Sharing NOAA

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Sharing NOAAs Vision for Climate Research
Monitoring
2005 Annual Meeting of the NOAA Climate
Monitoring and Diagnostics Laboratory

• James R. Mahoney , Ph.D.
• Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and
  Atmosphereand NOAA Deputy Administrator April
  20, 2005

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Overview

• Status and Future Direction of CCSP
• Update on GEOSS and its Relevance to Climate
  Research and Monitoring
• NOAA/CMDL and its Role in the Bigger Picture

3
Overview

• Status and Future Direction of CCSP
• Update on GEOSS and its Relevance to Climate
  Research and Monitoring
• NOAA/CMDL and its Role in the Bigger Picture

4
CCSP

• CCSP Priorities for FY06
• Synthesis and Assessment Products Review Process
  and Update
• Climate Science Workshop

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CCSP Key Priority AreasFY06

• Reduce Scientific Uncertainties of Aerosols
• Reduce Scientific Uncertainties of Carbon
  Sources and Sinks
• Reduce Scientific Uncertainties of the Water
  Cycle
• Analyze Climate Feedbacks and Sensitivity to
  Natural and Human-Induced Forcing
• Improve Understanding of Ecosystem Responses to
  Climate Change
• Enhance Global Climate Observations
• Enhance Climate Modeling Systems
• Improve Decision Support Capabilities and
• Improve Communications between Scientists and
  Information Users

CMDL Aerosol System
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Scientific Progress Since 2001

• Climate observations and trends
• Aerosol effects on climate
• Global and large regional scale projections from
  recent climate model studies
• Inventorying and modeling the carbon cycle
• Energy and carbon uptake by the oceans
• Decision support resources development
• Improved analysis and forecasting skill related
  to quasi-periodic (seasonal, interannual,
  decadal) phenomena

Ozonesonde LaunchSouth Pole
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Status of SA Products

Product 1.1 Temperature trends in the lower atmospheresteps for understanding and reconciling differences. (lt2 yrs) NRC completed Peer Review on Full Report
Product 2.1 Updating scenarios of greenhouse gas emissions and concentrations, in collaboration with the CCTP. Review of integrated scenario development and application. (lt2 yrs) Public comment period completed on prospectus
Product 2.2 North American carbon budget and implications for the global carbon cycle. (lt2 yrs) Public comment period completed on prospectus
Product 3.1 Climate models and their uses and limitations, including sensitivity, feedbacks, and uncertainty analysis. (lt2 yrs) Public comment period completed on prospectus
Product 4.7 Within the transportation sector, a summary of climate change and variability sensitivities, potential impacts, and response options. (2-4 yrs) Prospectus released for public comment on April 5.
Product 5.1 Uses and limitations of observations, data, forecasts, and other projections in decision support for selected sectors and regions. (lt2 yrs) Prospectus under CCSP review
Product 1.2 Past climate variability and change in the Arctic and at high latitudes. (lt2 yrs) May 10-11 workshop planned to explore content and structure and identify lead authors
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Guidelines for the CCSP Synthesis Assessment
Products

• Purpose of the guidelines
• Participants
• CCSP Interagency Committee
• Lead agency(ies)
• Lead and contributing authors
• Interagency Working Groups
• Expert reviewers
• Stakeholders
• National Research Council

• Steps in the process
• Preparing a prospectus
• Additional stakeholder interactions (if needed)
• Drafting/reviewing the products
• Approving, producing and releasing the products
• Contents of the prospectus
• Materials to be used
• Characteristics of the products

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Additional Review ResponsibilitiesInformation
Quality Act

• Provides guidance to agencies ensuring the
  quality, objectivity, utility, and integrity of
  (scientific, financial, or statistical)
  information disseminated by Federal agencies.
• Dissemination includes
• any intended release or distribution to the
  public that is either
• Agency initiated or
• Agency sponsored.
• Use of information in a government disseminated
  document subjects that information to the IQA.
• CCSP products represent the views of the
  government and are disseminations subject to the
  IQA. A single agency will be responsible for
  compliance with its IQA Guidelines.

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Additional Review ResponsibilitiesPeer Review

• OMB Peer Review Bulletin (Federal Register,
  January 14, 2005) applies to two types of
  information products covered by IQA
• Influential scientific information, and
• Highly influential scientific assessments, a
  subset of influential scientific information
• CCSP products are highly influential scientific
  assessments.
• (Continued on the next slide)

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Additional Review ResponsibilitiesPeer Review
(contd)

• Selection of reviewers
• Expertise and balance
• Conflicts
• Independence
• Rotation
• Information Access
• Opportunity for Public Participation
• Choice of peer review mechanism
• Transparency
• Management of peer review process and reviewer
  selection
• Planning and Reporting Requirements

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Relevant Web Addresses

• OMB Information Quality Guidelines
  http//www.whitehouse.gov/omb/inforeg/iqg_oct2002.
  pdf
• NOAA Information Quality Guidelines
  http//www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories/iq.htm
• OMB Peer Review Guidelines http//www.whitehouse
  .gov/omb/memoranda/fy2005/m05-03.pdf

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CCSP Workshop Climate Science in Support of
Decision Making

• Dates November 14-16, 2005
• Location Marriott Crystal Gateway, Arlington,
  VA
• Purpose To facilitate exchange of ideas among
  the government, academic, international, NGO, and
  stakeholder groups participating in the CCSP
  process.
• Topics Discussions will include the scientific
  basis and the use of the CCSP Synthesis and
  Assessment Products in addressing CCSPs three
  decision support goals
• Prepare scientific syntheses and assessments.
• Develop and illustrate adaptive management and
  planning capabilities.
• Develop and evaluate methods (e.g., scenario
  evaluations) to support climate change policy
  inquiries.

