1. Introduction to WP1 objectives and initial activities planning
By Manola Brunet1, 2 and Phil Jones2
1 C3, URV, Tarragona, Spain
2 CRU, UEA, Norwich, UK
UERRA kick-off meeting, March 2014, Exeter, UK

2. Outline WP1 summary of efforts Initial planning for WP1 Task 1.1
UERRA kick-off meeting, March 2014, Exeter, UK
Outline
WP1 summary of efforts
Initial planning for WP1 Task 1.1
Work carried out so far (mainly for Task 1.1, but also for Task 1.2)
Setting and discussing the digitisation plan
Phil to follow

3. UERRA kick-off meeting, 24-27 March 2014, Exeter, UK
WP1 Data Rescue and development, gridded and observational datasets: Tasks, timing, PMs & groups involved
T1.1 - Data coordination, inventory and access to national archives [Months: 1-36]. URV: 40 PMs, NMA- RO: 3 PMs
T1.2 - High-quality synoptic- scale data development [Months: 1-36], URV: 14 PMs, UEA: 12PMs
T1.3 - Gridded and Observational Datasets [Months: 1-36], KNMI: 12 PMs, UEA: 13 PMs, EDI: 3 PMs
Total PMs WP1: 97

4. WP1 Deliverables & Milestones
UERRA kick-off meeting, March 2014, Exeter, UK
14 Deliverables:
4 on DARE (4 URV & 2 NMARO): 33 PMs
4 on data development (3 URV & UEA, 1 NMARO): 26 PMs
6 on datasets (5 KNMI, 2 UEA, 1 EDI): 22 PMs
3 Milestones for task 1.2 on data development (URV)

5. WP1 Deliverables & Milestones
UERRA kick-off meeting, March 2014, Exeter, UK
14 Deliverables:
4 on DARE (4 URV & 2 NMARO): 33 PMs
4 on data development (3 URV & UEA, 1 NMARO): 26 PMs
6 on datasets (5 KNMI, 2 UEA, 1 EDI): 22 PMs
3 Milestones for task 1.2 on data development (URV)

6. UERRA kick-off meeting, 24-27 March 2014, Exeter, UK
Initial planning and activities (URV with ECMWF, ISPD & UEA support) carried out before and after UERRA official starting
Setting the digitisation plan: identifying, first, what synop obs are available at the MARS Archive
Identifying currently digitised data available at the MARS Archive: URV with help of ECMWF staff (Manuel Fuentes & Dick Dee) and AEMET for getting access to the archive through getting the corresponding token
Discovering there is no complete catalogue of the digitised synop data in MARS covering the whole 20th century. Prior to 1957 there are the recent versions of ICOADS and ISPD data. For post-1957 data observations have been archived using the BUFR format, but not catalogue exists by now (under construction)
Getting help from UEA (Harry) to get the metadata of the stations from BUFR data (e.g. station name & details, hourly obs available on a daily basis, selected variables) for Europe from 01/01/1958 to 31/12/2010 for stations: 163M lines and 9830MB
Exploring pre-1958 SLP data availability at the ISPD3.0 (Xungang Yin’s help) and from ECA&D site for Europe and getting/elaborating a catalogue (Joan Coll: URV)
Exploring, second, potential sources of scanned data for digitising:
Inventorying the scanned European data from the CDMP, Ebro’s Observatory Library, BADC, Serbian NMS scanned data for the former Yugoslavian territory and cross-checking with currently available digitised records at the explored digital Archives
Potential for 55 (91) stations > 29 (19) consecutive years to be digitised for filling in gaps and complete currently available records or adding new stations not currently available at MARS

7. UERRA kick-off meeting, 24-27 March 2014, Exeter, UK
A look at ISPD3.0 data availability over Europe for pre-1958 synop observations (SLP mainly)

