Atmospheric and cryospheric related services on the Third Pole region: requirements and gaps

Atmospheric and cryospheric related services on the Third Pole region: requirements and gaps

Xiao Cun-de(State Key Lab of Cryospheric Sciences, CAS; also at Institute of Climate System,

CAMS; Member of WMO EC-PORS/GCW)

April. 8, 2013 Beijing

Ninth Session of FOCRAII

Outline• WMO initiative on Global Cryosphere Watch

(GCW)

• Services on the “Third Pole” region

• Regional plan and gaps (questionnaire)

The CryosphereThe cryosphere collectively describes elements of the Earth System containing water in its frozen state. It includes solid precipitation, snow cover, sea ice, lake and river ice, glaciers, ice caps, ice sheets, permafrost, and seasonally frozen ground. The cryosphere exists at all latitudes and in about one hundred countries.

Working Groups

Users and Applicationsresearch, operational centres, security, impacts, adaptation

Advisory Group

Outreach, Education, Capacity Building

WMO

Observationsreference stations, contributing

networks, satellites

Cryosphere Productsoperational products, reanalyses,

research datasets

GCW Portalintegrating data and information

GCW Information and Analysisanomaly tracking, hot-spots, variability and change, global and regional products

Data and Information

Management Board

Partners

• met centres• satellite agencies• data centres

Project Office

Organization: GCW Conceptual Framework

Key Tasks

1. Implement recommendations of the IGOS Cryosphere Theme (“CryOS”)

2. Assess user needs and requirements3. Establish measurement standards and best practices4. Establish a network of surface sites, called “CryoNet”5. Select candidate products for GCW6. Promote product intercomparisons, particularly satellite7. Develop a web (meta) data portal and interoperability for

cryosphere users and providers8. Capacity building9. Communication and outreach


(WMO)



The Third Pole covers five million km2 in area with more than 100,000 km2 of glaciers, more than 1000 lakes and 10 big rivers.

HAC versus water, showing basins like Indus, Ganges, Brahmaputra, Yangtze, Yellow and Mekong rivers (ICIMOD, 2005), and Tarim River

Cryosphereic change and melt-water availability

Direct and potential impacted areas by meltwater

Indus

Gange

s

Yalizangbu

Tarim River

Ertysh

Yenisal

YangtzeYellow River

Lu River

Meikong

Ili

Eb

High

Asia

cry

osph

ere

Mos

t dire

ct im

pacte

d are

a

Pote

ntial

impa

cted a

rea

Impacts on regional climate

More extreme events in recent years in

winter/spring: closely related to Tibetan Plateau and Arctic

Monsoon onset and northward movement

is closely related to Asian cryopshere

Stable

snow

cover

Area： Stable snow cov 420 104km2

SWE： 750 108m3

Number： 46377Area： 59425 km2

Volume: 5.6 1012 m3

Area： Permafrost 220 104km2

Ice content： 9.5 1012m3

Glacier

permafrostSFG

Frozen ground Snow cover

China is one of most cryosphere-developed countries in the mid-latitude

Different types of glaciers experienced different rates of changes

Strong negative mass balance since 1990s

Continental-type glacier

Marine-type glacier

Sub-continental glaciers

Temperature changes at 6-m depth along Tibet Highway during 1996-2006, and the rate of changes at each site

QTB01 ：西大滩； QTB02 ：昆仑山垭口南坡； QTB03 ：青藏公路 66 道班； QTB04 ：清水河 203 孔； QTB06 ：可可西里特大桥； QTB07 ：五道梁火车站南； QTB09 ：可可西里； QTB15 ：温泉； QTB16 ：唐古拉； QTB18 ：两道河； XDT: 西大滩； XSH: 斜水河； CM1: 楚玛尔河； WDL: 五道梁； KKXL: 可可西里

Geographic GAPSA mini- hole: yet on the roof of the Earth, leaking of science

Area above 4000 m a.s.l.



