© GEO Secretariat

GEOSS and GEO Cold Regions - An information framework for observations in Polar and Mountain areas

16 Sep, 2013

Beijing, China

Yubao Qiu

yqiu@geosec.org

GEO Secretariat

Short data spans of satellite data Biases associated with instrument Uncertainties in retrieval algorithms

Wang et al., 2012, Clim. Dynam

“wet-gets-wetter”

Precipitation

U.S. Department of State

Washington DC

31 July 2003

The Group on Earth Observations (GEO)

Earth Observation Summit

To realize a future wherein decisions and

actions, for the benefit of humankind, are

informed by coordinated, comprehensive and

sustained Earth observations and information.

GEO Vision

•Improve and Coordinate Observation Systems

•Advance Broad Open Data Policies/Practices

•Foster Increased Use of EO Data and Information

•Build Capacity

GEO Objectives

Created in 2005, to develop a coordinated and sustained

Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS) to

enhance decision making in nine Societal Benefit Areas

(SBAs)

GEO today:

90 Members

67 Participating

Organizations

© GEO Secretariat

67 Participating Organizations

A Global, Coordinated, Comprehensive and Sustained System of Observing Systems

Space-based Assets

In-situ Systems

© GEO Secretariat

Ecosystem Classification & Mapping (Australia, Austria, Brazil, Canada, China, EC,

Italy, Paraguay, USA, RCMRD, UNESCO)

* SHARE mountain stations operational

* All ecosystem mapping data available; DataCORE

* New maps of growing season

* Atlas of 40 Chinese World Heritage Sites

* Decision-making support: ABCC program

* New GEO proposal adopted by G20 (Cannes, 3-4 Nov 2011)

* Inter-comparisons of agricultural modeling & monitoring methods

* 7 pilot sites in Argentina, Canada, China, Europe and Mexico

* 2 new pilot-sites in Brazil

* Satellite data acquisition coordinated with CEOS

FASAL - India

Improved Crop Management (Argentina, Brazil, Canada, China, EC, France,

India, Mexico, Russia, South Africa, USA, FAO)

Forest Carbon Tracking (Australia, Canada, Japan, Norway, USA, CEOS, FAO)

From 2009: • Brazil • Guyana • Mexico • Indonesia (Borneo) • Australia (Tasmania) • Cameroon • Tanzania

New projects contributed:

* US SilvaCarbon * European FP7 RECOVER, REDDAF, REDD-FLAME, REDDINESS

From 2010/2011:

• Colombia

• Congo

• Peru

• Indonesia (Sumatra)

• Nepal (2011)

Network of National Demonstrators

Regional Center for

Tropical Forest Monitoring (Brazil, France, Italy, Japan, FAO)

* Training in 3 languages (English, Spanish, Portuguese)

* Open-source software

* Over 60 people trained from 18 countries

* Results directly applied by Congo

© GEO Secretariat

More Carbon Information (Australia, China, EC, France, Italy, Japan,

Netherlands, UK, USA, CEOS, ESA, GTOS, WMO)

* Ground-based Carbon

datasets released

(FLUXNET, TCCON)

* Essential for calibration/

validation of satellite data

* New European projects

launched for estimating

regional CO2 and CH4

sources & sinks

* GEO Carbon Strategy

© GEO Secretariat

Next Generation CBERS (Brazil, China, Egypt, France, Gabon, Italy,

Spain, South Africa)

* 70% of CBERS data

available online

* Ground stations

upgraded to receive/

process CBERS-2B

* New ground station

in Gabon

* MoUs signed with

Spain and South Africa

for CBERS-3 reception

(launch in Q1 2012)

Global Fire-Danger Systems (Canada, Germany, Russia, GTOS, ISDR)

* Prototype global early-warning system operational

* Regional fire systems for Eurasia, Europe, southern Africa developing

* 400 weather station data processed daily for fire-potential maps

© GEO Secretariat

New Flood Warning Systems (Canada, Germany, Namibia, Ukraine, USA, UNOOSA)

* Launched during

Namibian floods of

January-April 2011

* Rapid dissemination of

space-based & ground-

sensor products

* Flood warnings issued

to local populations

* To be extended to

southern African regions

© GEO Secretariat

GEO Biodiversity Observation Network (Australia, Denmark, Greece, India, New Zealand,

