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Observing and Monitoring the Climate System
Fiscal Years 2004-2005 Accomplishments |
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Updated 3 December 2007
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Observing and Monitoring the Climate System |
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Recent Accomplishments
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The following are selected highlights of recent research supported by CCSP participating agencies (as reported in the fiscal year 2006 edition of the annual report, Our Changing Planet). Observations and MonitoringGlobal Climate Observing System (GCOS)GCOS integrates global networks placed strategically across the atmospheric, oceanic, and terrestrial domains, permitting better understanding of climate variability and change. In recent years, GCOS has accomplished a number of positive actions on international, regional, and bilateral levels that have led to success in improving climate observations worldwide. A number of workshops have been held in developing nations, highlighting the importance of GCOS observations. These workshops have resulted in a series of regional action plans that will help guide observational improvements in these regions. Spearheaded by the United States, a GCOS Cooperation Mechanism has been established to leverage the resources of developed nations to ensure that dormant GCOS network stations begin to be retrofitted. This will facilitate the collection of valuable surface and upper air data used in climate studies (see, e.g., CCSP Synthesis and Assessment Product 1.1, which is briefly described in the "Climate Variability and Change" chapter.). Key ocean observations are being made by the United States that are important to both science and society. They include sea level observations, measured using tide gauge stations and satellite observations; ocean carbon sources and sinks; ocean storage and global transport of heat and fresh water; and exchange of heat and fresh water between the ocean and atmosphere. To collect data on these variables, it is necessary to enhance the in situ component of the global ocean observing system, including an array of sensors situated across the global oceans. The number of instruments being deployed in the oceanic observing networks is increasing steadily. The United States has a three-tiered approach to in situ land-surface climate observations. In the first tier, a few sites, such as the Atmospheric Radiation Program sites, are heavily instrumented, providing a vast array of high-quality, frequent observations of virtually all key variables measurable from the surface. The second tier, known as the Climate Reference Network (CRN), will include more than 100 sites that make long-term, homogeneous observations of temperature and precipitation (and a few other variables) that can be coupled to long-term historical observations for the detection and attribution of present and future climate change. The third tier, which provides greater spatial coverage than the CRN, is composed of more than 1,000 stations in the existing Historical Climatology Network, selected based on homogeneity and quality standards. This tiered approach provides the spatial coverage necessary to detect regional climate variability and change, as well as the quality controls necessary to ensure that the observations are as bias-free as possible. U.S. contributions to GCOS also include ecosystem, hydrosphere, cryosphere, and atmospheric composition measurements. Atmospheric Brown Cloud ProjectSatellite data reveal thick, polluted layers of haze scattered all over the globe. From populated regions to the once pristine Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, atmospheric brown clouds (visible areas of brown-colored atmosphere) form across the United States, southern Europe, the Amazon, southern Africa, and most of Southeast Asia. Through observations and analyses of atmospheric brown clouds, scientists can learn how dust and pollution particles are transported and what their impacts are on the environment, climate, agricultural cycles, and quality of life. The aim of the Atmospheric Brown Cloud (ABC) project is to integrate air pollution and climate science, using observations (see Figure 25) and impacts modeling and assessment, in order to enhance the scientific basis for informed decisionmaking. ABC is focusing initially on the Indo-Asian and Pacific regions. A primary thrust of ABC is to assess the impact of air pollution and greenhouse gases on the Asian monsoon, which brings much needed rainfall to over 3 billion people in this region. The ABC project was initiated in 2003 as a long-term multinational effort being carried out under the auspices of the United Nations Environment Programme and the WMO. DOE, NASA, and NOAA support the U.S. component of the project, with participation by several universities. Global Atmosphere Watch, the atmospheric chemistry component of GCOS, will provide observing stations to be used as platforms for the measurement of aerosols and atmospheric chemical composition. The first new observatory was established in the Republic of the Maldives in October 2004. An intensive field observation test period as part of an ABC campaign at Gosan, Korea, was carried out in March 2005.
