REAL TIME DATA REQUIREMENTS OF NATIONAL METEOROLOGICAL AND HYDROLOGICAL SERVICES (NMHSs) AND THEIR USERS (Presented at ‘Addressing Data Acquisition Challenges’ NOAA’s National Weather Service International Session, San Diego, CA, 6-7 January 2005) John W Zillman President of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering Former Director of the Australian Bureau of Meteorology Former President of the World Meteorological Organization

REAL TIME DATA REQUIREMENTS OF NMHSs AND THEIR USERS Historical milestones in the determination of meteorological and related data requirements Mission and purpose of National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs) Concept of operation of a National Meteorological Service (NMS) Data requirements for synoptic scale weather forecasting The surface observing network of the World Weather Watch Global Observing System World Weather Watch Regional Basic Synoptic Network Requirements and Performance Data requirements for NMHSs meteorological and hydrological warning systems Main user categories for NMHSs data and products Data requirements for applications sectors for NMHSs services The public appetite for weather information The potential scope of NMHSs operations and data requirements The potential scope of meteorological and related services Elements of an integrated global observing system The current concept of a Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS) Societal benefit areas targeted by GEOSS Data requirements from GEOSS for improving weather information, forecasting and warning Data requirements from GEOSS for understanding, assessing, predicting, mitigating and adapting to climate variability and change Data requirements from GEOSS for improving water resources management Data requirements from GEOSS for reducing loss of life and property from natural and human-induced disasters The implementation of GEOSS – some key issues for NMHSs

HISTORICAL MILESTONES IN THE DETERMINATION OF METEOROLOGICAL AND RELATED DATA REQUIREMENTS Meteorological data collection in the pre-scientific era The beginning of the era of instrumental observations The pioneers of weather forecasting (Abbe, Fitzroy, Wragge, Todd etc) The early years of civil aviation (NAOS, SPATC, ASECNA etc) Meteorological information for safety of life at sea (SOLAS requirements) Establishment of remote stations for scientific research (IGY, Antarctica etc) Design of the World Weather Watch GARP and the Global Weather Experiment (OSSE etc) Design of the Global Climate Observing System (GCOS) Resolution 40 – Essential and Additional Data The WMO Rolling Review of Requirements Planning for the Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS )

MISSION AND PURPOSE OF NMHSs The mission of National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs) is to observe, understand and predict the weather, climate and water resources of their countries and to provide meteorological, hydrological and related services in support of their national needs and international obligations. The ultimate purpose of all NMHSs is to contribute to the safety and social and economic benefits and welfare of their national communities through their contribution to the following national goals: Reduction of the impact of natural disasters Economic development and prosperity of primary, secondary and tertiary industry Safety of life and property National and international security Preservation and enhancement of the quality of the environment Community health, recreation and quality of life Efficient planning, management and operation of government and community affairs Provision for the information needs of future generations Advancement of knowledge and understanding of the natural systems of the planet.

CONCEPT OF OPERATION OF A NATIONAL METEOROLOGICAL SERVICE (NMS)

DATA REQUIREMENTS FOR SYNOPTIC SCALE WEATHER FORECASTING

THE SURFACE OBSERVING NETWORK OF THE WORLD WEATHER WATCH GLOBAL OBSERVING SYSTEM

WORLD WEATHER WATCH REGIONAL BASIC SYNOPTIC NETWORKS: REQUIREMENTS AND PERFORMANCE ( Twentieth Status Report on Implementation of the World Weather Watch) Stations Required Observations Required Observations Expected Observations Received Obs Received/Obs Required68%70%75% Obs Received/Obs Expected76%78%84%

DATA REQUIREMENTS FOR NMHSs’ METEOROLOGICAL AND HYDROLOGICAL WARNING SYSTEMS

MAIN USER CATEGORIES FOR NMHSs’ DATA AND PRODUCTS The community at large (the ‘general public’) Policy makers (national and international) National and international (environmental) information agencies (including ICSU WDCs) The scientific research community The meteorological private sector The various applications sectors for NMHSs services

