WATEROCEANSCARBONAtm. Chem.COASTAL GEOHAZARDS LAND COVERCRYOSPHERE UNDER DEVELOPMENT APPROVED IOC GTOS UNEP UNESCO GOOS FAO ICSU WMO IGBP WCRP GCOS IGFA CEOS GEODESY CONSIDERED HEALTH

One of main goals of the project is to develop cryospheric observations What needs to be observed, why and how Who is capable to making the required observations Who will pay for this? How to ensure that needed observations form datasets of required quality and duration? How to access the observations and datasets? How to sustain observing systems? We need an strategy for cryospheric observations, which would be approved by funders CliC and observations

An idea for IGOS-P to consider covering an important domain in Earth observations - Approved by IGOSP-11, Rome, Italy, 27 May 2004 Preparation of Report (analysis of requirements, identification of gaps, search for solutions, working out recommendations, identification of needed actions, preparation of implementation timeline) Approved Report Implementation IGOS Theme Development Steps

Chair – Jeff Key, NOAA/NESDIS, USA Vice-Chairs – Mark Drinkwater, ESA, The Netherlands Jinro Ukita, Chiba University, Japan Groups: –CliC (Barry Goodison, Vladimir Ryabinin, Victoria Lytle) –SCAR (Marzena Kaczmarska, Colin Summerhayes) Current contributors: 54 total –Countries: USA (19), Canada (13), Norway (6), Austria (2), Switzerland (3), UK (2), Netherlands (1), Finland (1), Germany (2), Italy (1), China (1), Japan (1), Australia (1), Russia (1) –Topical areas: sea ice (13), lake and river ice (2), ice sheets, ice caps, and glaciers (10), snow (6), permafrost and frozen ground (3), precipitation (3), polar climate (2), data management (4), buoys (2) IGOS-Cryo Writing Team Composition

Workshops 1 st IGOS-Cryo Workshop, Kananaskis, Canada, 2-4 March 2005, supported by CSA, 22 participants 2 nd IGOS-Cryo Workshop, Yokohama, Japan, April 2006, supported by JAXA and JAMSTEC, hosted by JAMSTEC, 36 participants

Cryosphere satellite missions:

LIAG 1950 n = 145 Courtesy Claude Duguay Lake - Ice Observations (as an in situ example)

LIAG 1970 n = 234 (Number of sites reporting ice observations) Courtesy Claude Duguay Lake - Ice Observations

LIAG 1990 n = 132 Courtesy Claude Duguay Lake - Ice Observations

LIAG 1995 n = 87 Courtesy Claude Duguay Lake - Ice Observations

CID 2000 n = 4 Courtesy Claude Duguay Lake - Ice Observations

Way forward Need to build, as much as possible, a consensus between the users and observation/ data providers (on requirements and their feasibility). We are going to open the draft report and all recommendations for a review by the whole cryospheric community, insist on having input from major groups and update the requirements and recommendations in the report in parallel we will systematically approach all major involved Themes and programs: GCOS, GOOS, GTOS, WMO GSN, CEOS, GEOSS, etc. etc. – the way forward has to be agreed and the Theme must be owned by these partners.

Already Achieved Impact of the Cryosphere Theme Improved coverage of cryospheric elements in the GCOS Implementation Plan (autumn 2004) – at the Theme initial phase Work with GEO, GCOS SC, OOPC, GTOS – increased awareness Contribution to GCOS-CEOS Report on Satellite based products for UNFCCC (2006) Activity Recommendations for GEO Work Plan Contributions to IPY planning (multiple projects) Support to CryoSat-2, re-launch 2009 ESA Earth Observation Programme Board meeting : "Assessment Studies" for six new mission concepts - included in these six missions is the "CoreH2O“ (snow hydrology) mission, possibility of secondary cryospheric objective on BIOMASS mission

Approximate Timeline Initial report and all recommendations finalised mid-Sep 2006 Initial IGOS Cryosphere Theme Report made open to review by the wide cryospheric community end Oct 2006 Review of the input and recommendations by the Team at the third Theme workshop, ESTEC/ESA, Noordwijk mid-Oct 2006 Incorporation of the open review results into the Report Oct-Nov 2006 Discussion of the report and recommendations with relevant international bodies (WMO, WCRP, CEOS SIT, GEOSS, GCOS, IGOS Themes, etc., etc.) Dec 2006

A Small Sample of Recommendations In Situ Observations: A central international archive (e.g. global lake ice monitoring network) or several regional archives (part of the network) are needed. A set of target regions and lakes/rivers for future long-term monitoring needs to be identified. The reactivation of existing lake ice or river ice sites or the addition of new observation sites, through the establishment of networks of volunteers and with schools must be encouraged. Increase the number of permafrost temperature, active layer, and seasonal freezing sites to include under represented areas in both hemispheres. Upgrade sites to include automated data loggers, remote data acquisition and instrumentation for collection of ancillary climate data including snow observations. Continue and expand meteorological measurements from AWS networks over ice sheets. Continue conventional point precipitation measurements against declining networks in many countries; sustain and enhance the gauge network in the cold regions; develop guidelines on the minimum station density required for climate research studies on solid precipitation in cold climate regions; … Satellite Observations: A key requirement of future sensor systems for observing sea ice is continuation of the passive microwave record, with consistent frequencies. The potential of passive microwave (and scatterometer) data to map ice cover (concentration and extent), open water, ice thickness, and snow depth on ice on large lakes should be examined. Notwithstanding the success of the Radarsat-1 Antarctic Mapping Missions (AMM), a follow-on Antarctic missions with Radarsat-2 should be considered. Research: Improved estimates of melt and freeze conditions, floe size distribution, lead statistics, pond area and albedo on a global scale are required for validation and assimilation into models. Research is required to improve and validate algorithms, new sensors and data fusion techniques. A comparison of conventional (surface-based) observations of freeze-up and break-up with satellite-derived time series, starting in the 1970s-1980s with AVHRR data, is needed. This would ensure some continuity in the transition between the surface-based and satellite observations (i.e. post 1980s when many of the lake/river ice sites were lost).

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