Polar Observations: ICESatPolar systems may be especially sensitive to climate change and might provide early indications of climate change. They also interact with climate variability and change through several important feedback processes. Monitoring polar climate and understanding its feedbacks are key priorities described in the CCSP Strategic Plan . CCSP supports the creation of systematic data sets for parameters such as sea-ice thickness, extent, and concentration; land-ice and snow-cover mass balance; and surface temperature. Impacts of changes in these and other variables were highlighted in the 2004 Overview report of the Arctic Climate Impact Assessment, Impacts of a Warming Arctic. Significant contributions are being made to CCSP's polar observations by NASA's Ice, Cloud, and Land Elevation Satellite (ICESat), launched in 2003. ICESat measures surface elevations of ice and land, vertical distributions of clouds and aerosols, vegetation canopy heights, and other features with unprecedented accuracy and sensitivity. The primary purpose of ICESat has been to acquire time series of ice-sheet elevation changes for determination of the present-day mass balance of the ice sheets, study of associations between observed ice changes and polar climate, and improvement of estimates of the present and future contributions to global sea-level rise. ICESat has achieved remarkable successes with a number of first-of-their-kind observations. Among these are:
Solar Variability: SORCEThe Sun is the Earth's primary energy source and external driver of climate variability. The Solar Radiation and Climate Experiment (SORCE) satellite, launched in 2003, is equipped with four instruments that measure variations in solar radiation much more accurately than previous measurements. SORCE is now making the first contiguous observations of solar variability across the full solar spectrum, from the far ultraviolet to near-infrared wavelengths. In June 2004, SORCE measured small changes in solar luminosity caused by the transit of Venus, demonstrating unprecedented precision. On 4 November 2004, SORCE documented the largest solar X-ray flare ever recorded and measured associated changes in total solar irradiance. SORCE's operational life is expected to extend across the upcoming 2006-2007 solar minimum, a crucial period for estimating any long-term trend, such as that indicated by indirect measurements of past solar forcing. SORCE is expected to overlap with the Glory mission that will carry forward the total solar irradiance record after 2008, as discussed below. The follow-up to the ultraviolet and other solar spectral measurements of SORCE is not expected until sometime after 2010 when both the total and spectral measurements may become operational as part of the National Polar-Orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS). Continuity of the solar spectral record will require that SORCE last beyond its design life of 5 years. ARM Mobile FacilityThe primary goal of the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Program is to improve the treatment of cloud and radiation physics in global climate models in order to improve the climate simulation capabilities of these models. These efforts have been enhanced by the addition of the ARM mobile facility (AMF) to study cloud and radiation processes in multiple climatic regimes. The AMF can be deployed to sites around the world for durations of 6 to 18 months. Data streams produced by the AMF will be available to the atmospheric community for use in testing and improving parameterizations in global climate models. The first deployment of the AMF is a collaboration between DOE and the DOD Office of Naval Research, which will make observations of marine stratus clouds and cloud-aerosol interactions. Coral Ecosystem Integrated Observing SystemCoral reefs are some of the most biologically diverse ecosystems on Earth. They buffer coastal areas from oceanic swells and tides and provide economic benefits through tourism and fisheries. Recent estimates have shown a loss varying from 15 to 25% of the global population of coral reef ecosystems (Buddemeier et al ., 2004). While the causes for this degradation may vary, the effects are felt throughout other marine ecosystems and ultimately by the economies of nations dependent on the beauty and bounty of coral reefs to attract tourism and fisheries. A team of scientists assembled on-site monitoring instruments and satellite remote-sensing data to enhance understanding of the magnitude and complexity of environmental, physical, and biological factors causing coral reef degradation. The integration of monitoring systems is also an effective tool to more fully understand the effects of climate change on coral reef ecosystem health, and to assess the effects of climatic trends on the diversity and abundance of coral reefs through time. The Coral Reef Ecosystem Integrated Observing System (CREIOS) was formed to provide a diverse suite of long-term ecological and environmental observations and information products over a broad range of spatial