Preliminary Analysis of GCOS Implementation Plan – Satellite Supplement

Preliminary Analysis ofGCOS Implementation Plan – Satellite Supplement Jean-Louis Fellous (ESA) Strategic Implementation Team (SIT)

WGISS/WGCV Meeting – Budapest, May 10, 2006 COP-10 Decision onResearch and Systematic Observation • … • 5. Invites Parties that support space agencies involved in global observations to request these agencies to provide a coordinated response to the needs expressed in the GCOS Implementation Plan • … Response planned for SBSTA at COP 12, November 2006

WGISS/WGCV Meeting – Budapest, May 10, 2006 CEOS/SIT2006 Work Plan • At CEOS Plenary in London, Nov 15-16, the following SIT Work Plan was approved: • Short-term (weeks to months) • Task A – CEOS Response to GEO 2006 Work Plan • Mid-term (months to year) • Task B – Development of a comprehensive report to COP-12 “The CEOS Response to the GCOS Implementation Plan” • Long-term (one to several years) • Task C – Overall CEOS Implementation Plan and framework for GEOSS

WGISS/WGCV Meeting – Budapest, May 10, 2006 Recent events • GCOS Office organised an Expert Meeting in Geneva on January 9-11, where GCOS IP requirements pertaining to space-based measurements were preliminarily reviewed • V1.0 of the GCOS Satellite Requirements for Climate was released on March 3 • V1.1 open for discussion by the broader climate community

WGISS/WGCV Meeting – Budapest, May 10, 2006 GCOS-IP Satellite Supplement (V1.0) content • GCOS Climate Monitoring Principles • Ten basic Principles adopted by UNFCCC COP in November 1999, and further agreed by CEOS at its 17th Plenary in November 2003 • Specific principles for satellite systems proposed to reaffirmation by CEOS • Cross-cutting actions • Specific actions • Atmosphere, Ocean and Terrestrial • “Products feasible today” or “Emerging products”

WGISS/WGCV Meeting – Budapest, May 10, 2006 Satellite-specificClimate Monitoring Principles (1) • Constant sampling within the diurnal cycle (minimizing the effects of orbital decay and orbit drift) should be maintained. • A suitable period of overlap for new and old satellite systems should be ensured for a period adequate to determine inter-satellite biases and maintain the homogeneity and consistency of time-series observations. • Continuity of satellite measurements (i.e., elimination of gaps in the long-term record) through appropriate launch and orbital strategies should be ensured. • Rigorous pre-launch instrument characterization and calibration, including radiance confirmation against an international radiance scale provided by a national metrology institute, should be ensured. • On-board calibration adequate for climate system observations should be ensured and associated instrument characteristics monitored.

WGISS/WGCV Meeting – Budapest, May 10, 2006 Satellite-specificClimate Monitoring Principles (2) • Operational production of priority climate products should be sustained and peer-reviewed new products should be introduced as appropriate. • Data systems needed to facilitate user access to climate products, meta-data and raw data, including key data for delayed-mode analysis, should be established and maintained. • Use of functioning baseline instruments that meet the calibration and stability requirements stated above should be maintained for as long as possible, even when these exist on de-commissioned satellites. • Complementary in situ baseline observations for satellite measurements should be maintained through appropriate activities and cooperation. • Random errors and time-dependent biases in satellite observations and derived products should be identified. • CEOS should reaffirm adherence to these principles (and take them really seriously).

WGISS/WGCV Meeting – Budapest, May 10, 2006 Fundamental ClimateData Records (FCDR’s) • The term “Fundamental Climate Data Record” is used in the GCOS document to denote “a long term data record, involving a series of instruments with potentially changing measurement approaches, but with overlaps and calibrations sufficient to allow the generation of homogeneous products providing a measure of the intended variable that is accurate and stable enough for climate monitoring”. • For “one time” research spacecraft, the principles of continuity obviously do not apply, but as many of the other principles as possible (e.g., those for rigorous pre-launch instrument characterization and calibration, on-board calibration, complementary surface-based observations, etc.) should be followed.

