The Cryospheric Observing System
for the IPY and Beyond
Jeff Key
NOAA/NESDIS
Madison, Wisconsin
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 panarctic, 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.
Earth Observation
Coordination Mechanisms
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)
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.
IGFA IGBP ICSU WCRP
CEOS
WMO
GOOS
UNESCO
GCOS
GTOS
FAO
IOC
UNEP
WHO
IGOS Themes
APPROVED
GEOHAZARDS
OCEANS
WATER
CARBON
COASTAL
Atm. Chem.
UNDER DEVELOPMENT
CRYOSPHERE
LAND COVER
CONSIDERED
HEALTH
GEODESY
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.
Requirements
The first step in designing the global observing system is to define
observational requirements. Requirements depend on the application!
Parameter
Snow Cover
Snow Water Equivalent
(Shallow)
Snow Water Equivalent
(Deep)
Snow Depth (Shallow)
Snow Depth (ModDeep)
Snow Albedo
(Broadband)
Snow Surface
Temperature
C
T
O
Measurement Range
Measurement
Accuracy
Resolution
Spatial
Temporal
V
U
Comment /
Principal
Driver
L
H
U
V
U
V
U
C
20
100
%
15-20
%
1
km
T
0
100
%
10
%
0.5
km
1
day
O
0
100
%
5
%
0.1
km
12
hr
C
0
0.2
m
2-10
cm
25
km
1
day
T
0
0.3
m
3
cm
0.5
km
6
day
O
0
0.3
m
2
cm
0.1
km
12
hr
C
None
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
T
0.3
3
m
10
%
0.5
km
6
day
O
0.3
3
m
7
%
0.1
km
12
hr
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
C
None
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
Need HF SAR
T
1
10
m
10
%
0.5
km
6
day
O
1
10
m
6
%
0.1
km
1
hr
Transportatio
n
C
30
100
%
7
%
1
km
1
day
e.g. MODIS
T
0
100
%
1
%
8
km
1
hr
O
0
100
%
0.5
%
5
km
30
min
C
TBD
T
200
275
K
1
K
1
km
1
hr
day
e.g. MODIS
Hydromet
e.g. AMSR-E
Hydromet
Need HF SAR
Hydromet
Hydromet
Hydromet
Hydromet
Next we compare examine the current and planned sensors/systems/networks
(satellite sensors in this example) to determine what we need.
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
S atellites
and Sensors
IceSat
ERS-2,
Envisat,
CryoSat-2,
GM ESSentinel-3
ERS2Wind Scat,
QuikScat,
M ETOPASCAT,
OCEANSAT2,
HY-2A Scat
SPOT 1-5,
ASTER,
GM ES
Sentinel-2
AVHRR,
LandSATTM /ETM +,
DMSPOLS,
M ODIS,
VIIRS,
HY-1,
SSMI,
AMSR-E,
Windsat,
SM OS,
HY-2A
GRACE,
GOCE
Ice Sheets
Elevation/
Thickness
Elevation/
Thickness
ERS-2 SAR,
Envisat
ASAR,
Radarsat1-2,
ALOSPALSAR,
TERRASARX,
COSM OSKYM ED,
RISAT,
GM ESSentinel-1
Motion,
Extent
Extent
M elt/Freeze
onset
Mass
change
Glaciers and
Ice Caps
S ea Ice
Elevation/
Thickness
Freeboard/
Thickness
Elevation/
Thickness
Freeboard/
Thickness
S now
Accumulation
Accumulation
Solid Precip
and S WE
Temperature
Albedo
S urface
features
Lake and
river ice
Permafrost
and frozen
ground
*
Extent,
Snow/Ice
Facies
Motion
Motion,
Extent,
Floe Size
Distribution
Accumulation
Extent,
M elt/Freeze
Onset
Extent
Extent
Floe Size
Distribution,
M elt Ponds
Extent
Extent,
Snow
thickness
Extent
Extent,
Thickness
Accumulation
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Mass
change
Geoid
Mass
Loading
Mass
Loading
*
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:
Integrated System
Building Blocks
• 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).
Decision
Support
• 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.
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/
projects/ceop/dm/
INTEGRATED
IN-SITU
SATELLITE
MODEL
EOL 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