DATA REQUIREMENTS OF APPLICATIONS SECTORS FOR NMHSs’ SERVICES APPLICATIONS SECTORDATA VOLUMES REQUIRED AviationEnormous Disaster managementVery large AgricultureVery large Environmental protectionLarge Mass mediaEnormous and insatiable Water resources planning and managementLarge ConstructionModest Energy generation and supplyModest Marine transportLarge Food productionModest TourismLarge FisheriesLarge to very large HealthModest EcosystemsModest

THE PUBLIC APPETITE FOR WEATHER INFORMATION

THE POTENTIAL SCOPE OF NMHSs’ OPERATIONS AND DATA REQUIREMENTS

THE POTENTIAL SCOPE OF METEOROLOGICAL AND RELATED SERVICES

ELEMENTS OF AN INTEGRATED GLOBAL OBSERVING SYSTEM

THE CURRENT CONCEPT OF A GLOBAL EARTH OBSERVATION SYSTEM OF SYSTEMS (GEOSS)

SOCIETAL BENEFIT AREAS TARGETED BY GEOSS Disasters. Reducing loss of life and property from natural and human- induced disasters; Health. Understanding environmental factors affecting human health and well-being; Energy. Improving management of energy resources; Climate. Understanding, assessing, predicting, mitigating and adapting to climate variability and change; Water. Improving water resource management through better understanding of the water cycle; Weather. Improving weather information, forecasting and warning; Ecosystems. Improving the management and protection of terrestrial, coastal and marine ecosystems; Agriculture. Supporting sustainable agriculture and combating desertification; Biodiversity. Understanding, monitoring and conserving biodiversity.

DATA REQUIRED FROM GEOSS FOR IMPROVING WEATHER INFORMATION, FORECASTING AND WARNING Aerosol profile Cloud water profile Sea surface bulk temperature Air pressure over land and sea surface Dominant wave period and direction Sea-ice cover Air specific humidity (at surface) Fire area and temperature Sea-ice surface temperature Air temperature (at surface) Height of the top of the Planetary Boundary Layer Sea-ice thickness Atmospheric stability index Height of tropopause Significant wave height Atmospheric temperature profile Land surface temperature Snow cover Cloud base height Leaf Area Index (LAI) Snow water equivalent Cloud cover Long-wave Earth surface emissivity Soil moisture Cloud drop size (at cloud top) Normalized Differential Vegetation Index (NDVI) Specific humidity profile Cloud ice profile Ocean currents (vector) Temperature of tropopause Cloud imagery Outgoing long-wave radiation at TOA Wind profile (horizontal and vertical components) Cloud top height Outgoing short-wave radiation at TOA Wind speed over land and sea surface (horizontal) Cloud temperature Precipitation index (daily cumulative) Cloud type Precipitation rate (liquid and solid) at the surface

DATA REQUIRED FROM GEOSS FOR UNDERSTANDING, ASSESSING, PREDICTING, MITIGATING AND ADAPTING TO CLIMATE VARIABILITY AND CHANGE OCEANIC DOMAINATMOSPHERIC DOMAINTERRESTRIAL DOMAIN Surface measurement River discharge Sea-surface temperature Air temperature Water use Sea-surface salinity Precipitation Ground water Sea level Air pressure Lake levels Sea state Surface radiation budget Snow cover Sea ice Wind speed and direction Glaciers and ice caps Current Water vapor Permafrost and seasonally-frozen ground Ocean color (for biological activity) Upper air measurement Albedo Carbon dioxide partial pressure Earth radiation budget (including solar irradiance) Land cover (including vegetation type) Sub-surface measurement Upper-air temperature (including MSU radiances) Fraction of absorbed photosynthetically active radiation (FAPAR) Temperature Wind speed and direction Leaf area index (LAI) Salinity Water vapor Biomass Current Cloud properties Fire disturbance Nutrients Composition Carbon Carbon dioxide Ocean tracers Methane Phytoplankton Ozone (tropospheric) Other long-lived greenhouse gases Aerosol properties

