150 likes | 157 Views
Strategic Themes for US CLIVAR US CLIVAR Summit July 2009. David M. Legler U.S. CLIVAR Office U.S. Climate Variability and Predictability Program www.usclivar.org legler @ usclivar.org. Need for Themes. Encourage new ideas/thoughts from you !
E N D
Strategic Themes for US CLIVAR US CLIVAR Summit July 2009 David M. Legler U.S. CLIVAR Office U.S. Climate Variability and Predictability Program www.usclivar.org legler@usclivar.org
Need for Themes • Encourage new ideas/thoughts from you! • Identify most important (ie prioritize) scientific challenges US CLIVAR wants to address • Stimulate strategic (multi-year) thinking and planning • Encourage integration across US CLIVAR, & (where it makes sense) with other programs • Who cares? • Agencies: agency strategic plans, funding cycles • PIs: does US CLIVAR have any focus or interests that intersect my own? Should I get involved in/pay attention to US CLIVAR? • Other Programs (e.g. WCRP, Carbon Cycle, etc): What are US CLIVAR’s “implementation” activities? Do we share any interests? How can we better coordinate plans, and activities?
Current U.S. CLIVAR Themes (formerly Foci) I Drought II Decadal Variability/Predictions Science Themes Are Increasingly Being Motivated by Interactions with Service and Decision Making Communities
2007 2009 2011 Drought • Activities (2-page summaries from Panels): • Physics/Mechanisms of drought-relevant processes: DRICOMP, some field campaigns • Attributing of causes of drought: ongoing activities in data assimilation; IESA; analyses of past droughts, etc • Predictability of drought: Drought Working Group experiments, links to Int’l modeling efforts • Observations: unclear….motivation for improved ocean and soil moisture observations? • Strategy (scope unclear, not formalized…) • Future activities (TBD…Working Group input…) What do we do to build on past successes? DRICOMP Drought WG - predictability What more?
Decadal Variability/Predictions • Activities (2-page summaries from Panels): • Physics/Mechanisms of “decadal” processes: ongoing analyses of observed/simulated decadal variability; some field campaigns (KESS, CLIMODE) • Attributing causes: Distinguishing natural from anthropogenic factors (Decadal Predictability Working Group), ongoing agency-sponsored research, AMOC • Predictability: Decadal Predictability Working Group diagnostics, AMOC • Observations: unclear… • Strategy (still early, not formalized except in AMOC Strategic Vision document….) • Future activities (analysis of CMIP5 runs? AMOC activities, further Working Group input…) Decadal Predictability WG 2009 2011 2013
What is a US CLIVAR Theme? Needs further input • Compelling topical area/challenge of coupled climate scientific research (motivated in part by needs of users and services communities) • Investment of time and energy is anticipated to hasten progress and provide some early payoffs • Sufficiently focused… • Intersects aims and interests of two or more Panels • Addresses mandates or missions of CLIVAR agency programs • Reflects readiness of research community to get involved and realize rapid initial payoff • Provides opportunities to engage communities and programs that need to work with CLIVAR to address key scientific frontiers • Guides/catalyzes US CLIVAR-lead activities for a minimum of 3-5 years (sufficient time to allow new activities to bear fruit)
Needs further input Planning • Guided by a set of questions • Guided by a Strategic vision (motivation, scope, overview of strategic directions) encapsulated in a 5-10 pg brief • Guiding questions addressed/assessed as a concluding action Implementation • Leverages funded research activities • Builds upon current capabilities and tools (eg models, observational networks, etc) • Employs US CLIVAR Working Groups and Panels. • Works closely with agencies to identify research gaps and seeks modest/limited agency support for additional research
Charge to Panels on Themes • Wed/Thurs: Develop and discuss potential Themes • Thurs evening Plenary Present top choices (3 max) • Thurs PM: Executive will determine overall top 3 candidates • Friday AM breakouts by 3 candidate Themes: develop further the strengths, possible scope, intersections with Panels, possible activities (e.g. Working Groups) • Friday Friday late AM: Breakout reports • SSC Meeting Friday late AM: Identify new theme(s)
Example Areas for ThemesMany of these are too broad, don’t restrict discussion to just these • Climate and (marine?) ecosystems • S/I Prediction of Tropical SSTs, including ENSO • Climate Analysis of the Earth System • Arctic climate changes/relationship to global system • Carbon cycle diagnosis/prediction (with Carbon Cycle Science Program?) • Extremes • Climate and Aerosols (some activities underway within WCRP) • Risk Assessment
Next Steps (post Summit) • Develop prospectus for new Working Group(s) for consideration (later this year) • Identify partnerships/linkages that need be established/nurtured… (USCPO and agencies can help) • Summit 2010 to center around new theme …
Discussion • What more can/should CLIVAR lead with regards to Drought? Scope of our efforts? • What follow-up activities will Panels take on? • Do we need another Working Group? • Do we just let other activities (Siegfried’s list) continue and revisit Drought later… • Themes • Sufficient motivation? • Attributes of a good Theme? • Desired outcomes clear?
What a US CLIVAR Theme Isn’t • A means to stimulate and coordinate routine ongoing research activities without focus and without an expressed intent of desired outcomes
Theme Life-Cycle? • Theme Identified • Working Group(s) to initiate focused activities and hold community workshop • Strategic Plan to carry on beyond WG