Global Climate Change Chapter 2

Observing earth’s climate system

understand how climate works we need climatic observations, cannot prepare for changes in climate if we don’t know what to expect, global climate observing system (GCOS)

Global climate observing system

aided in the collection and sharing of observations as they relate to the climate system, multinational collaboration that involves data from a multidisciplinary range of physical, chemical, and biological properties, and atmospheric, oceanic, and terrestrial processes

Essential climate variables (ECV)

quantities with measurable values that define the current state of earth’s climate system, and allow us to study its processes and predict future states, easy to measure and fully monitored, over 50 variables from all spheres, help to paint a picture of what’s going on

What are the 2 categories of ECV’s?

in situ, remote sensing

In situ

measurements obtained by direct contact with the sample, used to calibrate remotely sensed data, considered to be more accurate

Remote sensing

measurements obtained from a distance, satellite data that’s a the fastest growing class with sensors on board monitor a variety of variables, more efficient at collecting data

What are the 2 types of orbits?

geostationary, polar

Geostationary

path, relative 36,000 km high, through space that’s at the same rate and direction as the rotation of earth, thus staying directly above the same spot on earth

Polar

path through space, generally 800 to 1000 km high, follows a fixed plane while earth rotates on its axis within that plane

Geostationary operational environmental satellites (GOES-East, GOES-West)

geostationary weather satellites, one over S US near 75 W longitude and one over the E Pacific ocean at 135 W longitude to provide a complete view of much of N US and adjacent portions on the Pacific Atlantic oceans

Polar-orbiting satellites

satellite with a revolution that traces a fixed plane while earth rotates on its axis positioned in the plane

NOAA GOES satellites

provide data for much of the globe, cannot collect highly refined data near the poles, polar orbiting satellites miss teh geographic poles due to gravitational field of the earth

Satellite meteorology and climatology division (SMCD)

conducts research and develops new satellite products to improve and increase use of satellites in measuring ECV

What does SMCD measure?

atmospheric variables, land surface variables, hydrological cycle variables, environmental hazards, and climate variables

Satellite climate studies branch (SCSB)

sub-organization fo NOAA’s SMCD that exploits the capabilities of earth-observing satellites to investigate cliamte variations int he atmosphere, land, and ocean

Cooperative institute of climate and satellites (CICS)

hosted by UM to serve as a liaison between federal scientists and thos ein academia so that they may work together toward similar goals in utilizing satellite technologies for climate system investigations

What does NASA used to get climate observations from satellites?

TOPEX/Poseidon

TOPEX/Poseidon

joint venture between france’s CNES and NASA launched in 1992, measured ocean surface topography, eventually replaced with JASON/JASON 2

Challenges in sampling ECV

challenges to maintaining instruments in orbit, varying observational capabilities needed, quality data needed that’s obtained from accurate, high precision instruments, analyzed and deemed to have little bias, oceans present a challenge both in obtaining measurements and ensuring quality, argo

Argo

global-scale ocean observation network composed of small, drifting, and diving robotic probes that measure conductivity and temperature profile, and transmit data when at the surface, aids in calibrating remote sensing platforms, able to measure ECVs at the depths of the ocean, used in other scientific communities to monitor additional climate variables

Climate change initiative (CCI)

open climate data record, created by ESA, for 13 ECVs

Climate data record (CDR)

project addresses the challenges of combining all past and present data together to make a long term record, as sensors are replaced they’re replaced with sneors for better quality/with different observational capabilities

Environmental protection agency (EPA)

US government agency that monitors the climate system by working with many other organizations to collect data on 26 environmental indicators, climate role fits into its broader purpose of protecting human health and the environment by monitoring, regulating, and enforcing laws governing water, air, waste, pollution, pesticides, and other environmental topics

What are some environmental indicators?

greenhouse gas emissions, US temperatures, US precipitation, sea surface temperatures, ocean acidity, Arctic sea ice, snow cover, ragweed pollen season, and heat related deaths

Why is the need for monitoring the climate underscored?

by the amount of damaged caused by weather related disasters

Monitoring ECV

must be a consistent, continuum of observations to paint the big picture, predicting change requires a quality reference point on which to validate models

Cooperative weather observer program

uses citizen observational data to construct a record of trends for temperature and precipitation, national weather service, dates back to Jefferson

National weather service

direct contact for collecting this information

What are COOP limitations?

requires a person to make observations at the same time to the same degree of accuracy

Automated surface observing system (ASOS)

automated, electronic system that replaces the need for some of the COOPs manual observations, data is considered cleaner since they are automated

What is ASOS data order?

1st order

Where is there discontinuity in data?

COOP and ASOS sites, changes in observational methodology, instrumentation, and location have caused some differences in data which requires more effort in using these data points in the climate record

US historical climatological network (USHCN)

sub-network of the COOP network to address specific climate concerns, represent the best of the best COOP sites, represented a usable dataset but was time-consuming to maintain, US climate reference network (USCRN)

US climate reference network (USCRN)

began in 2002 to address inadequacies in data, stations in areas likely to be unchanged so as to provide best chance at long term record

Service climatologist

career that studies climate with the foremost goal to society of disseminating climate observation, provides decision support with future climate conditions, serves as a salesperson of climate data and assists with understanding of data, understand instruments used and can recognize issues in data

National climatic data center

physical place where the collected climate observation and model products, as well as non-digital global records are stored, regional climate centers support NCDC in data management, linked to major universities, allows for direct access for researchers and additional outreach in the community

State climatologist

climate scientist, appointed by the state, that serves in one of the regional climate centers, often with a dual appointment at a faculty/state government, serving as an expert to the state government and its residents

Climate scientists

wide variety of duties, requires cooperation from government, universities, and private sector

Do international efforts to monitor climate exist?

yes

Intergovernmental panel on climate change (IPCC)

takes with evaluating scientific data and determining how it will impact the globe, formed by UN environmental programme (UNEP) to evaluate the state of climate science as the basis for policy action, and informing scientists, public policy-makers, and the public

IPCC politics

neutral, consists of 3 working groups and a task force, examines all aspects of climate and impacts, releases assessment reports that outline findings

Climate modelers

climate scientists who not only use observational climate data but also create a whole new class of information by representing earth’s climate system virtually to experiment with different kinds of ECV observations and quantities, come from throughout the scientific community, play an important role in helping understand the climate system in terms of forecasting the future change

Primitive equations

equations that quantify the motions of the atmosphere

National center for environmental prediction (NCEP)

part of NOAA that aims to deliver analyses, guidance, forecasts, and warnings for wearth, ocean, climate, water, land surface, and space weather to the nation, and the world

Climate prediction center (CPC)

delivers outlooks for climate variables for time period of weeks to years with respect to normal values (30 day temperature)

Private sector applications

as much as $4 trillion of the economy is sensitive to climate, use of climate data in business has expanded as data becomes more readily available