GEO Task Coordinator Report 2013: Achievements and Progress Summary

1. Task Coordinator: Brian Killough (CEOS) GEO Task IN-01Status ReportJanuary 2014

2. IN-01-C1 Accomplishments for 2013 • IN-01-C1 (Surface Networks) is led by Tim Haigh (EEA). • After consultation between the EU and international in-situ providers on full and open access to GMES / Copernicus data, and finalizing a catalogue of in-situ needs for Copernicus services (land, atmosphere, marine, emergency), the European Environment Agency (EEA) finalised a document on “recommended solutions” for provision of in-situ data to Copernicus. • The Global Precipitation Climatology Center (GPCC) has produced monthly datasets from 1900 through 2013 (current) to summarize precipitation. The number of datasets and represented countries continues to expand with time.

3. IN-01-C2 Accomplishments for 2013 • IN-01-C2 (Space Observations) is led by Brian Killough (NASA, CEOS). • 8 new mission launches in 2013 and one failure (CBERS-3). Launches include: Landsat 8 (NASA/USGS), Proba-V and SWARM (ESA), SARAL and INSAT-3D (ISRO), VNREDSat-1A (Vietnam), KOMPSAT-5 (KARI), FY-3C (China). 11 new CEOS launches planned for 2014. • Renewed emphasis on CEOS Virtual Constellation (VC) outputs and data access. New Terms of Reference, Work Plans and Data Portals. • Significant progress on CBERS ground stations in South Africa and Spain, but unfortunately, CBERS-3 failed during launch on December 9. CBERS-4 is under development and will launch in 2014. • New combined CGMS-CEOS Working Group on Climate was formulated in 2013. The first meeting is in March 2014. Focus on Essential Climate Variable (ECV) Inventory (www.ecv-inventory.com) developed by CEOS, CGMS, and WMO includes 200+ data records. These groups have also defined a Climate Monitoring Architecture for space-based observations.

4. IN-01-C3+C4 Accomplishments for 2013 • IN-01-C3 (Observation Networks) is supported by Ruth Neilan (NASA JPL) • The Global Geodetic Observing System (GGOS) issued a Core Site Requirements Document and a Call for Participation in the GGOS network which resulted in 14 responses involving 36 sites. 4 new sites were established in Australia (1) and Russia (3) and several others are planned in Spain, Finland, Norway, and China, contributing to the evolution of the International Terrestrial Reference Frame (ITRF). • IN-01-C4 (Radio Frequency Coordination) is led by Jose Arimatea Brito (Brazil) • The Steering Group on Radio Frequency Coordination (SGRFC) met in January 20130 (Ottawa, Canada). Since then, members of the SGRFC have actively participated in several meetings related to the World Radiocommunication Conference 2015 (WRC-15) agenda items of interest/concern to Meteorology, Climatology and Earth observation communities. WMO maintains a website describing Radio Frequency activities and reports of relevant meetings.

5. IN-01 Support to GEO Strategic Targets Self Assessment for 2013 Summary of ProgressGREEN ... Significant progress toward targets with reported accomplishments. YELLOW ... Slow progress on some elements towards targets, but future plans exist, with some uncertainty.RED ... No progress toward targets. Future progress is questionable due to known issues. Comments and Issues to ReportIN-01-C1: Global in-situ expansion limited by resources in smaller countries and global economy. Lacking international commitment to in-situ coordination and management beyond Europe. IN-01-C2: Removed several items from the task work plan due to lack of response or progress ... ROSKOSMOS Arctica elliptical satellite network, Surrey Satellite Earthmapper Constellation, and the AfricaGeoSat-1 project. Al remaining items are making good progress ... GREEN. IN-01-C3: No reporting on arctic networks. Primary focus has been on GGOS activities led by Ruth Neilan (JPL).