Global Cryosphere Watch (GCW) Snow Watch Team Meeting, 2 nd Session

1. Global Cryosphere Watch (GCW) Snow Watch Team Meeting, 2nd Session Columbus, Ohio, June 13-14 2016 (Barry Goodison, Jeff Key and Miroslav Ondráš) (http:/globalcryospherewatch.org)

2. Cg-16 (2011)…WMO needs to have a focus on global cryosphere issues to be able to provide authoritative information to meet Members’ responsibilities on regional and global weather, climate, water and related environmental matters Cryosphere: solid precipitation*, snow cover*, sea ice*, lake and river ice, glaciers*, ice caps*, ice sheets*, ice shelves, permafrost* and seasonally frozen ground (*GCOS ECV) • Cg-17 (2015) decided: • Polar and High Mountain Activities is one of the seven priorities: • To improve operational meteorological and hydrological monitoring, prediction and services in polar, high mountain regions and beyond by … “Operationalizing GCW” • And hence • to mainstream and implement GCW in WMO Programmes as a cross-cutting activity; • that implementation activities will be undertaken during the next financial period as one of the major efforts of the Organization with the goal that GCW should become operational; • Changes in the cryosphere can have significant impacts on…. • The Global Earth System: • Sea level rise • Climate • Ocean circulation • Atmospheric circulation • Regional and local impacts: • Natural resources and hazards • Ecosystems • Food production and fisheries • Infrastructure • Transportation • Recreation • GHG emissions EC-PHORS will continue to guide implementation of GCW

3. GCW Organization and Framework

4. GCW Mission:GCW will provide authoritative, understandable, and useable data, information, and analyses on the past, current and future state of the cryosphere to meet the needs of WMO Members and partners in delivering services to users, the media, public, decision and policy makers. 3rd Session GSG, 3rdObs WG and I&S WG Session (Boulder) First GCW Implementation Workshop (Geneva) IGOS Cryosphere Theme Report published First Snow Watch workshop (Toronto) Pre-operational CryoNet Team meeting (Reykjavik) WMO 16th Congress approves GCW development based on GCW IS WMO 15th Congress welcomes proposal for GCW First CryoNet workshop (Vienna) Cg-17GCWImplement. 2015 2016 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 Asia CryoNet workshop (Beijing) 2nd Session GSG, 2nd CryoNet Session (Copenhagen) Partnership is essential for success Interim Steering Group meeting (Reykjavik) South America CryoNet workshop 2nd Asia CryoNet Mtg (Salekhard)

5. GCW working structure • - New teams proposed for sea ice and glaciers be formed • Asia and S. America Regional Groups established; further development as appropriate

6. GCW Building on Past Initiatives International Polar Year 2007-2008 – WMO was a co-sponsor UNESCO - Climate Change and Arctic Sustainable Development: scientific, social, cultural and educational challenges – Monaco, 2009 • Identified knowledge gaps and made more than 67 recommendations: Education, communication and outreach (6+); Cultural heritage (7); Well-being and health (4); Economic development and resource management (11); Arctic Governance (14); Establishing, sustaining and strengthening research and monitoring systems (15+); Information access and data sharing (4+); Policy and decision Support(6) Arctic Council/AMAP Snow, Water, Ice and Permafrost in the Arctic • SWIPA recommendations are important considerations for GCW observing systems in the Arctic – e.g. improved coordination of observing cryo, standardization, importance of satellite observing, use of traditional knowledge, community based monitoring programmes, sustainability of long-term in-situ observations,………. EU Project CryoLand – establishing user needs was critical • Surveyed 60 Organisations from 15 European countries + 3 EU organisations to establish Product & Service Requirements and Specs and for Product & Service Testing and Evaluation, from hydropower companies to met and hydrologcial services to reindeer herders

7. GCW Activities (what is GCW doing, or what’s happening that wouldn’t otherwise happen) • developing a network of surface observations, with "CryoNet“ at the core, which builds on existing networks; • establishing measurement guidelines and best practices; • refining observational requirementsfor the WMO RRR; • engaging in and supporting intercomparisons of instruments and products, e.g., the GCW Snow Watch project; • enhanced near real-time snow depth observation on the GTS/WIS and reportingof zero snow depth (with modelling centres and CBS); • contributing to WMO’s space-based capabilities database (with PSTG); • evaluation/intercomparison of satellite snow products initiated with ESA (SnowPEX);

8. GCW Activities …2 • producing unique hemispheric products, e.g., “snow anomaly trackers” for SCE and SWE in collaboration with partners; • engaging in historical data rescue (e.g., snow depth); • building a glossary of cryospheric terms; • developing international training, outreach materials; co-sponsoring workshops • providing up-to-date information on the state of the cryosphere; • providing access to data and metadata through a portal;

