International Polar Year (IPY): STG

1. International Polar Year (IPY): STG • The polar regions are symbolic, providing demonstrable evidence of human fingerprint on climate change processes • High-lat. climate change has a broad range of physical, bio-geochemical, and socio-economic impacts (e.g. IPCC 4th AR; Stern Report etc) • impacts lie at heart of the scientific basis and justification for polar-orbiting satellites • IPY provides a unique opportunity to Space Agencies: • already federates over 60 nations in high-latitude research • Comprehensively planned in-situ, airborne and satellite-borne experiments • No better opportunity to establish framework for delivering a coordinated satellite legacy dataset • All-time peak in terms of number of relevant polar-orbiters?

2. 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 14 13 Cryosphere Satellite Missions PALSAR/ALOS L-band RA, SAR & Wind Scat/ERS-2 RA2 & ASAR/Envisat C-band GMES S-1 RADARSAT-3 RADARSAT-1 C-band RADARSAT-2 C-band SAR/RISAT C-band TERRASAR-X X-band SAR/COSMO-SKYMED X-band ASCAT & AVHRR/MetOp Seawinds/QuikSCAT Ku-band Ku-Scat & MSMR/OCEANSAT-2 ICESAT-2 ICESAT CRYOSAT-2 GMES S-3 GRACE GOCE WindSat SMOS OLS & SSMI/DMSP— AVHRR & AMSU/NOAA MODIS & AMSR-E/EOS-Aqua AMSR/GCOM-W IPY Aster/MODIS/EOS-Terra VIIRS/NPP NPOESS C1 HY-1B HY-1 SPOT-4/5 & Landsat In orbit Approved Planned/Pending approval

3. SMOS ADM-Aeolus RADARSAT SPOT-4 ALOS f Accomplishing the IPY Snapshot Aircraft and in-situ Sounders and GPR Systems METOP Aqua & Terra DMSP GRACE MODIS / ASTER ASCAT SSMI AMSR-E AVHRR ERS-2 Envisat IceSat ASAR MERIS / A-ATSR GOCE HRVIR / VGT PALSAR PRISM / AVNIR-2 H Gravity

4. IPY Spaceborne Observations of the Polar Regions • The IPY provides an international framework for understanding high-latitude climate change and predicting global impacts. • IPY-era satellite capabilities represent a technological leap far beyond the capabilities of the IGY • Spaceborne technology offers unique capabilities for obtaining essential data for predictive models. • Coordinated spaceborne observations during IPY can serve as a prototype for coordinated international ventures such as: • IGOS-Partners Cryosphere Observing System (Cry-OS) • Global Climate Observing System (GCOS) – by fulfilling observations of Essential Climate Variables • GEOSS - IPY Legacy Dataset (Action Item CL-06-05: Ref GEO Work Plan)

5. Meeting Goals • For Flight Agencies to take ownership of IPY Legacy Objectives, and elements of the IPY “Polar Snapshot” • To allow Agencies to develop insight into how/where they can deliver a unique contribution to IPY legacy • To establish commitment to IPY-STG planning exercise • For Flight Agencies to take appropriate steps towards taking commitment to meet specific scientific objectives • For Agencies to actively plan and coordinate IPY acquisitions to fulfil goal of an IPY data legacy • To schedule future meetings of IPY-STG for review of acquisition plans and planning • For Agencies to speak with a coordinated single voice in support of realising the IPY goals and objectives

6. Proposed Meeting Foci • Focus on issues governing planning/acquisition of datasets which will otherwise not be accessible without immediate planning (March 2007 IPY kick off!) • Work on issues that act as roadblocks to the STG in preparation for acquisition of the IPY snapshot dataset • coordinated mission planning • interoperability of data management systems/archives • Establish Actions and Recommendations that help facilitate a coordinated Interagency “snapshot” • Establish Actions and Recommendations that feed into the work of existing bodies such as SCOBS & CEOS SIT (or National Agencies) to help with implementation or realisation of the scientific benefits of the data