Re-designed High Asian Cryosphere network, 7 “supersites”

Cryosphere

Atmosphere

BiosphereHydrosphere

Lithopshere

Anthrosphere

Weather forecast, Climate prediction

Past

ure

and

ecol

ogy

pres

erva

tion

rela

ted

with

thaw

ing

of F

G water availability

Adaptation

strategyDebris

flow/

GLOFs/g

round

settlement

Services that related to atmosphere/cryosphere in the Third Pole region

pasture and flooding infrastructures

Agriculture

GLOFsGlacial debris flow

Frozen rain

Weather/climate: gaps

• Onset of summer monsoon• Teleconnection: floods of mid-low reached of Yangtze River

Snow cover on Tibet and Eurasia influences

Rely largely on data set and deep understanding of SC on Tibet and Eurasia

Extreme events/disasters: gaps

• spring meltwater floods• frozen rain• blizzard over pasture areas• GLOFs• debris flow•

Frozen rain, 2008

Correlation between Arctic sea ice and Siberia high

Shrinking sea ice leads to more frequent extreme events in winter/spring in China

(from Wu B. et al.)


(WMO)



4th Session of Expert Council on Polar Observation, Research and Services (EC-PORS), WMO

(Including the Third Pole)

Informal Meeting of Asian GCW/CryoNet, decided a formal meeting that will be held in Beijing, Sep.17-19, 2013

Regional CryoNet Workshop in Asia• The success of GCW and CryoNet depends on engagement of WMO members and

national agencies engaged in observation, monitoring, modelling and assessment of the cryosphere locally, regionally and globally - in China, the co-operation of CMA and CAS is essential

• In Asia – need the 3rd pole countries cooperating to maximize benefits• CryoNet and GCW could offer a collective approach to improve:

– environmental monitoring and modelling supporting policy and decision making; – data management, including exchange, allowing data and information to be

shared locally (residents and government) and regionally; – implementation of standards for observation and exchange of cryospheric data

and information; – a collective long-term sustainable network to provide high quality data and

information for monitoring changes in the cryosphere and for validation and calibration ofmodels and satellite products

– Training in observation of the cryosphere

Regional CryoNet Workshop in Asia…2• Propose a workshop be held in central Asia, targeting efforts in the “Third Pole” region; it is

suggested the workshop on 17-19 September, Beijing)• The workshop would aim to enhance regional capabilities for measurements of snow and

ice, and will expand collaboration between developing countries. Outcomes include:

– an inventory of available cryospheric information, products and services that

are currently available

– an assessment of regional needs for cryospheric information,

– the identification of potential collaborative regional contributions to GCW– the identification of observation sites in the region that can become part of the GCW

surface network (“CryoNet”)

Observations 3rd Pole

- AntON- GCW- PSTG- WIGOS/WIS,

GAW

- High mountain obsevational network - 3rd pole-GCW (re-design and improve)- Hydrological measurements improved- Global snow measurements (satellite)- ...

Observations: 3rd Pole

Emailing me: [email protected]

Questionnaire: 1/4

Researcch 3rd Pole

Research- WWRP/PPP- WCRP- IPI

- Regional Climate model- Catchment scale hydrological model needed- Global snow assimilation in NWP- IPI-3rdPole?

Research: 3rd Pole


Questionnaire: 2/4

Services/GIPPS 3rd Pole- Timescales- User/client sectors- Arctic HYCOS- GFCS/RCC/RCOF

Beijing RCCHours to weeks- Snowmelt floodsSeasonal scale- Meltwater availability in seasonal scale- Extreme events related to weather and waterAnnual to decadal scale- An assessment of water resouces- Improved regional climate predictions- ...

Platforms - Globsnow, Beijing-RCC, RCOF- Cold and arid regions Data Base (CAREERI)- ...

Partners/Stakeholders- incl. TC’s & RA’s

- RA-II, Asian CliC, TPE (Third Pole Env.)- ICIMOD- ...

Service mapping: 3rd Pole


Questionnaire: 3/4

Potential participants

Contact informationWorkshop in Sep. 2013, Beijing


Questionnaire: 4/4

Welcome to

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Atmospheric and cryospheric related services on the Third Pole region: requirements and gaps