Atmospheric and cryospheric related services on the Third Pole region: requirements and gaps

1. Ninth Session of FOCRAII Atmospheric and cryospheric related services on the Third Pole region: requirements and gaps Xiao Cun-de (State Key Lab of Cryospheric Sciences, CAS; also at Institute of Climate System, CAMS; Member of WMO EC-PORS/GCW) April. 8, 2013 Beijing

2. Outline • WMO initiative on Global Cryosphere Watch (GCW) • Services on the “Third Pole” region • Regional plan and gaps (questionnaire)

3. The Cryosphere The cryosphere collectively describes elements of the Earth System containing water in its frozen state. It includes solid precipitation, snow cover, sea ice, lake and river ice, glaciers, ice caps, ice sheets, permafrost, and seasonally frozen ground. The cryosphere exists at all latitudes and in about one hundred countries.

4. Organization: GCW Conceptual Framework WMO Users and Applications research, operational centres, security, impacts, adaptation Outreach, Education, Capacity Building Advisory Group Data and Information Partners GCW Portal integrating data and information • met centres • satellite agencies • data centres Management Board GCW Information and Analysis anomaly tracking, hot-spots, variability and change, global and regional products Project Office Observations reference stations, contributing networks, satellites Cryosphere Products operational products, reanalyses, research datasets Working Groups

5. Key Tasks Implement recommendations of the IGOS Cryosphere Theme (“CryOS”) Assess user needs and requirements Establish measurement standards and best practices Establish a network of surface sites, called “CryoNet” Select candidate products for GCW Promote product intercomparisons, particularly satellite Develop a web (meta) data portal and interoperability for cryosphere users and providers Capacity building Communication and outreach

6. Outline • WMO initiative on Global Cryosphere Watch (WMO) • Services on the “Third Pole” region • Regional plan and gaps (questionnaire)

7. The Third Pole covers five million km2 in area with more than 100,000 km2 of glaciers, more than 1000 lakes and 10 big rivers.

8. Cryosphereic change and melt-water availability HAC versus water, showing basins like Indus, Ganges, Brahmaputra, Yangtze, Yellow and Mekong rivers (ICIMOD, 2005), and Tarim River

9. Direct and potential impacted areas by meltwater Eb Yenisal Ertysh Most direct impacted area Ili Tarim River Yellow River Yangtze Indus Lu River Yalizangbu Meikong Ganges Potential impacted area High Asia cryosphere

10. Impacts on regional climate Monsoon onset and northward movement is closely related to Asian cryopshere More extreme events in recent years in winter/spring: closely related to Tibetan Plateau and Arctic

11. Frozen ground Stable snow cover SFG permafrost China is one of most cryosphere-developed countries in the mid-latitude Glacier Snow cover Number：46377 Area：59425 km2 Volume: 5.6  1012m3 Area：Permafrost 220 104km2 Ice content：9.5  1012m3 Area：Stable snow cov 420  104km2 SWE：750  108m3

12. Continental-type glacier Sub-continental glaciers Marine-type glacier • Different types of glaciers experienced different rates of changes • Strong negative mass balance since 1990s

13. Temperature changes at 6-m depth along Tibet Highway during 1996-2006, and the rate of changes at each site QTB01：西大滩；QTB02：昆仑山垭口南坡；QTB03：青藏公路66道班；QTB04：清水河203孔； QTB06：可可西里特大桥；QTB07：五道梁火车站南；QTB09：可可西里；QTB15：温泉；QTB16：唐古拉；QTB18：两道河；XDT:西大滩；XSH:斜水河；CM1:楚玛尔河；WDL:五道梁；KKXL:可可西里

14. Geographic GAPS A mini- hole: yet on the roof of the Earth, leaking of science

15. Area above 4000 ma.s.l.

16. Area above 5000 m a.s.l.

17. Area above 6000 m a.s.l.

18. Re-designed High Asian Cryosphere network, 7 “supersites”

19. Weather forecast, Climate prediction Atmosphere Pasture and ecology preservation related with thawing of FG water availability Biosphere Hydrosphere Cryosphere Anthrosphere Lithopshere Debris flow/ GLOFs/ground settlement Adaptation strategy Services that related to atmosphere/cryosphere in the Third Pole region

20. pasture and flooding infrastructures Agriculture Frozen rain Glacial debris flow GLOFs

21. Weather/climate: gaps Snow cover on Tibet and Eurasia influences • Onset of summer monsoon • Teleconnection: floods of mid-low reached of Yangtze River Rely largely on data set and deep understanding of SC on Tibet and Eurasia

22. Extreme events/disasters: gaps • spring meltwater floods • frozen rain • blizzard over pasture areas • GLOFs • debris flow Correlation between Arctic sea ice and Siberia high (from Wu B. et al.) Shrinking sea ice leads to more frequent extreme events in winter/spring in China Frozen rain, 2008

23. Outline • WMO initiative on Global Cryosphere Watch (WMO) • Services on the “Third Pole” region • Regional plan and gaps (questionnaire)

24. 4th Session of Expert Council on Polar Observation, Research and Services (EC-PORS), WMO (Including the Third Pole)

25. Informal Meeting of Asian GCW/CryoNet, decided a formal meeting that will be held in Beijing, Sep.17-19, 2013

26. Regional CryoNet Workshop in Asia • The success of GCW and CryoNet depends on engagement of WMO members and national agencies engaged in observation, monitoring, modelling and assessment of the cryosphere locally, regionally and globally - in China, the co-operation of CMA and CAS is essential • In Asia – need the 3rd pole countries cooperating to maximize benefits • CryoNet and GCW could offer a collective approach to improve: • environmental monitoring and modelling supporting policy and decision making; • data management, including exchange, allowing data and information to be shared locally (residents and government) and regionally; • implementation of standards for observation and exchange of cryospheric data and information; • a collective long-term sustainable network to provide high quality data and information for monitoring changes in the cryosphere and for validation and calibration ofmodels and satellite products • Training in observation of the cryosphere

27. Regional CryoNet Workshop in Asia…2 • Propose a workshop be held in central Asia, targeting efforts in the “Third Pole” region; it is suggested the workshop on 17-19 September, Beijing) • The workshop would aim to enhance regional capabilities for measurements of snow and ice, and will expand collaboration between developing countries. Outcomes include: • an inventory of available cryospheric information, products and services that are currently available • an assessment of regional needs for cryospheric information, • the identification of potential collaborative regional contributions to GCW • the identification of observation sites in the region that can become part of the GCW surface network (“CryoNet”)

28. Questionnaire: 1/4 Observations: 3rd Pole Emailing me: cdxiao@cams.cma.gov.cn

29. Questionnaire: 2/4 Research: 3rd Pole Emailing me: cdxiao@cams.cma.gov.cn

30. Questionnaire: 3/4 Service mapping: 3rd Pole Emailing me: cdxiao@cams.cma.gov.cn

31. Questionnaire: 4/4 Workshop in Sep. 2013, Beijing Emailing me: cdxiao@cams.cma.gov.cn

32. Welcome to