1. Group on Earth Observation (GEO) Ice User Requirements M. Manore Canadian Ice Service

2. Background Earth Observation Summit – Washington, July 31, 2003 ministerial-level meeting 34 nations + other organizations Ad-Hoc Group on Earth Observation (GEO) formed Goal develop an international 10-year implementation plan for a system for “comprehensive, coordinated, sustained Earth observations” space, aircraft, in-situ observations - System of Systems (GEOSS) based on user requirements build on existing systems international education and outreach free, open, and timely exchange of data with minimum of costs Target – draft implementation plan – Spring 2005 Draft Framework Document – Tokyo, April 2004

3. Structure International, voluntary, initially incoherent, panicked Meetings for coordination Baveno (Oct) Cape Town (Feb) Secretariat – U.S. lead with international participation Working Groups - international co-chairs International Cooperation Architecture User Requirements and Outreach Data Utilization Capacity Building

4. GEO Socio Economic Benefit Areas Reducing loss of life and property from natural and human-induced disastersReducing loss of life and property from natural and human-induced disasters Understanding environmental factors affecting human health and well beingUnderstanding environmental factors affecting human health and well being Improving management of energy resourcesImproving management of energy resources Understanding, assessing, predicting, mitigating, and adapting to climate variability and changeUnderstanding, assessing, predicting, mitigating, and adapting to climate variability and change Improving water resource management through better understanding of the water cycleImproving water resource management through better understanding of the water cycle Improving weather information, forecasting, and warningImproving weather information, forecasting, and warning Improving the management and protection of terrestrial, coastal, and marine ecosystemsImproving the management and protection of terrestrial, coastal, and marine ecosystems Supporting sustainable agriculture and combating desertificationSupporting sustainable agriculture and combating desertification Understanding, monitoring, and conserving biodiversityUnderstanding, monitoring, and conserving biodiversity

5. Ice Requirements Currently included within marine parameters Ice and marine requirements from existing inventories; e.g. WMO - weather, NWP WCRP - climate GOOS – physical oceanography CEOS Hazard Management – marine and ice hazards consistent with ice operations requirements bias towards open ocean scales, vs. operational UR Working Groups still struggling defining scope of themes specific technical requirements, gap analysis to follow

6. Next Steps process for validation of requirementsprocess for validation of requirements request to Data, Information and Customer Support Committee to establish an action item request to Data, Information and Customer Support Committee to establish an action item define role for IICWGdefine role for IICWG validate operational requirements (clear mandate) validate operational requirements (clear mandate) opportunity to exercise our experience and credibility within the GEO process, e.g.: opportunity to exercise our experience and credibility within the GEO process, e.g.: support continuity of SARsupport continuity of SAR define in-situ, airborne requirementsdefine in-situ, airborne requirements promote and exercise open data exchangepromote and exercise open data exchange other?other?