9. THE NEED FOR COMMON GCW CRYOSPHERE TERMINOLOGY (in all WMO languages)….an issue for everyone • Snowfall: (1) Snow falling. (2) Depth of fresh snow deposited on the ground during a specific period. (WMO) • Snow cover: Covering of the ground, either completely or partially, by snow. (METEOTERM) • Snow cover: Areal extent of snow-covered ground, usually expressed as per cent of total area in a given region. • Snow cover: In general, the accumulation of snow on the ground surface, and in particular, the areal extent of snow-covered ground (NSIDC, 2008); term to be preferably used in conjunction with the climatologic relevance of snow on the ground. See also snowpack. (UNESCO Seasonal Snow on the Ground) • Snow coverage: ratio of the snow covered area to the total area of a basin. (WMO/UNESCO, Int. Glossary Hydrology)  • Inuktitut - qanik snow falling; aputi snow on the ground; pukak crystalline snow on the ground…….. GCW cryosphere glossary now has over 2900 entries from 21 sources, with over 1600 unique terms - how do we rationalize Snow Watch Contribution is essential

10. GCW Surface Network – CryoNet, Contributing Stations • an immediate GCW priority is to establish the core network of GCW surface measurement stations/sites – CryoNet, one part of the whole GCW observing system. • GCW/CryoNet is a component observing system of the WMO Integrated Global Observing System (WIGOS). • CryoNet stations/sites must meet a minimum set of requirements • CryoNet covers all components of the cryosphere (glaciers, ice shelves, ice sheets, solid precipitation, snow, permafrost, sea ice, river/lake ice) through an extensive approach of in-situ observations. • CryoNet is initially comprised of existing stations/sites, rather than creating new sites; some SEARCH and AON sites are already part of CryoNet. • GCW Contributing Stations provide useful measurements of the cryosphere, but whose data records may be shorter or with large gaps, or do not provide the quality and consistency of data required of CryoNet stations; may be in remote, hard to access regions where cryospheric observations are scarce.

11. CryoNet Station and Site concepts A CryoNet station must meet the minimum set of requirements, which includes providing ancillary meteorological measurements.

12. Minimum requirements of a CryoNet Station Meeting Core CryoNet Measurement Requirements: The station shall measure at least one of the variables of one of the cryosphere components (i.e. snow, solid precipitation, lake and river ice, sea ice, glaciers, frozen ground and permafrost). The station location is chosen such that cryospheric measurements are representative of the surrounding region, and such representativeness needs to be clearly described. Commitment of Operational Continuity: The station must be active. The responsible agencies are committed, to the extent reasonable, to sustaining long-term observations of at least one cryosphere component. There must be a commitment to continue measurements for a minimum of four (4) years. Metadata Up to Date and Availability: The station metadata, including all metadata describing the station characteristics and observational programme, are kept up-to-date and available in the GCW Portal as the interface to the WIGOSOSCAR Compliance with Agreed Regulatory Practice: The station observational procedures, the instruments and method of observations, quality control practices, etc., should follow GCW endorsed regulations, manuals, guides and, to the extent possible, the recommended best practices. Data and Ancillary Data Freely Available: Data are made freely available, and whenever possible in near real-time. In situ ancillary meteorological observations, as required by CryoNet best practices, should also be available with documented quality. Competency of Staff: Personnel must be trained in the operation and maintenance of the station.

13. CryoNet Stations in a Site Cryosphericsurfaceobservationshavecomplexstructure

14. Observations: CryoNet Pre-operational testing of CryoNet is in progress with the set of 36 sites approved by Cg-17 • CryoNet stations: • are formally accepted by WMO and Members • meet minimum requirements • agree to GCW best practices • agree to GCW data policies

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16. Measurement Standards and Best Practices GCW is drawing on existing measurement methods where possible and where a scientific consensus has been or can be reached. Step 1: Inventory of existing guidelines: Step 2: GCW works through these documents, engages the community (WMO and beyond), and reaches a consensus on best practices for each variable. GCW Guide: end of 2016 (draft) GCW Manual: Cg-18 in 2019

17. Requirements and Capability for observations(ongoing) • GCW Requirementsare being formulatedand documented on the GCW website; • They will draw from various sets of existing user requirements and will be vetted by the scientific community; • Those requirements will become part of the WMO Rolling Review of Requirements (RRR); • Will be accessible through the Observing Systems Capability Analysis and Review Tool (OSCAR), the official source for WMO requirements, which has a cryosphere theme; • GCW is a Theme under Observational requirements in OSCAR

