1. WMO Polar and High Mountain Activities
Jeff Key, NOAA/NESDIS, United States,
Rodica Nitu and Lars Peter Riishojgaard
World Meteorological Organization
Geneva, Switzerland
GEOCRI Side Event, GEO Plenary
Saint Petersburg, 8 Nov 2016

2. WMO and GEO
WMO EC-68 (Executive Council, 2016), Partnerships agenda Decision 12(6)/1 on WMO-GEO key collaboration areas:
Endorsed the ten key WMO-GEO collaboration areas:
#6. Cryosphere activities, as exemplified by GEO Cold Region Activities and the WMO Polar and High Mountain Regions activities, including the Global Cryosphere Watch, Year of Polar Prediction, etc.
There are many synergies between the activities of the WMO and GEO, recognized in the decisions of the most recent Executive Council session, when the Cryosphere activities, as exemplified by GEO Cold Region initiative (GEOCRI), and the EC PHORS, including GCW.
WMO Activities in Polar and High Mountain Regions: one of the seven key priorities of WMO, Strategic Plan

3. WMO Executive Council Panel of Experts on Polar and High Mountain Observations, Research, and Services (EC-PHORS)
Framework to enable the provision of services to users and governments:
Integrated approaches to understanding the global impact of changes in Polar Regions (from research to operations) e.g. WMO is member of the SAON Board (Arctic Council)
Coordinated programmes of meteorological observations in the Antarctic: WMO an observer with the Antarctic Treaty and SCAR;
Contributing to high mountain regions’ hydrometeorological and cryospheric observing systems and services;
The Executive Council Panel of Experts on Polar and High Mountain Observations, Research, and Services (EC-PHORS)
Is the WMOframework for focusing on Arctic, Antarctic and High Mountain activities, recognized as one of the 7 priorities of the WMO for the current period.

4. EC-PHORS: Framework
Collaboration/Engagement essential to advancing the agenda in Polar Regions:
WMO & co-sponsored Programmes (e.g. WWW, WIS/WIGOS, WCRP, GCOS)
Intergovernmental Organizations (e.g. UNESCO/IOC, Arctic Council, ATCM, GEO); WMO seeking Observer status with the Arctic Council
Coordinating bodies (e.g. IAATO, COMNAP, FARO, AMOMWF, SOOS, etc.)
Scientific Bodies (e.g. SCAR, IASC, IPA, APECS, IASSA)
International Initiatives (e.g. GFCS, GEOSS, SAON, Arctic-HYDRA /HYCOS)
Observations Framework.
Global Cryosphere Watch (GCW) –
including the 3rd Pole region (Tibetan Plateau Himalaya-Karakorum-Pamir);
Polar Space Task Group (PSTG);
Antarctic Observing Network (AntON).
Research Framework : advance the understanding of processes driving polar and high mountain weather and climate: the Global Integrated Polar Prediction System (GIPPS)
Services Framework : improved climate services across the Arctic Polar Regions
Polar Regional Climate Centers (PRCC)
Polar Regional Climate Outlook Forums (PRCOF)
EC PHORS delivers its mandate building on the effective collaboration with other organizations, example the Arctic Council (SAON); Arctic Treaty observer.
Key activities for each domain: observations, research, services 4

5. Global Cryosphere Watch
CryoNet 2016
Immediate priority: CryoNet. A standardized cryosphere observing network, building on existing programmes.
all components of the cryosphere (glaciers, ice shelves, ice sheets, snow, permafrost, sea ice, river/lake ice)
A component of WIGOS: WMO Integrated Global Observing System
Operated based on internationally accepted best practices, compiled by GCW.
GCW Data Portal: gateway to all CryoNet data
GCW Glossary, WIGOS data framework: ensure the consistency of CryoNet data.
Example of GCW priority activities, the developmetn fo the CryoNEt as a network of stations around the globe providing high quality data, part of WIGOS and WIS, providing consistency of format and metadata
PROMICE Greenland
TANGGULA China
TIKSI Russia