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Overview

• Status and Future Direction of CCSPUpdate on
  GEOSS and its Relevance to Climate Research and
  Monitoring NOAA/CMDL and its Role in the
  Bigger Picture

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What Is GEOSS?Global Earth Observation System of
Systems

• GEOSS is a distributed system of systems built
  on current international cooperation efforts
  among existing Earth observing and processing
  systems
• GEOSS is
• Comprehensiveobservations and products from all
  components
• Coordinatedleverages contributing members
  resources
• Sustainedby will and capacity of all members
• GEOSS will enable the collection and distribution
  of accurate, reliable Earth Observation data,
  information, products, and services to both
  suppliers and consumers worldwidean end-to-end
  process

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Why GEOSS?Societal Benefits
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EARTH OBSERVATION SUMMIT III

• February 16 Brussels, Belgium
• Agreement on Implementation Plan and Resolution
• Set up new GEO
• Structure Secretariat
• WMO offer to host
• Near-term Opportunities Include
• Data Management System for Earth Observations
• Improved Observations for Disaster Warnings
• Global Land Observing System

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Hon. Carlos GutierrezUS Secretary of Commerce

• The United States is making the commitment to
  move earth observation to the next level to
  benefit this next generation. This is one of
  President Bushs environmental priorities

And today, I am pleased to present you with our
governments plan for an Integrated U.S. Earth
Observation system.
Earth Observation Summit IIIWednesday, February
16, 2005, Brussels, Belgium
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GEOSS and Climate

• The two most repeated words at Earth Observation
  Summit III...

...reflected two of the nine GEOSS focus areas
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Challenges

• Political Will
• Scientific Will
• Data Sharing
• Data Standards

• Data Volume
• Data Integration
• Efficient Archives
• Capacity Building

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The Road Ahead for the U.S. Interagency Effort

• Develop Integration Strategies for 6 Near Term
  Opportunities
• Data Management
• Improved Observations for Disaster Warnings
• Global Land Observing System
• Sea Level Observing System
• National Integrated Drought Information System
• Air Quality Assessment and Forecast System
• Earth Observation Subcommittee of NSTC Committee
  on Environment Natural Resources
• Established March 2005

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NOAAs Role

• NOAA Where Science Creates Value
• Earth observations
• Are at the core of NOAAs mission
• Support virtually every activity we perform
• NOAA has
• Observing capabilities being advanced through
  scientific and technological research
• A broad scope of domestic and international
  partnerships
• Commitment to transform research into useful,
  operational information

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Overview

• Status and Future Direction of CCSPUpdate on
  GEOSS and its Relevance to Climate Research and
  Monitoring NOAA/CMDL and its Role in the
  Bigger Picture

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NOAA CMDL

• NOAA/CMDL is the backbone of the global
  monitoring network for atmospheric CO2, providing
  the lions share of data to the World Data
  Centers.
• NOAA/CMDL is the WMO Central Calibration
  Laboratory for the three most influential,
  long-lived trace gases, CO2, CH4, and N2O. This
  is the heart of quality control of the Worlds
  measurements of these gases.
• NOAA/CMDLs widespread Dobson Ozone monitoring
  network provides valuable ground truthing for
  satellite measurements.
• All global Dobson Ozone measurements are
  traceable to calibrations at NOAA/CMDL, which
  maintains the WMO standard for these measurements.

Barrow
Mauna Loa
Am. Samoa
Trinidad Head
South Pole
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NOAA CMDL

• NOAA/CMDL data are integrated into the WMO Global
  Atmospheric Watch Program (GAW) and, pending
  finalization of agreements (soon), the Global
  Climate Observing System (GCOS).
• Solar Radiation Measurements at NOAA/CMDL form a
  major part of the worlds Baseline Surface
  Radiation Network and is now a part of GCOS.
• NOAA/CMDL comprehensive, well-calibrated
  measurements of stratospheric ozone depleting
  compounds allowed NOAA scientists to be the first
  to confirm early successes of the Montreal
  Protocol on Substances that Deplete Stratospheric
  Ozone

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Questions?
http//www.pco.noaa.gov/presentation.htm
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The Way Ahead GEO-IGeneva, Switzerland May
2-4, 2005

• GEO-I (GEO replaces ad hoc GEO)
• Hosted by World Meteorological Organization
• WMO also hosting Secretariat
• To do list at GEO-I
• Establish Executive Committee
• Agree to Transition Workplan
• Begin Implementation of GEOSS