Portugal, South Africa, USA, Diversitas, GBIF)

* GEOBON key contributor to Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)

* Evaluation of existing capabilities for protecting biodiversity by 2020

* Country maps of native and invasive species

GEONETCast Expanded (China, EC, Netherlands, USA, EUMETSAT)

* New dissemination

of disaster imagery

(agreement with

International Charter)

* Growing network of

stations: Africa, Asia,

Americas

* CMACast – Next

generation update

* Toolbox, training

channels, e-courses

© GEO Secretariat © GEO Secretariat

More Water Information(Austria, EC, Germany, Japan, USA,

CEOS, ESA, WCRP, WMO)

* Global high-res precipitation

datasets 1979-2010

* New SMOS products & soil

moisture datasets 1978-2010

* Satellite data validation

* Global Drought Information

System underway

* Asian/African Water Cycle

Initiative

Soil Moisture (SMOS, ESA)

Precip

Push the way for the GEO Dry-land Observation Network (Now…)

• UNCCD,

Rio+20 outcomes literally states: “We reaffirm our resolve under the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) to take coordinated action nationally, regionally and internationally, to monitor, globally, land degradation and restore degraded lands in arid, semi-arid and dry sub humid areas”; what this statement may help open a new window for addressing global monitoring UNCCD.

Rio+20 outcomes: The Zero-net land degradation (ZNLD) could have on a renewed interest on land-related issues in the global environmental agenda. Clearly without a strong monitoring system, the idea of ZNLD will fail.

GEOSS Implementation requires: Data Sharing Principles

• Full and Open Exchange of Data

• Data and Products at Minimum Time delay and

Minimum Cost

• Free of Charge or Cost of Reproduction

1. Uncertainty over continuity of observations

2. Large spatial and temporal gaps in specific data sets

3. Eroding or little technical infrastructure in many parts of the world

4. Lack of relevant processing systems to transform data into useful

information

5. Limited access to data and associated benefits in developing world

6. Inadequate data integration and interoperability

7. Inadequate user involvement

GEOSS Targeted Gaps

Interoperability Brokers

Introduction of the

Brokering approach

Achievements

© GEO Secretariat

Link/Foster the Cold Regions Monitoring (Canada, China, Denmark, Germany, Norway, India, Italy,

Japan, Spain, Switzerland, USA, ICIMOD, IEEE, WCRP, WMO)

* CryoClim climate

monitoring service

* Svalbard Integrated Arctic

Earth Observing System

* Sea-ice ECV for Arctic/

Antarctic snow-cover

* Focus on Tibetan Plateau

* Glacier dynamics mapping

Why - Cold Regions Its CORE are the Cryospheric Components

It includes snow, sea ice, lake and river ice, glaciers, ice caps, ice sheets,

permafrost and seasonally frozen ground, and solid precipitation

Disaster Energy Climate Water Health Weather Ecosystem Agriculture Biodiversity

GEO nine Societal Benefit Areas

GEO CRs

CEOP AEGIS

PEEX SAON ABCC SIOS

TPE WMO GCW

National

Projects

Geogra

phic a

rea

National

Regio

nal

Arctic

Ant +SO

Islands

Mountains

TP

Global

Them

es

Cryosphere

Ecosystem

Environment

Biodiversity

Others(WA/CL/HD)

Functio

ns

Coordination

Network

Implementation

Information(Portal)

Services Comparative Research Qualitative Rating

Jeff Key @PSTG3

Jeff Key @PSTG3

Jeff Key @PSTG3

Jeff Key @PSTG3

GEO Cold Regions (CoP / Advisory Board)

GEOSS

Communities (Users and Stakeholders)

Infrastructure (Broker/GCI)

Data Sharing Principle (Support)

Plenary (Decision Makers)

Ministerial Summit

Partnerships (Systems)

Projects

Programs

Networks/Coordinations

The Third Part

Partnerships (FUTURE EARTH,

CLIC/WCRP…)

GEO Cold Region

Cross Cutting Task

SBAs

Short/ Long Term Activates/

National/Institutional effort

/Projects

A draft to address the coordination

(Information Service for cold Regions)

Space (Satellite/Airborne)

In-situ

model output (assimilation)

DA

TA

Information

Water-Ecosystem/Biodiversity-Climate-Environment

Specific Themes Now GCI provides the “raw” and “all”

combinations of GEO Data

Resources, now with millions of records and URLs. While it is not

easy for those who are working on the applications.

