1. ICWG and Link to Other CGMS Working Groups
ICWG Rapporteur: Dong Wu
17 May 2016

2. CREW -> ICWG
2006 Cloud Retrieval Evaluation Workshop-1 (CREW-1), Norrköping, Sweden, (23 participants)
2009 CREW-2 in Locarno, Switzerland, (44 participants)
2011 CREW-3 in Madison, Wisconsin, USA, (71 participants)
2014 CREW-4 in Grainau, Germany, (69 participants)
2014 CREW endorsed as International Clouds Working Group (ICWG) within the Coordination Group for Meteorological Satellites (CGMS)
2016 ICWG-1, Lille, France

3. CGMS Members
The CGMS main goals are to support operational weather monitoring and forecasting as well as climate monitoring, in response to requirements formulated by WMO, its programmes and other programmes jointly supported by WMO and other international agencies.
16 Members and 6 Observers
Objectives and High Level Priority Plan (HLPP):
Coordination of observing systems and protection of assets
Coordination of data access, contributions to the WMO Information System (WIS)
Enhance the quality of satellite-derived data and products
Outreach and training activities
Cross-cutting issues and new challenges

4. CGMS Working Groups Working Groups
WG I: Global issues on satellite systems and telecommunication coordination
WG II: Satellite data and products
WG III: Operational continuity and contingency planning
WG IV: Global data dissemination
Space weather task team
International science working groups
International TOVS Working Group: ITWG
International Precipitation Working Group: IPWG
International Radio Occultation Working Group: IROWG
International Winds Working Group: IWWG
International Clouds Working Group: ICWG

5. Cloud Connections to Other Physical Processes
H2O
Aerosol
Cloud
Precip
Cloud-precipitation (IPWG)
Cloud microphysics (thermodynamic phase, particle size, etc)
Why do clouds precip?
Coupled thermodynamics (IWWG, ITWG)
Cloud-track wind
Cloud height
Cloud top temperature
Effects on atmospheric sounding
Aerosol-cloud processes
What is a cloud?
Cloud formation
Microphysical and radiative properties
Climate change
cloud lifecycle

6. Clouds Optical depth Water Climate Content Models & Remote CRMs
Radiation
Heating
Precipitation
Water cycle
Coupling
Dynamics
Water
Content
Radiance
Backscatter
Reflectivity
Extinction
Motion
Climate
Models
&
CRMs
Remote
Sensing
Particle
Size
Height …

7. Actions and Recommendations from CGMS-43 (May 2015)
CMA, EUM, JMA, NASA, NOAA, WMO
WGII/3
A42.02
The new task team on calibration events logging to identify a common set of parameters to be monitored as part of the calibration events logging and sensor performance monitoring.
Nov 2015: Co-chair R Roebling, drafting white paper to be circulated within ICWG by end 2015 in preparation of CGMS-44.
ICWG
WGII/8
R43.14
ICWG should put focus on investigating data from the new-generations instruments on Himawari-8 and if available GOES-R for the retrieval of cloud parameters.
Nov 2015: ICWG has established a Topical Group titled “Assessment of level-2 Passive Imager Cloud Parameter Retrievals”, to assess, for 19 August 2015, the differences in Cloud Parameter Retrievals over the Asian region, using retrievals from Himawari, METEOSAT-7, and some other instruments .
ICWG, IWWG
WGII/6 and WGII/8
R43.11
ICWG and IWWG to liaise as appropriate on the provision of further information characterising the AMV derivation for enhanced QC and error characterisation.

8. Pick Your Favorite Cloud Measurements
(Earth is ~70% cloudy)
Millimeter-Wave
Vis/IR
Submm-Wave
Centimeter-Wave