1. Three Poles Comparison Study using Earth Observations
Side Meeting for Reinforcing the Development of the GEOCRI
Three Poles Comparison Study using Earth Observations
GUO Huadong
Institute of Remote Sensing and Digital Earth Chinese Academic of Sciences
8 Nov., St. Petersburg, Russia

2. The Earth Has a Third Pole
Earth’s Three Poles
The Earth Has a Third Pole
Tibetan Plateau, the world’s largest and highest plateau, is the ‘world’s third pole’ it contains the biggest ice fields outside of the Arctic and Antarctic.
North Pole
South Pole
Third Pole
The Earth’s north and south extremities are crucial for regulating the climate, and at the same time are particularly sensitive to global warming. The Third Pole, because it is high above sea level, is also sensitive to changes in temperatures.

3. Understanding to Global Change Requirement
Global Climate Changing
Sea level is rising
IPCC: “Global Warming is an unarguable fact and the globe will continue to warm.”
Since 1993 Global sea level has risen 37 mm
60% from expansion as ocean temperatures rise
40% from melting glaciers
Steve Nerem

4. Global Change Challenge – Frequency Disaster
Understanding to Global Change Requirement
Global Change Challenge – Frequency Disaster
Hurricane
Flood
Drought
Snow/Ice
Number of disasters
Year
Hazards and Climate Change

5. Example: Scientific Significance of Three Poles
Earth’s Three Poles
Example: Scientific Significance of Three Poles
The apparent connection between an ancestral high-elevation species and its modern polar descendant is consistent with our ‘Out-of-Tibet’ hypothesis postulating that high-altitude Tibet was a training ground for cold-environment adaptations well before the start of the Ice Age.

6. Scientific Significance of Three Poles
Earth’s Three Poles
Scientific Significance of Three Poles
Three Poles are sensitive factors and indicators of global change.
There are differences in responses of Three Poles to global change, and the correlation of the responses is not clear yet.
Antarctic TP
Arctic
The changes of Three Poles are not isolated.
Existing researches are focused on single pole, and there is very little study covering Three Poles.

7. Earth’s Three Poles Scientific Significance Research Scheme
Three poles: The Arctic, Antarctic and Himalayas all connect
Comparative study on the environment changing trend direction, amplitude and rate of Three Poles.
Considering Three Poles as a whole, study their spatial-temporal varieties, interconnections and relationships of environmental parameters.
Understanding the effects and responses of Three Poles to global change, and analyze their synchronism and asynchronism mechanisms.

8. Advantages of Earth Observation for Three Poles
Space-based Earth observation technology is the irreplaceable way to get large scope, long-term and multiscale information of Three Poles.
Moon-based Platform
380’000 km
There are sparse ground observatories and fundamental observations in polar regions.
Space-based Earth observation has obvious advantages in observing large-scale phenomenon of Three Poles.
Existing satellite data of the remote regions is from 40 years ago, filling in the gaps of historical information.
Multiple advanced data: it is easy to get the data of polar orbit and geostationary satellite.
Space-based Earth observation could observe Three Poles in a short time - tens of minutes - almost at the “same” time.
Dozens of kilometers
GEO Satellite
LEO Satellite
Airborne Platform
30’000km
Hundreds of kilometers
LEO satellite: Low Earth Orbit satellite

9. Priorities of Three Poles Comparative Study using Earth Observations
Environmental changes in Three Poles
Nature Factors – Snow and Ice Change
Dynamic responses of snow and ice transition, and their spatial and temporal variations.
The changes in Three Poles snow and ice, and the induced rise of sea level.
The relationship between snow/ice in Three Poles and global change.
Human Activity – Aerosol Change
Spatial and temporal distribution of aerosol in Three Poles.
The relationship of aerosol in Three Poles and human activities.
The direct radiative forcing of aerosol in Three Poles.
Polar vanward vegetation – Vegetation Change
The changes of carbon emission and vegetation biomass caused by permafrost melting in Three Poles.
The effect of permafrost and polar pioneer vegetation in Three poles on global carbon cycle.

10. Potential Scientific Contribution
Scientific methodology and research patterns of comparative study of Three Poles.
Understand the change patterns (changing direction and amplitude), change rate, synchronism and asynchronism of global change factors in Three Poles.
Spatial and temporal distributions of snow and ice in 30 years, and their correlations and differences between climate factors.
Spatial and temporal distributions of aerosol, and the effect of human activities on aerosol.
The changes of carbon emission and vegetation biomass caused by permafrost melting, and the effect of permafrost and polar pioneer vegetation on global carbon cycle.
Build space observation networks and large datasets.
Build the research with international collaboration at various level.

11. Perspective of the three poles comparative research is to contribute scientific understanding of Changing Earth’s Three Pole.
Thanks!