18. Requirements for Spatial and Temporal Resolution of Products and Product Ranking

19. Solid Precipitation Intercomparison (SPICE, CIMO)A GCW Demonstration ProjectA Critical Issue for Members 15 countries hosting a total of 20 field sites; Australia, Chile, Canada, Finland, France, Italy (Nepal), Japan, Korea, Norway, New Zealand, Russia, Poland, Switzerland, Spain, USA. Investigating the in-situ measurement and reporting of Precipitation amount • over various time periods (minutes, hours, days, seasons), • as a function of precipitation phase (liquid, solid, mixed); Snow on the ground (snow depth) - Will include linkages between snow on the ground and snowfall

20. Integrated Products WG Snow Watch Team working on improved real-time flow of, and access to, in situ snow measurements (e.g. non-reporting of snow depths by some countries) and more countries have begun to exchange these data and have begun active reporting of zero snow depth . Still gaps in the USA and China, although the USA is working on providing data

21. Integrated Products: Trackers “Snow anomaly trackers” by Finland (FMI) and Canada (CMC) were developed for GCW for monitoring daily changes on the hemispheric scale Further, regional snow trackers are under discussion to support, among others, Polar Regional Climate Centres

22. Integrated Products: Inventory • The Snow Watch Team is assessing the maturity and accuracy of snow products through the intercomparison project “SnowPEx”, which is supported by ESA. The objective of the "SnowPEx" project is the intercomparison and validation of hemispheric and global satellite snow • products for estimating temporal trends • of the seasonal snow cover and assessing • their accuracy. • An initial inventory of snow products is • available online under three categories: • Satellite-derived snow products and datasets • Analyses, reanalyses and reanalysis-driven snow products and datasets • In situ snow products and datasets • 16 satellite-derived, 22 in situ, and • 20 analysis/reanalysis

23. Bringing users and providers together: ROLE of GCW DATA PORTAL The GCW Data Portal will exchange cryosphere data, metadata, information and analyses among a distributed network of providers and users in support of informed decision-making. The GCW Data Portal is part of WIS, a Data Collection and Production Centre (under development), and is interoperable with data centres. • Data quality, sharing and access are fundamental principles • improve access to, and utilization of observations and products from WMO and other observing systems and national and international data centres, built using the principles developed for IPY2007-2008. • facilitates the interaction between users and providers of the products • YOPP data management builds on GCW data management (both principles and solution) gcw.met.no

24. Information and Services Initiated integration of data from CryoNet sites into the GCW Data Portal, tests conducted with three CryoNetsites: - Weissfluhjoch-Davos (Switzerland) - Sonnblick(Austria) - Sodankylä(Finland) Based on the experience from working with these stations, first versions of: - GCW Portal Interoperability Guidelines - GCW Portal Operations Manual

25. The website differs from the METNO GCW Data Portal in that it contains more dynamic information (news, state of the cryosphere plots, highlights, calendar), as well as background, higher-level information, GCW documents, and outreach material. It links to the METNO data portal. Information Website http://globalcryospherewatch.org

26. Moving Forward… A host of geographical, physical, technical, economic, political, bureaucratic challenges

27. GCW - CARRYING a Legacy FORWARDPerspectives on International Collaboration • WMO as an international organization offers: • a global perspective • the authoritative voice on weather, climate, water and related environmental matters • direct, official access to countries, NMHSs and national experts – identify national focal points, engage new experts, establish CryoNet etc • experience in developing and implementing standardized, comprehensive, coordinated, sustainable systems of observations & information • demonstrated ability to engage countries and partners in long-term initiatives – WCRP (CliC), GCOS, IPCC, GAW, GFCS and now GCW • mechanism for co-operation and collaboration at scientific, technical and administrative levels – Regions, Commissions, Congress • engagement of other international organizations and scientific organizations (e.g. ICSU, UNESCO, EUMETSAT) • funding opportunities

28. Challenges in International Collaboration There are many challenges in implementing GCW: • GCW is interdisciplinary and cross-cutting - national, regional and global in scope, addresses all time scales (NOT just climate), requires collaboration among government, academia, private sector - HOW DO WE CUT THROUGH THE STOVEPIPES AND HARNESS THE EXPERTISE AND RESOURCES THAT EACH COMMUNITY CAN OFFER - NOT JUST NMHSs • Bureaucracy and rigid planning cycles at all levels slows progress • Garnering national commitment of people and funds from different institutions • Competition for resources often overrides collaboration • Exchange of data and information across programmes (e.g. WMO), agencies and institutes (nationally or internationally) not necessarily done routinely • the issue of many streams being integrated and the potential duplication of metadata as well as the risk of outdated metadata is important. Current solution is part technology and part procedures and agreements. This, together with the brokering need, is important to enable interoperability in the short and mid range. • Overcoming the “strategic” or “commercial” designation of some cryosphere data, hence limiting exchange of data

29. GCW……….Authoritative information for the past, present and future state of the cryosphere GCW Website: http://globalcryospherewatch.org/GCW Portal: http://gcw.met.no/