World Meteorological OrganizationWorking together in weather, climate and water

WMO POLAR ACTIVITIES

Meeting of Presidents of Technical Commissions

(Geneva, 30.1. -1.2.2012)

David Grimes and Greg AyersCo-chairs, EC-PORS

WMO/OBS www.wmo.int

WMO

Historical perspective

WMO Executive Council (EC-LX) in June, 2008 established the EC-PORS to provide oversight of WMO Polar activities:

– Driven by the International Polar Year (IPY 2007-2008);– Focus on integrating programs in Polar regions;– Program coordination for Antarctica;– Entry point to all WMO Programmes and to external partners seeking to

collaborate with WMO on polar activities; and– Development of Implementation Strategy for Global Cryosphere Watch (GCW)

Maximize the value of investments in Polar Regions

Historical perspective

Cg-XVI provided direction to WMO Polar Activities through six resolutions: Res. 55 (Cg-XVI) established integrated Antarctic Observing Network

“AntON” (integrating Synoptic, climatological and GAW stations) Res. 56 (Cg-XVI) amended the Manual on GOS, Volume II – Antarctic

observing practices Res. 57 (Cg-XVI) launched a decadal endeavour towards GIPPS - Concept

Paper for a scalable, detailed strategic plan for GIPPS Res. 58 (Cg-XVI) defined scope of WMO Polar Activities Res. 59 (Cg-XVI) WMO position on International Polar Decade / develop a

concept Res. 60 (Cg-XVI) Development of GCW Implementation Plan, GCW

Implementation Strategy

EC-PORS re-established by EC-LXIII

Mode of Operation

Active Co-chairs, secretariat and continuous interaction Two 3-day sessions since inception:

• Ottawa, Canada (13-15 October, 2009)• Hobart, Australia (18-20 October, 2010)• Third session planned in Sodankylä, Finland (6-8 February 2012)

Task Teams:• Antarctic – operational responsibilities: AntON, practices, monitoring• Observations – GCW Implementation, PSTG, standardization • Research – Polar Prediction System: Concept & Impl. Plan • Services – White paper to define needs, Polar user survey

Membership:• Currently 32 experts from 21 WMO Members; new members from Rep. of Korea,

India, Russian Fed. and Sweden joined the Panel in 2011 Resources:

• Extra-budgetary contributions from Australia, Canada, Norway, Sweden, United States

• In-kind support from Australia, Canada and Finland

Antarctic Coordination

• Integration of all Antarctic observing stations into the Antarctic Observing Network (AntON):– WMO Congress adopted the EC-PORS recommendation to

integrate all WMO Antarctic networks (surface and upper-air stations and including all GCOS (GSN and GUAN) and GAW stations) into an Antarctic Observing Network (AntON) that will comprise all operational stations, all producing climate messages.

– Follows WIGOS principles for integration of WMO Observing systems

• Updated Manual on GOS, Vol. II - Regional Aspects - The Antarctic

• Promoting WIS for dissemination of data also from research stations

• Requirements for Satellite User Communication Forum to address data collection from remote locations

Services

Initial survey of weather, water, and climate products and services with user/customer perspectives on additional or emerging service requirements wide variety of services and products being offered over most

time and spatial scales, especially for weather, marine, hydrology and aviation

relatively small number of climate products and services Regional Polar Climate Centre / Polar Climate Outlook Forums could fill this gap

how to integrate its activities with the GFCS Recent survey on Marine Arctic Users – especially

focussing on sea ice and weather services

“ß version” white paper to define and validate needs for services – will also serve as a basis for GIPPS

Polar Observations

Polar Space Task Group (PSTG) – 1st mtg 13 – 14 Oct. 2011 space agencies and WMO Space Programme focus on polar observations from space User requirements, new technologies, updated standards Identify and close observation gaps (e.g. oceans and land); promote interoperability

Global Cryosphere Watch (GCW) – 1st implementation mtg 21-25 Nov.2011) Elaborated further GCW Implementation Strategy

o include 3rd Pole (Tibetan Plateau Himalaya-Karakorum-Pamir)o suggested tentative working structure to be discussed at EC-PORS:

Observing WG: capabilities and needs for surface-based and satellite observations o CryoNet Team: Reference Sites-Supersites for multidisciplinary, integrated environ monitoringo RQ & Capabilities Team: UR & OS capabilitieso Infrastructure and Practices Team: Inventories, best practices, standards