Idea GCI likes a “raw” data pool,

applications are specific, the virtual layer provide a professional interface to the applications

Requirement An Programmable GCI : Based on

the GCI, create a virtual layer of portal (interface)

Benefit Data pledge /Users engagement :

more operational for the users and specific theme applications

GEOBON GFOI

Others

Applications

Data Pools

virtual layer of portal

3

2

1

Recent Progress - 2013

• Building on the Past and Existing Activities

• Enhance the Arctic Data/Information coordination for Cold Regions by international programs (SAON, SIOS, PEEX, INTERACT, ABDS-ABA/CAFF, Cryoclim) and National/Institutional programs/Projects (China, Germany, Italy, and Switzerland)

• Remote Sensing of Antarctic - Land Cover and Mapping

• Initialize the coordination of the lower latitude Mountain Cold Regions observation activities (with EC-01 part) via in-situ and satellite observation and application, for example, SHARE/NextData Network, CEOP-AEGIS, TPE, ICIMOD, IMIS/SwissEx and etc.

• Satellite Data Coordination Support

Programs(list some of programs and projects): -(Sustainable Arctic Observation Network)SAON -Cryoclim (Norway) -Svalbard Integrated Arctic Earth Observing System (SIOS) -INTERACT (International Network for Terrestrial Research and Monitoring in the Arctic) -PEEX – Pan Eurasian Experiment -National Support : Italian Arctic Data Centre / Chinese Polar Mapping -…(other projects)

Mountain Projects: -Swiss Experiment Platform (SwissEx) -CEOP-AEGIS -TPE Program -ICIMOD data bases -SHARE NEXTDATA GEONetwork (EvC2CNR) -…(other Porjects)

Arctic

Global

Observing

Arctic and Global Value-added Services & Societal Benefits

Decision-

Making

Policy-

Making

Scientific

Research

& Education

Forecasting

& Prediction

Data

Products

Arctic

Observing

Operational

Observing

(international

and national)

Research

Observing

Community-based

Observing;

Local & Traditional

Knowledge

A Gateway to Arctic Data

Building Blocks SAON

1 2 3 4 5 etc.

SAON will promote coordination & improved services

WMO

The IGOS Cryosphere Theme was developed primarily to assess current capabilities and requirements for cryospheric observations

Over 100 recommendations provide the basis for subsequent actions. But who will take action?

2008

Global Cryosphere Watch (GCW)

The CORE of Cold Region – WMO-GCW Development

by GCW

Third Pole Environment Database

Pan Eurasian Experiment

In-situ Measurement Built on existing network

atmospheric measurements

Antarctic Landcover v1.0

Cold region specific data of the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL)

IMIS network Cryosphere Data: -166 stations over Switzerland -221 observers nationwide reporting weather and snow parameters -Some research data contains long time-series (Weissfluhjoch: 75 years) Ecological Data

Swiss Experiment Platform (SwissEx)

Space Observation Support to the Polar programs

• Polar Space Task Group support etc…

Comparative Study on Global Environmental Change Using Space Technology (ABCC)

To establish a cooperative relationship among the Participants in the use of Earth Observation science and technology in the study of global change, on the basis of equality, reciprocity and mutual benefit.

Activities and workshops • Joined the 2nd and 3rd Boarding meeting for SAON, 2012~2013

• Join the 2nd and 3rd PSTG meeting, Geneva, 2012~2013

• ECPORS IV / WMO, Lanzhou, 2013

• EO4Cryosphere, ESRIN, 2012

• GEO WATGLOBS meeting, April, 2013

• WebEx and Consultative side meetings, 2012~2013

• Arctic Observation Summit, Vancouver, 1-3 May, 2013

• The GEO Cold Regions Leads held a Webex meeting, 22, May, 2013

• GEO Cold Regions Meeting/Workshop, Geneva, 3rd, June,2013

• Polar Data base meeting, Oct., 2013

• Joint effort with the WMO/GCW at Dce., 2013

• GEO X Ministerial Summit / Plenary activities: side meeting or exhibition and Poster in Booth, Jan, 2014

• AOS, Helsinki, Finland, 2014 – Co-Sponsor

COLD-REGION@list.geosec.org

http://www.earthobservations.org