WMO Commission for Basic Systems Report on GCOS

Sue Barrell

Vice President, WMO Commission for Basic Systems (CBS)

Outline

• Role of CBS

• Overview of GCOS-related activities in CBS– Including GFCS

• Addressing Actions in IP-10

Role of CBS• WMO Commission for Basic Systems (CBS) is the

mechanism through which Members contribute expertise related to:– development, implementation and operation of integrated

systems • for observing, data processing, data communication and data

management, – provision of public weather services, – in response to requirements of all WMO Programmes and

opportunities provided by technological developments. • CBS is the lead Technical Commission for:

– the overall World Weather Watch Programme (WWW), – the WMO Space Programme and – the Public Weather Services Programme, as well as– Implementation of WIS and WIGOS.

• CBS has 313 members from 140 countries, and is the biggest TC

Rolling Review of Requirements (1)

• RRR process is supported by the database on observational user requirements and observing system capabilities – Principal aim to address extent to which in situ and space-

based systems meet user requirements for observations– 12 application areas, incl Climate monitoring (GCOS) and

Climate applications (other aspects - addressed by CCl)– Focus on WMO programmes and co-sponsored programmes– Benefits all users of WMO observing systems, incl GCOS

• Database contains information on:– Technology-free user requirements, by applications area– Surface- and space-based observing system capabilities

• CBS-MG seeks strategy for evolution and future hosting of RRR database

RRR (2)

• Recommendation to CBS-Ext (2010) re database– Distributed approach– WMO Secretariat to provide overall coordination and to host

the requirements part– NASA or EUMETSAT to host the space-based observing

system capabilities part– EUMETNET or JCOMMOPS to host the surface-based

observing system capabilities part

• Key issues to be considered:– Quality management consistent with WMO Quality

Framework– Experts in applications areas to review user requirements– Link capabilities database to WIGOS components database– Roles and responsibilities of various actors– Funding requirements and sources.

Vision for the GOS in 2025

• Realistic observing systems’ projection in future, capturing expected trends – responding to user needs, integration, expansion (incl ECVs),

automation, consistency and homogeneity– including observing systems for Climate– approved by EC-LXI

• A new Implementation Plan for global observing systems will be developed in 2015 based on the new Vision (requested by EC-LXII)– will include WMO-’owned’ and co-sponsored systems– input from GCOS and Climate community expected

• CBS-Ext.(2010) will discuss modalities– to be ready for CBS in 2012.

New CBS Working Structure (addressing integration, interoperability, optimization)

• New ET-AIR: – Optimization of global observing systems after

introduction of new generation of humidity sensor– filling gaps

• New ET-SBRSO: – focus on quality procedures for new systems, such

as GPS-Met, Wind-Profilers, Weather Radars– Focus on gaps, including precipitation (QPE)

• New ET-AWS:– Focus on Climate needs, metadata, classification of

obs systems, implementation issues• Proposal to CBS-Ext.(2010):

– Rename ET-Evolution of GOS to ET-Evolution of global observing systems

GSN/GUAN• GSN/GUAN stations – suitable selection from RBCN -

special attention by CBS, also support to GFCS• Rapporteur on GCOS matters to CBS (Matthew

Menne) highlighted the need for improvements in the exchange of data from the GSN stations; – Sub-daily temperature, precipitation and other variables

relevant to climate variability and extremes– Understanding that is telecommunications issue and not

caused by any underlying shortcoming in the observational practice or by local data policy (may not be essential data by Res.40)

• Nine CBS Lead Centres for GCOS monitor RBCN (not only GSN and GUAN), biennium meetings, reports on the GCOS Website

• Regular update of the national FP for GCOS and RBCN / list available from GCOS Website

• Harmonization of RBCN and GSN&GUAN list of stations

GRUAN

• For GRUAN to become part of GOS and WIGOS, once fully operational, will need integration of GRUAN into CBS structures. – CBS and GCOS to address GRUAN Governance,

Programmatic and Procedural structures

• CBS-Ext.(2010) to discuss a mechanism for approval of observing practices for GRUAN, developed by GCOS, for inclusion in Manual and Guide for the GOS (and CIMO Guide)– Need for ad hoc team (including CIMO and GCOS experts) to

review WMO regulatory material based on Guide to the GRUAN

– Target submission to CBS-XV (2012) for consideration

Data Continuity• Recommendation to CBS-Ext (2010) that steps

should be taken to define and implement a space-based architecture for climate monitoring,

– To support gap-free continuity of ECV data record – To account for the different roles and responsibilities of the

respective entities (including R&D and operational space agencies, and their coordination bodies)

– while responding to the essential need for continuous and sustained operation

• Proposed workshop as a first step to develop a full understanding of the special climate requirement for continuity and the associated architectural implications

– involving representatives of the climate community (including GCOS, SCOPE-CM), space agencies of CGMS and/or CEOS, including representatives of the CEOS Virtual Constellations

CBS contributions to GFCS

• Activity on defining and implementing space-based architecture for climate monitoring

• Vision for the GOS in 2025 represents comprehensive response to needs for climate monitoring

– database of user requirements covers both climate monitoring (GCOS) and seasonal-to-interannual forecasting, but additional requirements (if any) for the newly emerging application of “decadal forecasting” should be considered

– GCW and Third Pole requirements will be also addressed

• Guidelines and procedures for the transition from manual to automatic observing stations

– taking into account the GCOS Climate Monitoring principles– an important focus for maintaining the climate integrity of

networks– Joint work with CIMO – Guidelines will be published early

next year

Other GCOS/IP-10 related activities

• Many actions from IP-10 addressed in above activities• Integral role of QMF as a cornerstone of WIGOS –

aligned to GCOS Climate Monitoring Principles (A4)• Request for distribution of water vapour data (A12)

from national networks is an issue of data policy. – Also applies to other communities request for all kind of

national data to be distributed on GTS (like weather radar data, windprofiler data, GNSS data , precipitation measurements etc.).

– Several IOS expert teams addressing this issue. • Meta data exchange (A18) is being addressed,

including by ET-AWS – Central importance in the WIS and WIGOS activities

• Ocean metadata standard (O33) jointly with IODE/JCOMM– Concern target may be too ambitious

WIGOS and WIS

• CBS lead commission in the implementation of WIS and WIGOS

• Collaborating with co-sponsors of partner observing systems

• Addressed in other presentations

Thank you