DATA REQUIRED FROM GEOSS FOR IMPROVING WATER RESOURCE MANAGEMENT Water Flux information Reservoir Level Albedo Other Bio-geo-chemical info Surface Liquid Precip. (rainfall) Snow Cover Emissivity Sea Surface Salinity Surface Solid Precip. (snow) Snow Water Equivalent Surface Temperature Sea Level Atmospheric Precipitation Ground Ice Fractional Veg. Coverage Sea Surface Temperature Evaporation Permafrost/Frozen Soil Roughness Water Chemistry (quality, isotopic ratio etc) Transpiration Glaciers, Ice Caps, Ice Sheets Sensible Heat Flux Nutrient Cycling Streamflow Clouds Latent Heat Flux Anthropogenic & Socio-economic info Water Storage information Wind Speed Soil Heat Flux Irrigated Area Soil Moisture (surface) Wind Direction Other Bio-geo-physical info Irrigation Amount Soil Moisture (vadose zone) Air Temperature Topography/Geography Industrial Water Use Groundwater Storage Water Vapor Vegetation Type Drinking Water Groundwater Level Atmospheric Pressure Vegetation Rooting Depth Population Density Lake and River Extent Radiation and Energy Budget Info Vegetation Height Water Demand for Nature Conservation Lake and River Level Downward Shortwave Radiation Land Use and its Change Ecosystem Water Demand Reservoir Extent Downward Longwave Radiation Soil Type Water Pollutant Area

DATA REQUIRED FROM GEOSS FOR REDUCING LOSS OF LIFE AND PROPERTY FROM NATURAL AND HUMAN-INDUCED DISASTERS Digital topography-broad, regional Characterize regional thermal emissions, flux – all time scales Snow/ice cover: area, concentration, thickness, water content, rate of spring snow melt, ice breakup, ice jams Digital topography, bathymetry – detailed or high-resolution Detect, characterize local thermal features, varying time scales Coastal erosion or deposition, new navigational hazards or obstructions, icebergs Paper maps with natural (terrain, water) and cultural features (includes geographic names, all infrastructure and transportation routes) Characterize gas emissions by species and flux Waves, heights and patterns (ocean, large lakes), currents Detailed mapping, dating of bedrock, surficial deposits, fill, dumps Detect, monitor smoke or ash clouds, acid and other aerosols Tides/coastal water levels Documentation/assessment of effects during and after event Water chemistry, natural and contaminated Wind velocity and direction, wind profile Seismicity, seismic monitoring Detect/monitor sediment, other discharges (oil etc) into water Atmospheric temperature, profile Strong ground shaking, ground failure, liquefaction effects Water levels (groundwater) and pore pressure Surface and near-surface temperature (ground, ice and ocean) Deformation monitoring, 3-D, over broad area Stream flow: stage, discharge and volume Air mass differences and boundaries Strain and creep monitoring, specific features or structures Inundation area (floods, storm surge, tsunami) Moisture content of atmosphere Measurement of gravity/magnetic/electrical fields – all scales Soil moisture Vegetation and fuel characteristics (structure, load, moisture content) Physical properties of earth materials (surface and subsurface) Precipitation

THE IMPLEMENTATION OF GEOSS – SOME KEY ISSUES FOR NMHSs How GEOSS could impact on NMS/NHS roles at the national level What role to take within countries in establishing a national interface (both organisational and operational) with GEO and GEOSS Whether to participate directly in GEO fora and/or to continue to work primarily through WMO mechanisms and WMO-coordinated observing systems How to muster additional national resources for GEOSS implementation (and how to avoid drain of NMHSs’ resources to other areas) Whether to remain focused on traditional observational and service roles of NMHSs or seek to broaden the NMS/NHS observational role to match the scope of GEOSS and the NMS/NHS service role to meet the needs of all the GEO-identified GEOSS societal benefit areas In summary, how to turn a potentially serious threat into a great once-only opportunity for NMHSs around the world.