GRUAN

Peter Thorne

GRUAN in 1 slide

• Called for in first GCOS IP• GCOS Reference Upper Air Network

– Metrological traceability– Uncertainty quantified on every data point– Measurement of ECVs using multiple Meas. Tech. Not just a

radiosonde network– In long-term full column characteristics (but walk first)

• Long-term network to provide high quality data at small number of sites (30-40 eventually).

• Network for climate– But of value to all– GRUAN lessons trickle down to baseline + comprehensive networks

Management update

• Change at Lead Centre at DWD– Holger Voemel stepped down as Head in October– New Head being appointed this week. – If I told you who I’d have to then shoot you – ask

me next week • Science Coordinators appointed – Tom

Gardiner (NPL) and Richard Querel (NIWA)• Working Group and Task Teams remain

unchanged

Network Status Update

• Site assessment and certification :– Boulder, Lauder, Payerne certified– Cabauw, Sodankyla, Potenza, Beltsville under certification

process– SGP and Barrow invited to proceed

• Network expansion– Paris and La Reunion officially invited to join as candidates– Initial efforts on S. Africa site have led to request for formal

invitation to consider (letter request with Carolin for consideration)

– More formative discussions with Russia, Singapore and several others

Scientific progress

• Paper providing an update of progress accepted for publication in BAMS

• RS-92 data stream paper published• Several analysis papers published either using

GRUAN data or answering GRUAN network questions.

• Talks at BIPM, EMS, AMS, MMC-2014• Abstract submitted for the Our Common Future

relevant session

RS-92 product – uncertainty example

ICM-7

• We held our most recent ICM in Matera three weeks ago• Focus was on new data streams and highlighted

substantive progress on new sonde and remote sensing streams– Work on modem-10 will lead to improved global performance

• Links to WIGOS and GUAN were highlighted as key action areas

• Upcoming transition from RS-92 should not presume what will be transitioned to …

• Long list of actions was circulated in advance. Here only show high priority items.

Get process stuff covered off

• Technical note outlining the process that will be undertaken to certify a new program at a site with an existing certified measurement program.

• Produce a Technical Note highlighting the steps that must be achieved for a GRUAN product to be accepted (‘certified’) and released. WG to review criteria for acceptance.

Get GRUAN station data flowing in NRT at high vertical resolution

• All sites with capability to report BUFR over GTS in NRT. Advice and tech. support to be provided by LC / WMO / GCOS on a site by site basis to all certified and candidate sites not currently reporting BUFR to attempt to enable. In first instance LC to ascertain status for each site as to why not reporting BUFR to GTS and advise Tim Oakley and Roger Atkinson.

Get the data flying high up in the sky

• Lead Centre to work with sites not attaining regularly 10hPa to understand why and help improve situation. Short report from each affected site at ICM-8

Get our [redacted] together on RS92 transition issues

• Define strategy and necessary steps to undertake transition from RS-92 to another sonde model. Produce GRUAN report on strategy and rationale including inter-alia:– Sharing the burden – Role of ancillary measurements– Plans for parallel measurements – Ensuring competition in marketplace

Work out whether letting a machine do it matters

• An assessment of the advantages and disadvantages of manual vs. autosonde launches written up and submitted to the peer reviewed literature

Event at Congress

• 1 hour lunchtime event to be held at congress• WG Chairs will send to GCOS secretariat hard

copies of outreach material to be made available at the event

• Lead Centre and Secretariat shall represent GRUAN at the event which will be hosted by German PR

• Small number of largely informational talks• PRs of countries hosting certified sites shall be

presented with certificates

GAIA-CLIM

• EU H2020 project 6 million euros over three years• Use of GRUAN type data to characterize satellites• GCOS as a ‘partner’ (2 months of Tim’s time)• Several aspects of interest:

– Defining measurement tiers and their defining characteristics

– Defining new reference measurement streams– Co-location uncertainty– Use of GRUAN in NWP / reanalysis– Virtual observatory of match-ups

Points of business for AOPC discussion

• If we are pushing BUFR for GRUAN (and GUAN) then GCOS monitoring centres need to have capability to monitor BUFR receipts and quality.

• BUFR can include quality flags but not quantitative uncertainty information. If we ever want to transmit full GRUAN sonde data in NRT this needs to be addressed.

• Request that AOPC Chairs and secretariat approve ICM-7 report inter-sessionally once finalized

• As a point of information: Our ICM-8 will be in Boulder in the last week of April next year, it therefore shall likely follow rather than precede AOPC.

Questions

Stable water isotopologues in vapour, clouds, and precipitation

→ Relevance→ Feasibility→ Cost effectiveness

Remote sensing from ground…

…and by METOP/IASI

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In-situ from ground + aircraft