WGISS/WGCV Meeting – Budapest, May 10, 2006 Cross-cutting actions

WGISS/WGCV Meeting – Budapest, May 10, 2006 Atmosphere (1)

WGISS/WGCV Meeting – Budapest, May 10, 2006 Ocean (1)

“KNOWN” FUTUREALTIMETRY MISSIONS WGISS/WGCV Meeting – Budapest, May 10, 2006 End of life Approved In orbit Planned/Pending approval GFO NPOESS Data gap ERS-2/RA Sentinel-3 ERS-1 ENVISAT/RA-2 ALTIKA TOPEX/Poseidon Data gap? Data gap? Jason-3? Jason-1 Jason-2 CNES/EUMETSAT/NASA/NOAA signedLetter of Agreement for Jason-2 CRYOSAT-2 GODAE

WGISS/WGCV Meeting – Budapest, May 10, 2006 Terrestrial (1)

WGISS/WGCV Meeting – Budapest, May 10, 2006 Major issuesfor CEOS Response • Strategy • Focus on maintaining “climate continuity” of key products • Ensure creation and maintenance ofFundamental Climate Data Records through instrument operations in accord with Global Climate Monitoring Principles, and reprocessing of existing data records. • Implications of the Strategy • Suitable instruments to be established, maintained and changed in accord with GCOS principles • Data and metadataarchives to allow current and future reanalysis • Ownership of, or Partnership with, the product generators • Product generation that includes error estimates • Ensuring data/information access by all “Parties” • The need in some cases to develop a measurement strategy or conduct research

WGISS/WGCV Meeting – Budapest, May 10, 2006 The way forward (1) • Identify immediate responses (e.g., CryoSat-2) and immediate opportunities with a volunteer champion (e.g., alreadyplanned reprocessing of some archived data sets) • Assign (a)-type requirements (reprocessing, provision of data sets, new products, etc.) for immediate assessment by WGISS (cost, lead/contributing agencies, timetable, etc.)

WGISS/WGCV Meeting – Budapest, May 10, 2006 The way forward (2) • Assign (b)-type requirements (future missions, partnerships) to CEOS/IP (CEOS Long-Term Implementation Plan Task Team) for consideration in the framework of the “constellation” concept, in conjunction with CGMS in the case of the meteorological satellites constellation

WGISS/WGCV Meeting – Budapest, May 10, 2006 The way forward (3) • Assign (c)-type requirements (cal/val, standards and protocols, methodological issues, etc.) for assessment by WGCV (cost, lead/contributing agencies, timetable, etc.) • WGISS and WGCV meetings in May should be mainly devoted to this assessment. For each requirement, they should produce “Task Sheets” comparable with the GEO Work Plan, to serve as a basis for a “tactical” response to GCOS-IP

WGISS/WGCV Meeting – Budapest, May 10, 2006 The way forward (4) • This “tactical” response will be complemented with the “strategic” approach of satellite constellations • Meteorological constellation (CGMS with CEOS) • Complementary Atmosphere, Ocean and Land constellations – with some subdivision e.g., ozone, altimetry, ocean colour, etc. (through CEOS) • Altogether this would provide the substance for the CEOS Response to GCOS-IP to be submitted to COP-12

WGISS/WGCV Meeting – Budapest, May 10, 2006 Nota Bene • It is IN NO WAY intended to defer ACTIONS from GCOS IP to CEOS WG’s • CEOS WG’s have the capacity and competence to assess and evaluate GCOS requirements, not to implement them • Implementation, based on WG’s assessment, will be the responsibility of space agencies, individually or collectively

WGISS/WGCV Meeting – Budapest, May 10, 2006 Toward COP-12and beyond • On May 22-24 a dedicated “Climate Theme Team” composed of CEOS and GCOS designated experts will outline the draft CEOS Response to GCOS-IP (to be agreed at SIT-19 in September) based on a critical review the GCOS Satellite supplement and the outcome from WG’s • Links should be established to the various expert groups cited in the GCOS Satellite Supplement with respect to each ECV • It is intended to present progress monitoring and reports at three-year intervals

WGISS/WGCV Meeting – Budapest, May 10, 2006 Timetable

WGISS/WGCV Meeting – Budapest, May 10, 2006 What next? • Job Assessment Forms(JAF) • This process is similar to the GEO Work Plan process, using Task Sheets to develop the many actions proposed to GEO participants • One should understand that the JAFs are just the beginning of a long story • JAFs could serve as an instrument to initiate and then monitor progress in each job area • Need a first set of JAFs with contact persons asap, but the process will be iterative

WGISS/WGCV Meeting – Budapest, May 10, 2006 What next? • The planned Report to COP-12 is not the end of the story • CEOS agencies will have to prioritize actions and invent a mechanism for their coordinated implementation • A few ideas • A Joint WGISS/WGCV one-day session on GCOS may become a permanent feature? • Algorithms might be added to WGISS remit?

WGISS/WGCV Meeting – Budapest, May 10, 2006 In any case we need your active participation and help.Thanks!

Preliminary Analysis of GCOS Implementation Plan – Satellite Supplement