and temporal scales. The goal is to understand the condition and health of, and processes influencing, coral reef ecosystems, to assist stakeholders in making improved and timely ecosystem-based management decisions to conserve coral reefs. The newly formed CREIOS and NOAA's Coral Reef Watch (see the "Ecosystems" chapter) are at the forefront of integrated research observations spanning domestic and international arenas. Data Management and InformationThe following are selected data management and information activities supported by CCSP participating agencies. Integrated Climate Data in the Pacific Islands RegionEfforts to improve climate data integration in the Pacific Islands region are being explored for the purpose of producing more useful end-user-driven products. The Pacific Region Integrated Data Enterprise (PRIDE) is currently underway in Hawaii. This activity efficiently uses existing resources via a newly created NOAA Integrated Environmental Applications Information Center that will be a new-generation data center for the purpose of developing more customer-focused and integrated environmental products. NOAA is partnering with academic and other Federal agencies in the region (e.g., USGS) to provide information on issues related to Pacific islands, including past, current, and future trends in patterns of climate and weather-related extreme events (e.g., tropical cyclones, flooding, drought, and ocean temperature extremes) and their implications for key sectors of the economy such as agriculture, tourism, and fisheries; and options for coastal communities and marine ecosystem managers to adapt to and manage effects of variable and changing environmental conditions. Climate Extremes IndexThe Climate Extremes Index (CEI) was originally introduced in 1996 as a way to determine whether, and by how much, climate extremes in the United States are changing. The index initially consisted of five separate climate change indicators, combined to yield an overall extremes index summarized on an annual basis. The individual indicators used to investigate possible extremes included mean monthly maximum and minimum temperature, daily precipitation, and the monthly Palmer Drought Severity Index. In recent years, a revised CEI was released that includes a sixth indicator related to extremes in land-falling tropical storm and hurricane wind speed. In addition, the CEI is now evaluated for eight standard periods or seasons, including spring (Mar-May), summer (Jun-Aug), autumn (Sep-Nov), winter (Dec-Feb), warm (Apr-Sep), cold (Oct-Mar), hurricane (Jun-Nov), and annual (Jan-Dec). Newly digitized pre-1948 data have also been included to improve spatial coverage without compromising completeness of data. With the addition of near real-time data, the CEI became an operational index in June 2004 and is now updated within the first few weeks after a particular season has ended. Graphs of the most current CEI and the individual indicators that comprise the CEI may be viewed on the CEI web site.
Data Rescue: Climate Database Modernization ProgramThrough the Climate Database Modernization Program, millions of deteriorating film and paper images were preserved through imaging and manual data entry. The program is a partnership between NOAA and private industry to image and manually enter paper and microfilm records and make them available on the web to members of the climatological research community. Currently there are nearly 42 million images available. Without these data rescue efforts, irreplaceable records of past climate would be lost – records that are vital for maximizing the Nation's ability to assess the nature of past climate variability and change. Improved Access to Radar Data . NOAA significantly improved access to archived Weather Surveillance Radar-88 Doppler data (WSR-88D NEXRAD) and has made these data available for use in retrospective climate studies, particularly in regard to precipitation. With increased bandwidth and advanced information technology, NEXRAD data are now available within hours as opposed to days and weeks (see Figure 27).
REASoN ProgramForty Cooperative Agreement projects that are part of NASA's Earth Science REASoN – Research, Education, and Applications Solutions Network – completed their first year. The REASoN projects are part of NASA's strategy to work with its partners to improve its existing data systems, guide the development and management of future data systems, and focus performance outcomes to further Earth science research objectives. In order to achieve these goals, the REASoN projects are organized to engage the science community and peer review process in the development of higher level science products; use these products to advance Earth system research; develop and demonstrate new technologies for data management and distribution; and contribute to interagency efforts to improve the maintenance and accessibility of data and information systems. A list of ongoing activities under this program can be found at the REASoN Web page |
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