8. UERRA kick-off meeting, 24-27 March 2014, Exeter, UK
Other initial activities under WP1 Task1.1carried out by URV and resources involved
Work carried out so far:
Listing and inventorying both available digital and scanned data for preparing Report for D1.1 to deliver in month 6
Identifying spatial and temporal data gaps for SLP and other variables (TMP, TDP, RH, WD & WS) for pre- and post-1958 sub-periods. Not finished yet (some guidance in need)
Setting a provisional digitisation plan and starting digitisation
OCR testing
Undertaking the visual and automatic QC of the digitised data
URV people involved and contracted thanks to:
The UERRA-URV budget:
Call for a senior researcher (resolved in Feb and left vacant, but a promising candidate will hopefully start in Oct 2014)
10 Geography students for digitisation and QC
And by URV/C3 regular budget:
1 student to help on data inventory (2 months in 2013)
1 post-doc researcher to help part time (Joan Ramon Coll) during the two first years
3 trainees to work on digitisation and QC for 1 month

9. First outcomes from WP1 T1.1 and where is URV now?
UERRA kick-off meeting, March 2014, Exeter, UK
First outcomes from WP1 T1.1 and where is URV now?
First digitisation outcomes:
258K station-values already digitised for 9 Egyptian stations and for pre-1958 SLP and TMP hourly observations from scanned sources gathered during EURO4M
OCR application inefficient for the pre-1958 data sources explored. So our students are key- entering the SLP and TMP values
60% of the digitised data already visually cross-checked looking for data consistency between sources and digitised data
Where are we now?
Exploring data gaps in Europe using both the ISPD digital data coverage to some extent and mainly assessing data gaps at the currently available ECMWF input data for reanalysis post sub-period
Placing the focus on other variables different to SLP already available as input data at ECMWF
Exploring scanned data sources that could be used to infill in gaps in the post-1958 period (what will be in more need to be rescued?)
Not yet a final plan for digitisation. Waiting for insights from you
Initiating coordination to avoid duplication with other related DARE projects, such as ERACLIM2 (little or not overlap), the ACRE (always helpful providing insights and scanned data), through ISTI DARE (next call) and WMO I-DARE and MEDARE for the Mediterranean
Not yet approached NMS, only initial contacts with some Balkan countries that showed interest (e.g. Macedonia, the FYR, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Montenegro, Republika Srpska)

10. A look at ISPD3.0 data availability for the post-1958 sub-period
UERRA kick-off meeting, March 2014, Exeter, UK
A look at ISPD3.0 data availability for the post-1958 sub-period
A better spatial coverage post-1971 for SLP, although some uneven stations distribution and density over eastern and southern borders seems evident. Perhaps to recover other different variables to SLP would be required…
If so, which ones could have a higher impact in enhanced UERRA?

11. Discussing the plan and getting insights from your ERRA experience
UERRA kick-off meeting, March 2014, Exeter, UK
Discussing the plan and getting insights from your ERRA experience
Can you help focusing the DARE targets for those European sub-regions, sub-periods and variables with the largest impact in UERRA?
Prioritise one of the two sub-periods? E.g. pre-1958 for digitisation?
Prioritise the development of longer and more complete records over the whole 20th century for a set of stations instead of recovering new and incomplete stations? If so, criteria for selecting the stations: even distribution?, focus on spatial data gaps in the 20th century over European borders? Completing for the selected stations other variables with a higher impact in UERRA?
Any EU specific sub-region to focus in any of the two sub-periods?
What regions should be targeted for the pre-1958 period and how much effort to pay, if there is in need a different effort between both sub-periods?
The European borders as southern and eastern Mediterranean countries for optimising the EURO4M effort?
Eastern Europe from Poland to Turkey?
Western Europe?
60% (40%) for pre-(post)-1958? Other effort distribution?
What will have a higher impact in the post-1958 period?:
To fill in spatial gaps by adding new locations?
To fill in gaps of existing records in MARS. If so, any criteria for selecting those with higher impact? Density, even distribution, specific locations for specific variables ?
Additional variables to SLP?
E.g. TMP, TDP, RH, WD & WS or others?

12. UERRA kick-off meeting, 24-27 March 2014, Exeter, UK
Thanks &
thoughts