of EC-PORS to Cg-17

Drafted for discussion (see GCW report to EC-PORS-5)

Recent Activities, cont.Activity Status

Develop CryoNet Ongoing

Site requirements Drafted

Site types Done

Best practices Existing document inventory started

Site “application” Drafted; online version being implemented

Select initial sites Done

Team membership Done

Observational requirements Requirements from various sources have been compiled

Product intercomparisons Created a Snow Watch project; intercomparisons underway

Create unique GCW products Snow trackers have been created by FMI and EC for GCW

Create a cryosphere glossary Terms from many existing glossaries have been compiled

Develop a data portal Pre-operational; developed by Norwegian Met Institute (gcw.met.no/metamod/)

Develop an information website Done (globalcryospherewatch.org)

Historical data rescue Proposed (MeteoFrance)

GCW Implementation Plan

Significant update in v1.3, though the same basic structure and content.

GCW Timeline and Implementation Meetings

2007 20092008 20112010 2012 2013 2014

WMO 15th Congress welcomes proposal for GCW

IGOS Cryosphere Theme Report published

First GCW Implementation Workshop (Geneva)

First CryoNet workshop (Vienna)

First Snow Watch workshop (Toronto)

WMO 16th Congress approves GCW

2015 2016

CryoNet Team meeting (Reykjavik)

Asia CryoNet workshop (Beijing)

Interim Advisory Group meeting (Reykjavik)

Updated GCW Conceptual Framework

(Since EC-PORS-4: eliminated Management Board and Working Groups; added Regional Groups; renamed Advisory Group)

Task Teams

• CryoNet Team• Requirements and Capabilities Team• Infrastructure and Practices Team• Products Team

• Snow Watch Group• Terminology Group

• Portal Team• Outreach Team

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(Since EC-PORS-4: Teams unchanged; groups added; memberships partially completed; Terms of Reference drafted)

Terms of Reference: Steering GroupUnder the general guidance of the Cg and EC, the GCW Steering Group (GSG) will provide high-level guidance on GCW development and implementation and will steer the activities of its Task Teams. Especially it will:

1. Provide high level guidance and general direction on GCW implementation and its further development;

2. Liaise with the WMO’s GCW focal points nominated by the Permanent Representatives, as well as representatives of partner organizations and entities in GCW implementation;

3. Coordinate GCW activities with the WMO Technical Commissions, Regional Associations and Programmes, and with the relevant partner organizations, groupings and related international programmes,

4. Establish GCW Task Teams and provide guidance on their TOR and Work Plans;5. Provide oversight and management of the GCW Task Teams;6. Consider the development of a WMO GCW programme in collaboration with the WMO Technical

Commission, Regional Associations and Partners for consideration by EC-PORS 7. Provide guidance on the conduct of GCW Pilot and Demonstration Projects;8. Report annually to EC-PORS, including recommendations for GCW development and

implementation for consideration by the WMO Executive Council and the WMO Congress;9. Provide annual reports to all stakeholders, as appropriate through GCW website and/or

Newsletter.11

GCW Partnership Criteria (1 of 3)

International Partners:1. Any international organization, professional union, association or data centre that is

actively involved in cryosphere activities, that has a willingness to contribute tangibly to the implementation of the WMO GCW initiative, and that is active internationally in structure and membership, is invited and encouraged to become an “International Partner” of GCW.

2. 2. A formal statement of intent to be a GCW International Partner should be sent to the WMO GCW Secretariat for consideration by the WMO GCW Steering Group. The statement should address how the organization will contribute to GCW implementation and to GCW Team activities. Requests are reviewed and endorsed formally. In accepting Partner status, special attention will be given to the following criteria:

a) Extensive global networks of members or partners or a high global presence or visibility, through regional or country offices, on measurement, research, product generation, or data archival and distribution activities;

b) Specific expertise with a strong emphasis on cryosphere issues in their organizational mandate;

3. The Partner organization should appoint one focal point and one alternate as principal contact persons for GCW. The full contact information of the focal point and the alternate should be provided to the WMO GCW Secretariat. The focal point (or alternate of the Partner) is eligible to participate in GCW Steering Committee meetings.

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Developing CryoNet

Concordia Station, Antarctic

CryoNet activities

o 1st CryoNet WS (Nov. 2012, Vienna, Austria)

o Questionnaireso Cryosphere Station inventoryo Primer to GCW CryoNet (draft)o 2nd CryoNet WS (Dec. 2013, Beijing

China)o CryoNet team meeting (Reykjavik,

Island, Jan 2014)

International CryoNet team

The site types of CryoNet

CryoNet sites must meet a minimum set of requirements:

1. The site location is chosen such that, for the variables measured, it is spatially/temporally representative for measuring one or several components of the cryosphere.