Products & Services WG: “clearinghouse” for products and services o The Portal Team: Data &Information Portal development – MetNo - WIS complianto Terminology Team: identify current cryo glossaries, and develop/evaluate terminologies,

glossaries, vocabularieso Outreach Team: will be an authoritative voice on cryo issues, guidance for outreach products

Polar Observations

CIMO led Solid Precipitation InterComparison Experiment (SPICE) include snowfall and snow-depth measurements (1st mtg 5-7 Oct. 2011)

Sustaining Arctic Observing Networks (SAON) – Arctic Council and IASC initiative; 1st Board mtg 24-25.1 2012; WMO has permanent seat; EC-PORS represents WMO on SAON

Participation in the Arctic Council development of the Arctic Change Assessment (ACA)

Research

Global Integrated Polar Prediction System (GIPPS) A major decadal initiative drawing upon research and operational

elements of WMO, related agencies, national modeling centres and polar science organizations as a unifying focus

WWRP - Improvement of Weather and Environmental Prediction in Polar Regions Joint Polar Prediction Project – Steering Group chaired by Thomas Jung (AWI)

WCRP Polar Predictability Initiative GIPPS elements:

Earth System approach, hours / seasonal / decadal timescales Provide forecasts, predictions, projections and related information as a contribution

to the Global Framework for Climate Services Partnerships: AMPS, AMOMWF, SCAR, IASC, ICPM, WMO Global Producing

Centres (e.g. ECMWF, NCEP)

New Polar Long-Term Initiative – IPY Follow-on

EC-PORS, IASC/SCAR, JSC – IPY, COMNAP, WMO Congress discussed the potential of initiating an International Polar Decade (IPD)

Common recognition that GIPPS, GCW, PSTG activities would be the WMO contributions Effective coordination would be essential for coordination of participating entities -

SAON, WIS and WIGOS, GAW, iAOOS, SOOS, space-based observations Scientific efforts must be aligned to meeting broad societal needs

Steering Group established to develop a draft Concept Document (SG co-chairs: D.Hik, J-G. Winther; D.Grimes represents WMO in the SG)

Concept Document to be reviewed by EC-PORS-3 The Arctic Science Summit Week and IPY Conference “From Knowledge to Action”, 20-

27 April, Montreal: Panel discussion on WMO Polar Activities Draft Concept Document for a decadal science campaign to study, monitor and

predict changes in Polar regions (including cryosphere)

Draft Concept Document will be provided to TCs for their considerations

Polar Activities & GFCS

Polar initiatives align with GFCS: “Services - focused” to meet users’ needs improve coverage, quality and access to climate observations,

research and services in Polar Regions engage GIPPS and GCW as fundamental contributions to the

pillars develop cross-regional Polar Region Climate Centres and Polar

Climate Outlook Forums enhance partnerships with other organizations, agencies,

scientific societies, academia within and beyond Polar Regions

Obs Data Mgmt Services R&D

CBS GOS/WIGOS

GCW

GTS/WIS GDPFS

PWS

OSSEs

CIMO Standards; extreme Wx solid precip

CHy Arctic HYCOS

GCW

Arctic HYDRA Arctic HYDRA Arctic HYDRA

JCOMM Buoys

ice JCOMMOPS

GDSIDB; Ice Logistics Portal

GMDSS

Ice services

CCl Climate data mgmt PCOF

GFCS Climate/health

Climate predictability

CAS GAW WGNE; THORPEX-IPY; Modelling

CAeM Space weather Climate impacts of polar flights

CAgM Fisheries

tundra/taiga

WCRP CliC, SPARC, GEWEX, CLIVAR, WOAP,GCW, IPAB

CliC

GEWEX (GRDC,GPCC)

Modelling (WGCM, WGNE, Seasonal), CliC, SPARC,

CLIVAR

GCOS ECV’s, GSN, GRUAN, GCW,

GOSIC ECV’s

Thank youThank you

MerciMerci

СпасибоСпасибо

GraciasGracias شكشكرارا

谢 谢 谢 谢

EC-PORS: EC-PORS: http://www.wmo.int/pages/prog/www/polar/index en.htmlhttp://www.wmo.int/pages/prog/www/polar/index en.html