Jeff Key

NOAA/NESDISMadison, Wisconsin

The Cryospheric Observing System for the IPY and Beyond

WDC/NSIDC 30th Anniversary October 25, 2006

Global Cryosphere by Type

Glacier Ice Sheets Ice Shelves

Sea Ice Permafrost Snow Cover

Cryosphere satellite missions:

National Research Council “Arctic Observing Network” Report Recommendations

(Box S.1 excerpts)

• A system design assessment should be conducted … to ensure a pan-arctic, multidisciplinary, integrated network. This effort should be undertaken by a diverse team.

• The first phase of AON development will require sustaining existing observational capabilities.

• The AON should support development, testing, and deployment of new sensors and other network-related technology.

• A data management system initially built on existing data centers and resources must be designed and implemented immediately. This system should be accessible through a single portal that connects data across disciplines.

• For the AON to realize its potential, long-term, coordinated, international resources and efforts should be dedicated to sustaining observing platforms, providing incentives for contributions to the network, network coordination and integration.

Committee on Earth Observation Satellites (CEOS),44 space agencies and Earth observation data users

Integrated Global Observing Strategy-Partnership (IGOS-P), 13 international and UN organizations

Group on Earth Observations (GEO) and the Global Earth Observing System of Systems (GEOSS)

Earth Observation Coordination Mechanisms

IGOS• The Integrated Global Observing Strategy (IGOS) Partnership

was established in June 1998. • The principal objectives of IGOS are to address how well

user requirements are being met by existing observations, including those of the global observing systems, and how they could be met in the future through better integration and optimization of remote sensing (especially space-based) and in-situ systems.

• To aid the development of the Strategy,the Partners have adopted an incremental "Themes" approach based on perceived priorities.

The partners are: the Global Observing Systems (GCOS, GOOS, GTOS), the agencies that sponsor the global observing systems (WMO, ICSU, FAO, UNESCO, UNEP), the Committee on Earth Observation Satellites (CEOS), the International Group of Funding Agencies for Global Change Research, the World Climate Research Programme, the International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme. IOCGTOS

UNEP

UNESCOGOOS

FAO

ICSU

WMO

IGBP WCRP

GCOS

IGFACEOS

WHO

WATEROCEANS CARBON Atm. Chem.COASTALGEOHAZARDS

LAND COVERCRYOSPHERE

UNDER DEVELOPMENT

APPROVED

GEODESY

CONSIDERED

HEALTH

IGOS Themes

Cryosphere Theme Goals

To create a framework for improved coordination of cryospheric observations conducted by research, long-term scientific monitoring, and operational programmes;

To achieve better availability and accessibility of data and information needed for both operational services and research;

To strengthen national and international institutional structures responsible for cryospheric observations;

To increase resources for ensuring the transition of research-based cryosphere observing projects to sustained observations.

Vision: The Ideal Global Observing System

Will have the following characteristics:

1. Accuracy: In order to measure subtle changes over time, measurements must be accurate, and the uncertainty in the measurements must be known.2. Long-term monitoring: To be able to observe changes in the cryosphere, we must have long time series of observations, on the order of a few decades or more.3. Consistency over time: With any long-term measurement, sensors will be replaced and upgraded. This can introduce inconsistencies in the time series. Inter-sensor calibration is essential.

Will use observations from all relevant sources in coherent,

consistent, high-resolution global analyses. Multi-sensor fusion

and integration with models will be critical for many high-level

products.

RequirementsThe first step in designing the global observing system is to define

observational requirements. Requirements depend on the application!

Parameter

CTO

Measurement Range

Measurement Accuracy

Resolution

Comment / Principal

Driver

Spatial Temporal

L H U V U V U V U

Snow Cover

C 20 100 % 15-20 % 1 km day e.g. MODIS

T 0 100 % 10 % 0.5 km 1 dayHydromet

O 0 100 % 5 % 0.1 km 12 hr

Snow Water Equivalent (Shallow)

C 0 0.2 m 2-10 cm 25 km 1 day e.g. AMSR-E

T 0 0.3 m 3 cm 0.5 km 6 dayHydromet

O 0 0.3 m 2 cm 0.1 km 12 hr

Snow Water Equivalent (Deep)

C None --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- Need HF SAR

T 0.3 3 m 10 % 0.5 km 6 dayHydromet

O 0.3 3 m 7 % 0.1 km 12 hr

Snow Depth (Shallow)

C 0 ~0.7 m 6-35 cm 25 km 1 day e.g. AMSR-E

T 0 1 m 10 cm 0.5 km 6 day Hydromet

O 0 1 m 6 cm 0.1 km 1 hr Transportation

Snow Depth (Mod-Deep)

C None --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- Need HF SAR

T 1 10 m 10 % 0.5 km 6 day Hydromet

O 1 10 m 6 % 0.1 km 1 hr Transportation

Snow Albedo (Broadband)

