Julian Wilson, Climate Change Unit

http://ccu.jrc.ec.europa.eu/home.phphttp://ies.jrc.ec.europa.eu/

http://www.jrc.ec.europa.eu/

The GAW World Data Centre for AerosolsWhy? What?and what next?

http://wdca.jrc.ec.europa.eu

Ispra 18th December 2008 CCU Seminar 1

Ispra 18th December 2008 – CCU Seminar 2

Why is there a GAW world data centre at CCU?

What does the World Data Centre for Aerosols do?

What will it do in the future?

Ispra 18th December 2008 – CCU Seminar 3

Why is there a GAW world data centre at CCU?

Some Acronyms……

GEO: Group on Earth Observations (2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development & G8) co-ordinates efforts to build GEOSS.

GEOSS: Global Earth Observation System of Systems: components covering Disasters; Health; Energy; Climate; Agriculture; Ecosystems; Biodiversity; Weather

GCOS: Global Climate Observing System established 1992 (WMO, IOC, UNEP, ICSU) = adopted as the climate observation component of GEOSS. GCOS calls for systematic observations of ECVs to serve needs of UNFCCC & IPCC.

ECVs: Essential Climate Variables 44 variables plus soil moisture needed to

describe the climate.

WMO/GAW: World Meteorological Organisation Global Atmosphere Watch Aerosol Network is the GCOS network for Aerosol Properties ECV.

WDCA is the World Data Centre for the WMO/GAW Aerosol Network. WDCA is one of principal direct actions by the European Commission (as opposed to indirectly supported through project funding) that supports GCOS.

Ispra 18th December 2008 – CCU Seminar 4

Why: Essential Climate Variables

Domain Essential Climate Variables

Atmospheric(over land, sea and ice)

Surface:  Air temperature, Precipitation, Air pressure, Surface radiation budget, Wind speed & direction, Water vapour.Upper-air: Earth radiation budget (including solar irradiance), Upper-air temperature (including MSU radiances), Wind speed & direction, Water vapour, Cloud properties.Composition: Carbon dioxide, Methane, Ozone, Other long-lived greenhouse gases[1], Aerosol properties.

Oceanic

Surface:  Sea-surface temperature, Sea-surface salinity, Sea level, Sea state, Sea ice, Current, Ocean colour (for biological activity), Carbon dioxide partial pressure.Sub-surface: Temperature, Salinity, Current, Nutrients, Carbon, Ocean tracers, Phytoplankton.

Terrestrial[2]

River discharge, Water use, Ground water, Lake levels, Snow cover, Glaciers and ice caps, Permafrost and seasonally-frozen ground, Albedo, Land cover (including vegetation type), Fraction of absorbed photosynthetically active radiation (fAPAR), Leaf area index (LAI), Biomass, Fire disturbance, Soil moisture[3].

[1] Including nitrous oxide (N2O), chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), sulphur hexafluoride (SF6), and

perfluorocarbons (PFCs).[2] Includes runoff (m3 s-1), ground water extraction rates (m3 yr-1) and location, snow cover extent (km2) and duration, snow depth (cm), glacier/ice cap inventory and mass balance (kg m-2 yr-1), glacier length (m), ice sheet mass balance (kg m-2 yr-1) and extent (km2), permafrost extent (km2), temperature profiles and active layer thickness, above ground biomass (t/ha), burnt area (ha), date and location of active fire, burn efficiency (%vegetation burned/unit area).[3] ] Recognized as an emerging Essential Climate Variable (not part of the 44).

Ispra 18th December 2008 – CCU Seminar 5

Why: Global Atmosphere Watch (GAW)

GAW established in 1989 by the Eleventh World Meteorological Congress (Cg-XI) as a major priority program. The mission of GAW is:

1. make reliable, comprehensive observations of the chemical composition and selected physical characteristics of the atmosphere on global and regional scales;

2. provide the scientific community with the means to predict future atmospheric states;

3. organize assessments in support of formulating environmental policy

Comprises five measurement programs: Ozone & UV, GHGs & Reactive Gases, Precipitation Chemistry, Aerosols & Solar radiation.

Ispra 18th December 2008 – CCU Seminar 6

What: GAW

SAG Aerosol, chairman (until 2009):Dr. Urs Baltensperger

(PSI, CH)

(WCC) for Physical Aerosol Instrumentation: Dr. Ali Wiedensohler

(IfT, DE)

GAWTEC IV, VI, VIII, Schneefernhaus, Zugspitze etc.