2. CryoNet sites have to be active and perform sustained

observations according to CryoNet agreed practices.

3. Technical personnel are trained in the operation of the equipment at the site.

4. For reference and integrated sites, there is an intent by the responsible agencies to long-term observations of at least one of the CryoNet variables.

5. The relevant CryoNet observations are of documented quality. The measurements are made and quality controlled according to CryoNet agreed practices.

CryoNet sites must meet a minimum set of requirements:

6. Associated standard meteorological in situ observations, when necessary for the accurate determination and interpretation of the GCW variables, are made with documented quality.

7. The data and metadata including changes in instrumentation, traceability, observation procedures are submitted to a data centre, which is interoperable with the GCW portal in a timely? manner. Metadata are also provided to the WMO Operational Information Resource (WIR) and maintained regularly.

8. The station characteristics and observational programme are kept up-to-date in the GCW station information database.

9. A station logbook for observations and activities that may affect observations is maintained and used in the data validation process.

10. User needs have been considered in the observation design process.

Initial CryoNet stations

Measurement standards and practices

“IUGG urges snow and ice scientists, practitioners, and scientists from relateddisciplines to adopt these new schemes as standards.”

Step 1: Inventory of existing guidelines:

Step 2: GCW works through these documents, engages the community, and reaches a consensus on best practices for each variable.

Observational requirements

Step 1: Compile database of requirements from IGOS Cryosphere and OSCAR:

Step 2: GCW works with IPET-OSDE to identify deficiencies in OSCAR.

Step 3: GCW develops a unified set of cryosphere requirements.

• Routine evaluation of products• Product intercomparisons• Self-assessements of maturity, etc.• Products meet user needs• Sustainable product development

and production• Transfer from research to operations

SWE derived from SSM/I for Western Canada

WMO

Authoritative Products

Snow Watch

• First workshop on implementing a Snow Watch component of GCW hosted by Environment Canada at Toronto, Canada from January 28-30, 2013.

• Twenty-eight scientists from nine countries (Austria, Canada, Finland, Italy, France, Norway, Switzerland, United Kingdom and USA) participated

• Aim: • to determine the current state of global snow monitoring• to identify critical issues affecting the ability to provide authoritative

information on the current state of snow cover• to initiate “GCW Snow Watch sub-projects” to address priority areas

• Approach: Questionnaire, discussions at the meeting & hooking up key actors for the identified priority areas

CMC - SE

CMC - SWEFMI - SWE

These 3 trackersare currentlyon-line.

Daily graphsdistrivuted viaGCW-website

Snow Trackers

Snow intercomparison project – ESA SnowPEX

• Toronto Snow Watch meeting agreed that comprehensive evaluation/intercomparison of snow cover products was a high priority (one of the highest identified tasks from questionnaire) for GCW given the increase in the number of products in recent years and the need to provide uncertainty estimates for assimilation of data into operational snow analysis schemes

• ESA offered to initiate a “Satellite Snow Products intercomparison and evaluation EXercise – SnowPEX” project to be carried out by a team of international experts beginning in 2014 (2 year project)

• Relevant for CryoNet as independent and integrated CryoNet sites could serve as important independent data sources for such intercomparisons of not only snow but also other cryosphere components

GCW Data Portal and Information Website

http://gcw.met.no

GCW Data Portal

DATA INTEROPERABILITY

The GCW web portal will provide the ability to exchange cryosphere data, metadata, information and analyses among a distributed network of providers and users in support of informed decision-making.

• Built using the principles developed for IPY2007-2008

• Uses WIS, INSPIRE,

GEOSS protocols

METNO

Information Website

The website differs from the METNO GCW data portal in that it contains more dynamic information (news, state of the cryosphere plots, highlights, calendar), as well as background, higher-level information, GCW documents, and outreach material. It links to the METNO data portal.

http://globalcryospherewatch.org

The website has:

A brief demo…

GCW Issues to be Discussed

DISCUSSION:• Governance and structure of GCW• GCW Implementation Plan v1.3 (INF.34)• Terms of Reference for Steering Group and Teams • Initial CryoNet sites and requirements for site inclusion in CryoNet• GCW Partnership criteria• GCW Draft Resolution• Funding in the next cycle

Decision:• Approval of Terms of Reference for Teams and Steering Group.• Approval of initial CryoNet sites and requirements for site inclusion in

CryoNet• Approval of GCW partnership criteria• Finalization of draft GCW resolution

WMO EC-PORS-5 – Wellington, New Zealand, February 2014