C 30 100 % 7 % 1 km 1 day e.g. MODIS

T 0 100 % 1 % 8 km 1 hrHydromet

O 0 100 % 0.5 % 5 km 30 min

Snow Surface Temperature

C TBD

T 200 275 K 1 K 1 km 1 hrHydromet

O 200 275 K 0.1 K 0.1 km 30 min

Sensor types

Laser altimeter

Radar altimeter

High-res Radar (SAR)

Low-res radar (Scat)

High-res vis/IR

Mid-res vis/IR

Passive Microwave

Gravity

Satellites and Sensors

IceSat

ERS-2, Envisat, CryoSat-2, GMES-Sentinel-3

ERS-2 SAR, Envisat ASAR, Radarsat1-2, ALOS-PALSAR, TERRASAR-X, COSMO-SKYMED, RISAT, GMES-Sentinel-1

ERS2- Wind Scat, QuikScat, METOP-ASCAT, OCEANSAT-2, HY-2A Scat

SPOT 1-5, ASTER, GMES Sentinel-2

AVHRR, LandSAT-TM/ETM+, DMSP-OLS, MODIS, VIIRS, HY-1,

SSMI, AMSR-E, Windsat, SMOS, HY-2A

GRACE, GOCE

Ice Sheets Elevation/ Thickness

Elevation/ Thickness

Motion, Extent

Extent, Snow/Ice Facies

Extent Melt/Freeze onset

Mass change

Glaciers and Ice Caps

Elevation/ Thickness

Elevation/ Thickness

Motion Extent Extent Mass change

Sea Ice Freeboard/ Thickness

Freeboard/ Thickness

Motion, Extent, Floe Size Distribution

Extent, Melt/Freeze Onset

Floe Size Distribution, Melt Ponds

Extent Extent, Snow thickness

Geoid

Snow Accumulation Accumulation Accumulation Accumulation Extent Extent, Thickness

Mass Loading

Solid Precip and SWE

Mass Loading

Temperature * * * Albedo * * Surface features

* * * * *

Lake and river ice

* * * * * *

Permafrost and frozen ground

* * *

Next we compare examine the current and planned sensors/systems/networks

(satellite sensors in this example) to determine what we need.

Then we make recommendations. Here’s a sample:

• Implement a C-band synthetic aperture radar optimized for SAR interferometry and

capable of measuring the velocity field of the Greenland and Antarctic Ice Sheets.

• The density of ice sheet thickness measurements should be increased, particularly in

East Antarctica where little data are currently available.

• There needs to be an international network for monitoring seasonally frozen ground in

non-permafrost regions. Soil temperature and frost depth measurements should be

standard parameters to all WMO and national cold regions meteorological stations.

• Freeze-up and break-up data should be submitted to the World Data Center for

Glaciology at the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC), to accompany existing

historical records archived there.

• Data fusion and data assimilation with sea ice and coupled models will allow the various

remotely-sensed and in situ data – at various spatial and temporal scales – to be

integrated into coherent fields that will provide the best overall estimate of ice

conditions.

So does the ideal observing system look like this?

Or this?

Or this?

Actually, it looks like this:

Building BlocksIntegrated System

• Space observing system • Global, consistent measurements.

• Inter-satellite calibration is critical.

• In-situ observing system• Local but accurate measurements.

• Integrated modeling system• Captures physical principles.

• Laboratory (test ideas / processes).

• Create higher-level products.

• Predict future state of Earth system.

• Data Assimilation system• Merge observation and model.

• Synthesize observations (analysis).

• Take data and model errors into

account.

DecisionSupport

Or this (GEOSS):

Vision: The Ideal Data Management System(GEO and more)

Will provide access to all Earth observation data in

standard interoperable formats.

Will be based on existing portals, systems, and networks;

it will be distributed.

Will be designed to increase the quality and accessibility

of information.

Will provide tools for subsetting, formatting, and

combining diverse data sets, including model fields, as

well as visualizing data from multiple sources.

http://www.eol.ucar.edu/ http://www.eol.ucar.edu/ projects/ceop/dm/projects/ceop/dm/

INTEGRATEDINTEGRATED

IN-SITUIN-SITU

SATELLITESATELLITE

MODELMODELEOL work supported by NOAA/CPO

Summary

The IGOS Cryosphere theme is an international effort to assess current capabilities and requirements in the cryospheric observing system, and to recommend ways to close the gaps.

The ideal cryospheric observing system will meet the accuracy requirements of a broad range of applications, be long-term monitoring, and be consistent. It will use observations from all relevant sources in global analyses. Multi-sensor fusion and integration with models will be critical.

The ideal data management system will provide access to data in standard formats, be based on existing portals and systems, be designed to increase the quality of information, and provide tools for manipulating and combining diverse data sets, including model fields, as well as visualizing data from multiple sources.

For more information visit http://stratus.ssec.wisc.edu/igos-cryo