6. GCW High Mountain Region focus:
GCW CryoNet Asia, CryoNet Africa, CryoNet Latin America:
addressing regional needs for improved cryosphere monitoring at high elevation
SOURCE: Arendt, A.A., et al., Randolph Glacier Inventory – A Dataset of Global Glacier Outlines: Version 4.0.
GLIMS Technical Report, National Snow and Ice Data Center, Boulder, USA. Digital Mediwww.glims.org/RGI/00_rgi40_TechnicalNote.pdf
Increased focus on High Mountain cryosphere monitoring, with planned workshops in 2017 in Asia, Africa and Latin America

7. Polar Space Task Group (PSTG)
established in 2011 under auspices of WMO EC PHORS
members of 13 Space Agencies
realisation of benefits from the growing constellation of polar-orbiting satellites by mobilising the complementary capabilities of participating Agencies
GEOCRI IP Task relevant to PSTG
Credit: Rignot, E. and J. Mouginot (2012)
Supporting Sea Ice Services
ESA represents 22 member states  + Canada under cooperating agreement; and EUMETSAT - 30 Member states + 1 cooperating state
Collaboration established between PSTG and GEOCRI
Combined result using RADARSAT-1 (CSA), ALOS PALSAR (JAXA), and Envisat ASAR (ESA) InSAR data – with processing funded by NASA

8. Global Integrated Polar Prediction System (GIPPS)
Data gaps and model deficits
cause poor forecasts in polar regions
Uncertainty of near-surface temperature initial conditions (K)
Hamill, pers. comm.
Global Integrated Polar Prediction System (GIPPS)
Major decadal initiative, coordinated effort, research and operational :
Earth System approach, hours / seasonal / decadal timescales
a contribution to the Global Framework for Climate Services (GFCS)
Partnerships: AMPS, AMOMWF, SCAR, IASC, ICPM, WMO Global Producing Centres (e.g. ECMWF, NCEP)
WWRP Polar Prediction Project (PPP):
Promote cooperative international research enabling development of improved weather and environmental prediction on scales hourly to seasonal
Year of Polar Prediction (YOPP)
WCRP Polar Climate Predictability Initiative (PCPI)
Identify chains of processes that may lead to predictable skill for seasonal to multi-decadal time scales,
Summary of GIPPS initiatives

9. Year of Polar Prediction (YOPP)
Specifics about the YOPP plan over the next 2 years, with planned intense observing periods summer and winter

10. Polar Regional Climate Centres (PRCC)
RCC-Networks for the Arctic and the Third Pole, with the key functions distributed over a network of host entities (Nodes)
Nov 7-9, 2016, Geneva: Arctic PRCC Network Planning Meeting;
 To facilitate the development of a technical implementation plan:
Identify an initial set of Arctic PRCC demonstration phase products and services, with the priority on the mandatory functions;
Agree on structure for the Arctic PRCC-Network (Node configuration, contributing entities, coordination, governance);
next steps towards implementation.
To plan a 2017 demonstration phase of an Arctic PRCC Network.
Summary on the very next steps on PRCC. Planning meeting concurent with GEO Plenary
Northern Europe and Greenland Node
Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, The Netherlands, Norway, Sweden UK
Eurasia Node
Russian Federation
North America Node
Canada and USA (potentially led by Canada) 10

11. WMO and GEO
WMO EC-68 (Executive Council, 2016), Partnerships agenda Decision 12(6)/1 on WMO-GEO key collaboration areas:
Endorsed the ten key WMO-GEO collaboration areas:
#6. Cryosphere activities, as exemplified by GEO Cold Region Activities and the WMO Polar and High Mountain Regions activities, including the Global Cryosphere Watch, Year of Polar Prediction, etc.
There are many synergies between the activities of the WMO and GEO, recognized in the decisions of the most recent Executive Council session, when the Cryosphere activities, as exemplified by GEO Cold Region initiative (GEOCRI), and the EC PHORS, including GCW.
WMO Activities in Polar and High Mountain Regions: one of the seven key priorities of WMO, Strategic Plan