WDC Aerosols (IES JRC, IT)http://wdca.jrc.ec.europa.eu/

Ispra 18th December 2008 – CCU Seminar 7

What – GAW Aerosol Program

The SAG Aerosol recommends that the GAW aerosol program include:for regional stations any one, or more of the following:

optical depth mass (preferably in two size fractions) major chemical components in two size fractions light scattering coefficient

for global stations as many as possible of the following: optical depth mass in two size fractions major chemical components in two size fractions light scattering & hemispheric backscattering coefficients at various wavelength light absorption coefficient aerosol number concentration cloud condensation nuclei number concentration at 0.5% supersaturation diffuse, global and direct solar radiation

intermittently: aerosol size distribution; detailed size fractionated chemical composition;

dependence of aerosol properties on relative humidity; CCN spectra at various supersaturations; LIDAR measurements and other altitude profiles.

Ispra 18th December 2008 – CCU Seminar 8

What: WDCA activities

Data SubmissionData and Metadata Format:NARSTO data exchange standard (DES) extended CSV. NARSTO DES includes all the file metadata. Additional files provide more detailed information.Submission:Data are sent by ftp or email Quality Analysis at WDCA:NARSTO quality analysis system – checks conformity with the DES and internal integrity of the data. QA summary added to each file archived, only posted to ftp site when no errors/warnings.

Data RetrievalProcedure:Data available online from WDCA server and ftp. Data also supplied by emailCatalogue:Static & map based catalogue on WDCA serverArchive:Both NARSTO and non-NARSTO archives accessible via ftp.Data:Data in NARSTO DES format.Data usage:free scientific use, acknowledgement of data originator for substantive use.

Ispra 18th December 2008 – CCU Seminar 9

What: NARSTO Data Exchange Standard

WDCA uses the NARSTO Data Exchange Standard both for submission and distribution of data – extended comma separated value ASCII format:

data files can either be prepared in a spreadsheet, e.g. using the free excel template, or by scripts/programs, depending on data management at a particular site.

The NARSTO DES is used by EPA, MSC, & IMPROVE in the N. America, WDCA & is an output option for NILU/EMEP (Co-ordinated data submission for european sites).

The Data Exchange Standard has been used for exchanging aerosol physical and chemical data from aerosol chemistry to single particle analysis.

It is supported by a quality assurance science centre: http://cdiac.esd.ornl.gov/programs/NARSTO/narsto.html and each user community has its own quality assurance centre, WDCA in the case of GAW.

Attempts to ensure that ALL relevant meta-data for informed use of data now & in future are available together with the data – ideal for long term archive such as WDCA

Ispra 18th December 2008 – CCU Seminar 10

What: NARSTO File Structure, Metadata!

HEADER

FLAGS

SITE

DATA

Ispra 18th December 2008 – CCU Seminar 11

What: NARSTO Flags

Every data record is required to have a quality flagOnly report valid (V1) or qualified valid (V2-V7) valuesInvalid values set to missing, avoids their inadvertent use

Ispra 18th December 2008 – CCU Seminar 12

What: Data sets available

Parameter Number of stations submitting data

Period covered Total N station years (files)

Aerosol Optical Depth 16 1987-2007 133

Aerosol Chemical Composition

58 1981-2006 290

CCN 1 1999-2006 8

CN 14 1974-2007 217

Light Absorption / EBC 11 1988-2007 119

Light scattering & back scattering

14 1974-2007 170

Size distribution 3 2000-2007 19

Ispra 18th December 2008 – CCU Seminar 13

What: Data sets available

AOD Chem. Composition CN

Lscat & Bscat Labs Size dist.

Ispra 18th December 2008 – CCU Seminar 14

Submission class AOD LScat Labs CN Size dist PM Chem PM CCN LIDAR

Alert 1 1989-2001(a) 1992-1995

Ny Alesund 1/3 2003-2005 2000-2004 1995 (1989-2004)

Point Barrow 2 1976-1998 (-2005) 1988-1998 (-2005) 1976-1998 (-2005) 1997-2003 1997-2003

Pallas 1/3 2000-2003 1996-2002 (2003) 2000-2003

Mace Head 1/3 2001-2005 2000 (2001-2004) 1989-2002 1991-1994 2000-2005 1992-1994

Hohenpeissenberg 1 1993-2005 1999-2004 (-2005) 1995-2004 (-2005) 2001-2004 (-2005) 1997-2002

Zugspitze 1 2003-2004

Jungfraujoch 1/3 1999-2005 1995-2002 (-2005) 1995-2000 (-2005) 1995-2002 (-2005) 1997-1998 1995 (1999-2001)

Mount Waliguan (b)

Izana 1 2001-2005 1992-1995

Minamitorishima 1 2003-2004

Assekrem

Mauna Loa 2 2000-2005 1975-1999 (-2005) 1990-1999 (-2005) 1975-1999 (-2005) 1992-1995

