Weather and Climate (Chapter 2)

Global Climate Observing System (GCOS)

A collaboration that involves data from a range of physical, chemical and biological properties, atmospheric, oceanic and terrestrial processes

Aided in collection and sharing of observations related to climate system

Essential Climate Variables (ECVs)

Quantities with measurable values that define the current states of Earth’s climate system, allows us to study its processes and predict future states

Easy to measure, fully monitored

What are the categories of ECv observation?

In situ - obtained by direct contact (more accurate)

Remote sensing - obtained from a distance

What is the fastest growing class of remote sensing observations?

Satellite data

Two types of orbits

Geostationary - 36,000km high that is the same rate and direction as the rotation of Earth

Polar - 800 to 1000km high that follows a fixed plane while Earth rotates within that plane

Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES-East, GOES-West)

Geostationary weather satellites that provide a complete view of North America and adjacent portions on the Pacific Atlantic Oceans

75 W longitude South America, 135 W longitude eastern Pacific Ocean

Polar-orbiting satellites

A satellite with a revolution that traces a fixed plane while Earth rotates on its axis within the plan

Miss the poles due to gravitational field, account for data that GOES can’t get

Satellite Meteorology and Climatology Division (SMCD)

Conducts research and develops new satellite products to improve and increase use of satellites in measuring ECv’s

What is included within the SMCD?

Atmospheric, Land Surface, Hydrological Cycle, Environmental, and Climate Variables

Satellite Climate Studies Branch (SCSB)

Sub-organization of SMCD that exploits capabilities of Earth-observing satellites to investing climate variations in the atmosphere, land and ocean

Cooperative Institute for Climate and Satellites (CICS)

Serves as a liaison between federal scientists and those in academia to work together toward the similar goal in utilizing satellite technologies for climate system investigations

TOPEX/Poseidon

Joint venture between French CNES and NASA that measured ocean surface topography

Later replaced with JASON/JASON2

What presents a challenge in obtaining measurement and ensuring there is quality data?

Oceans

Argo

Global-scale ocean observation network composed of small robotic probes that measure conductivity and temperature profile and transmit data when they surface

Climate Change Initiative (CCI)

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

Climate Data Record (CDR)

Addresses the challenged of combing all past and present data together to make a long-term record

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

US government agency that monitors the climate system by working with many other organizations on environmental indicators

What is the climate role of the EPA?

Fits into the broader purpose of protecting human health and the environment by monitoring, regulating, and enforcing laws governing environmental topics

COoperative weather Observer Program (COOP)

Uses citizen observational data to construct a record of trends for temperature and precipitation

Dates back to Thomas Jefferson

Who is the direct contact for information obtained by the COoperative weather Observer Program?

National Weather Service

Automated Surface Observing System (ASOS)

Automated, electronic system that replaces the need for some of the COOPs manual observations

Cleaner data

Changes in what have caused differences in data as a result of using both COOP and ASOS?

Observational methodology, instrumentation and locations

US Historical Climatological Network (USHCN)

Sub-network of COOP to address climate concerns

What started in 2002 to address data inadequacies?

United States Climate Reference Network (USCRN)

Service climatologist

Someone who studies climate with the foremost goal to society of disseminating climate observation

Provides support, assists understanding of data, understand instruments and recognize issues in data

National Climatic Data Center

Place where the collected climate observation and model products, as well as non-digital global records, are stored

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 or state government

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)

Tasked with evaluating scientific data and determining how it will impact the globe

Climate modelers

Climate scientists who use observational climate data and create a new class of information by representing Earth’s climate system virtually to experiment with different kinds of ECV observations and quantities

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 weather, ocean, climate, water, land surface and space weather to the world

Climate Prediction Center (CPC)

Delivers outlooks for climate variables for time periods of weeks to years with respect to normal values