WMO Information Service for Cold Regions WMO Global Cryosphere Watch (GCW) Geneva, 13 January 2014 Dr Wenjian Zhang, Dr Miroslav Ondráš WMO Observing and Information Systems Department WMO; OBS Department. Dr Zhang and Ondras

WMO Global Cryosphere Watch (GCW)  The cryosphere collectively describes elements of the earth system containing water in its frozen state and includes:  solid precipitation, snow cover, sea ice, lake and river ice, glaciers, ice caps, ice sheets, ice shelves, permafrost and seasonally frozen ground.  The cryosphere provides some of the most useful indicators of climate change, yet is one of the most under-sampled domains of the Earth System The cryosphere is global  ~100 countries

GCW – Historical Perspective  IPY brought together existing initiatives:  WCRP/CliC, CRYSYS, ACIA, ICARPII, SWIPA, SCAR, etc.  Integrated Global Observing Strategy Report on Cryosphere (IGOS-CryOS): 100 recommendations  The 16th WMO Congress (2011) agreed that “WMO needs to have a focus on global cryosphere issues” and decided to embark on the development of the Global Cryosphere Watch (GCW), as an IPY Legacy, with a view of an operational GCW based on the GCW Implementation Strategy.  WMO Executive Council Panel of Experts on Polar Observations, Research, and Services (EC-PORS) oversees GCW.

GCW Mission  To provide authoritative, understandable, and useable data, information, and analyses on the past, current and future state of the cryosphere to meet the needs of WMO Members and partners in delivering services to users.  GCW is not assuming the mandate of any of its partners or collaborators. Instead, GCW enables partners/collaborators to exercise their mandate effectively.  Component of WIGOS  Contribution to GEOSS

GCW Objectives GCW will:  Implement the IGOS Cryosphere Theme;  Support reliable, comprehensive observations through an integrated observing approach in collaboration with relevant national and international programmes and agencies;  Provide the scientific community with the means to predict the future state of the cryosphere;  Facilitate the assessment of changes in the cryosphere and their impact; support decision making and environmental policy development;  Provide authoritative information on the current state and projected fate of the cryosphere for use by the scientific community, media, public, decision and policy makers – meet user needs

GCW Development  Requirements: Update the requirements identified in the IGOS Cryosphere Theme; contribute to the WMO Rolling Review of Requirements (RRR) process and requirements of scientific bodies;  Integration: Provide a framework to assess the state of the cryosphere & its interactions within the Earth System, emphasizing integrated products using surface- & space-based observations;  Standardization and assessment: Enhance the quality and “authority” of data by improving measurement and observing standards and best practices for the measurement of essential cryospheric variables by fully assessing error characteristics;  Access: Improve exchange of, access to, and utilization of observations and products from WMO observing systems and those of its partners;  Coordination: Foster research and development activities and coherent planning for future observing systems and global observing network optimization, especially within the WMO Integrated Global Observing System (WIGOS).  Engagement of Regions : GCW Asia Workshop in Beijing Dec 2013, jointly sponsored by WMO & GEO.

Conceptual Framework for GCW Operations

GCW Advisory and working Structure  The Advisory Group: will provide high-level guidance on how GCW should continue to develop.  CryoNet Team establishes the surface-based observational network.  Infrastructure and Practices Team conducts an inventory of the current network, including infrastructure and practices; compiles best practices, guidelines, and standards; determines what should be measured; and facilitate interaction and collaboration between scientific and operational communities.  Requirements and Capabilities Team assesses user needs, periodically reviews and updates observing system requirements and capabilities and contribute to WMO RRR and link to PSTG.  Products Team selects a set of key GCW datasets and products; facilitate harmonization of products and product intercomparisons; and develop GCW data policies  Portal Team is developing the GCW web portal as well as GCW information website  Outreach Team will be an authoritative voice on cryosphere issues, facilitate training of students and early career scientists, provide guidance for outreach products.

GCW CryoNet Site Types Baseline SitesReference SitesIntegrated Sites Single sphere Multi sphere Standardized Long-term Cal/Val Long-term financial commitment Training Onsite staff Strong research focus “Sphere” refers to the different components of the climate system, e.g., cryosphere, atmosphere, biosphere More than 100 have been « offered » e.g., Sodankylä; Sonnblick; Barrow; Sigma A; Eureka; Yulong; Svalbard; IASOA(S); etc.

GCW CryoNet

GCW CryoNet Objectives General :  Provide a comprehensive network of cryospheric in-situ observations using standardized procedures as well as enabling a related framework of network-services according to user needs. Specific:  Linking different cryospheric observational networks to achieve its comprehensive potential;  Extensive monitoring of cryosphere;  Providing cryo-data for improved process understanding;  CAL/VAL for cryospheric models;  Link cryo ground truth observations to satellite data;  Training for cryo-observations;  Standardized guidelines for cryo-observations.

World Weather Watch GOS GDPFS GTS WIGOS GCW GAW Hydro OS WIS GCOS Partners Co-sponsors CryoNet a component of WIGOS

GCW Coordination 1.Measurement standards and practices 2.Observational requirements 3.Integration across observing systems 4.Authoritative Products 1.Measurement standards and practices 2.Observational requirements 3.Integration across observing systems 4.Authoritative Products “ IUGG urges snow and ice scientists, practitioners, and scientists from related disciplines to adopt these new schemes as standards.”

1.Measurement standards and practices 2.Observational requirements 3.Integration across observing systems 4.Authoritative Products 1.Measurement standards and practices 2.Observational requirements 3.Integration across observing systems 4.Authoritative Products GCW Coordination

1.Measurement standards and practices 2.Observational requirements 3.Integration across observing systems 4.Authoritative Products 1.Measurement standards and practices 2.Observational requirements 3.Integration across observing systems 4.Authoritative Products GCW Coordination

1.Measurement standards and practices 2.Observational requirements 3.Integration across observing systems 4.Authoritative Products 1.Measurement standards and practices 2.Observational requirements 3.Integration across observing systems 4.Authoritative Products Routine evaluation of products Product intercomparisons Self-assessments of maturity, etc. Products meet user needs Sustainable product development and production Transfer from research to operations Routine evaluation of products Product intercomparisons Self-assessments of maturity, etc. Products meet user needs Sustainable product development and production Transfer from research to operations GCW Coordination

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. Data quality, sharing and access are fundamental principles Improve access to, and utilization of observations and products from WMO and other observing systems and from national and international data centers Built using the principles developed for IPY Facilitates the interaction between users and providers of the products Uses WIS, INSPIRE, GEOSS protocols Data quality, sharing and access are fundamental principles Improve access to, and utilization of observations and products from WMO and other observing systems and from national and international data centers Built using the principles developed for IPY Facilitates the interaction between users and providers of the products Uses WIS, INSPIRE, GEOSS protocols METNO Data Interoperability: Bringing Users And Providers Together Facilitating Knowledge to Action GCW Coordination

GCW Data Portal

Information integration and distribution 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. GCW Information

GCW Implementation Plan Key implementation activities with the approximate implementation timeframe for each activity

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