Mount Kenya

Bukit Kototabang

Arembepe

American Samoa 2 1977-1991 1977-1997

Cape Point 1992-1996

Amsterdam Island

Lauder

Cape Grim 1 2003 1983-1996

Ushuaia

Neumayer 1 2003 (-2005) 1993-2003 (-2005)

South Pole 2 1979-1999 (-2005) 1987-1999 (-2005) 1974-1999 (-2005)

global station/key parameter 1 = narsto by originator NARSTO format at WDCA

GAWSIS but not WDCA

neither GAWSIS nor WDCA

1 = narsto by originator

2 = narsto by WDCA non-narsto format at WDCA

NARSTO format (CREATE)

2 = narsto by WDCA

3 = narsto by CREATE (a) submitted as BC (ng.m-2)

(b) broad band pyriheliometer

3 = narsto by CREATE

What: Global station situation nov 2006

Ispra 18th December 2008 – CCU Seminar 15

What: Global station situation Dec 2008

Data Class AOD LScat Labs CN Size dist PM Chem PM CCN

Alert 1 1989-2005 1992-2005

Ny Alesund 1/3 2003-2007 -2006 -2006 -2006 2001-2005 1989-2006

Point Barrow 2 1976-2007 1988-2007 1976-2007 1997-2003

Pallas 1/3 2000-2006 (-2006) 1996-2005 2001-2006 (-2006)

Mace Head 1/3 2001-2007 2000-2006 1989-2002

(2006) 1991-4, 2000-2006 2002-2006 1992-1994 (-2006)

Hohenpeissenberg 1 1993-2007 1999-2005 (-2006) -2006 1995-2005 (-2006) 2001-2005 (-2006) 1997-2002 (-2006)

Zugspitze 1 2003-2004

Jungfraujoch 1/3 1999-2007 1995-2006 1995-2006 1995-2006 1997-1998 1995, 1999-2004 (-2006)

Mount Waliguan (b)

Izana 1 2001-2007 1992-1995

Minamitorishima 1 2003-2007

Assekrem

Mauna Loa 2 2000-2007 1975-2006 1990-2006 1975-2006 1992-1995

Mount Kenya

Bukit Kototabang

Arembepe

American Samoa 2 1977-1991 1977-2006

Cape Point 1992-1996

Amsterdam Island

Lauder

Cape Grim 1 1983, 1999-2006 1983-1996 1999-2006

Ushuaia Neumayer 1 2003-2007 1993-2007

South Pole 2 1979-2006 1987-2006 1974-2006

global station/key parameter 1 = narsto by originator NARSTO format at WDCA

GAWSIS but not WDCA

neither GAWSIS nor WDCA

1 = narsto by originator

2 = narsto by WDCA EUSAAR at NILU? WDCA to process 2 = narsto by WDCA

Ispra 18th December 2008 – CCU Seminar 16

What: Users

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Monthly downloads (files)

3-monthly average dowloads (files)

File downloadsfrom external addresses.4x increase from summer 2007 to winter 2008 as a result of increased data availability.

Ispra 18th December 2008 – CCU Seminar 17

What Next

AOD metadata portal – Chryssa Doxani

Data products, not just data sets in first instance: NARSTO QA reports

Enhance data submission – for the ‘slower’ global stations, ‘twinning’ with an active station and or SAG member to get them to submit data regularly.

Ispra 18th December 2008 – CCU Seminar 18

What next: AOD Metadata Portal

international AERONET including

AEROCAN, PHOTONS BSRN GAW-PFR Skynet

national – US networks including

ARM, SURFRAD, ESRL, USDA

Australia BOM JMA China KNMI (Netherlands, Surinam) FMI DWDCHARM (Meteosuisse)SIBNET (Russia)

NASA AERONET AOD network (B. Holben,GSFC)

Other AOD networks (C. Wehrli, WRRC)

Ispra 18th December 2008 – CCU Seminar 19

What next: AOD Metadata portal

Chryssa has:Collected metadata for GAW & non-GAW AOD

networks – e.g. AERONET, Skynet.Built a relational database (Access).Cold fusion interface to web pages.Database structure is generic so it can

accommodate non AOD-metadata (stage –II)Interface to the WDCA web pages – search for

AOD data by criteria e.g. country, WMO region, latitude & longitude etc.

Search returns details of data sets & their locations.

Ispra 18th December 2008 – CCU Seminar 20

What next: NARSTO QA reports

summary reportssummary statisticstime seriesoverlaid time-series

Ispra 18th December 2008 – CCU Seminar 21

What now: The Cake Recipe

Rasins, Sultanas, Currants, Cherries, Candied peel

Almonds & Walnut,Muscovado sugar, black treacle,Butter, Eggs,FlourMarzipan,Icing& a little brandy………..

Happy Christmas!