1. World Glacier Monitoring Service, University of Zurich, Switzerland
TOPC XVIII, Boulder CO, USA, 25 April 2016
The new GCOS Implementation Plan Update or Review? Some thoughts from the glacier example
Michael Zemp
World Glacier Monitoring Service, University of Zurich, Switzerland

2. ECV GLACIER: key observation parameters
Visualization by P. Rastner
How much glacier ice is out there?
How (fast) do glaciers change?

3. ECV GLACIER: key observation parameters
How much glacier ice is out there?
How (fast) do glaciers change?
Can be described as:
Number of glaciers
Length
Surface area
Volume
Mass
Supplemented by hypsometry, ice velocities, ice temperatures,
debris cover, surge dynamics, calving dynamics, ice shelves, etc.
Can be described as changes in:
Number of glaciers
Length
Surface area
Volume
Mass

4. ECV GLACIER: key observation parameters
How much glacier ice is out there?
How (fast) do glaciers change?
Can be described as:
Number of glaciers
Length
Surface area
Volume
Mass
Can be described as..
CHANGES in:
Number of glaciers
Length
Surface area
Volume
Mass
What are the definitions for key observation parameters of GCOS IP?
Ideal world? Observational feasibility from satellites? ...from in-situ?
Including modelling results?

5. ECV GLACIER: key observation parameters
GCOS IP Satellite Supplement, Update 2011 (GCOS-154)
How much glacier ice is out there?
How (fast) do glaciers change?
By the way: What are the definitions for target requirements?
Context information is important => e.g. temporal resolution!

6. Consistency between ECVs? glaciers versus ice sheets
GCOS GLACIERS
GCOS-154 – ICE SHEETS
Different key observations, different target requirements, but also issues with glacier- ice sheet separation, ice shelves, …

7. The new GCOS Implementation Plan: Update or Review?
UPDATE: update target requirement of observation parameters
as described in GCOS-154 (e.g. based on new satellites)
REVIEW:
Criteria for observation parameters
Target requirements
Inter-ECV consistencies

9. Bojinski et al. (2014), BAMS

10. GCOS 107: Satellite Supplement to GCOS Implementation Plan 2006

11. GCOS 107: Satellite Supplement to GCOS Implementation Plan 2006

12. IGOS Cryosphere Theme Report 2007

13. GCOS 138: GCOS Implementation Plan 2010

14. GCOS 154: Satellite Supplement to GCOS Implementation Plan 2011 Update

15. GCOS 154: Satellite Supplement to GCOS Implementation Plan 2011 Update
GCOS GLACIERS
GCOS-154 – ICE SHEETS

16. GCOS XXX: GCOS Implementation Plan 2016
Domain
Terrestrial, Cryosphere
ECV
Glaciers
ECV Products
(1) Glacier Area: surface area (km2) from 2D vector outlines of glaciers (delineating glacier surface area) typically derived from optical remote sensing data, supplemented by digital elevation models for drainage divides and topographic parameters and by ice velocity fields for drainage divides and delineation of debris covered glacier parts
(2) Glacier Elevation Change: mean glacier-wide elevation change (m a-1), typically derived from decadal geodetic surveys, supplemented by digital elevation outlines
(3) Glacier Mass Change: mean glacier-wide surface mass balance (kg a-1), typically derived from glacier-wide interpolation of in-situ measurements (i.e. ablation stakes, snow pits and related density measurements/assumptions) with seasonal to annual time resolution
(Gegen-)Vorschlag Frank:
Glacier Area
Glacier Elevation
Glacier Surface Flow Velocity
Glacier Mass Change (in-situ)