A European climate data centre
- Paper number
IAC-08.B1.4.1
- Author
Mr. Pat Norris, Logica, United Kingdom
- Year
2008
- Abstract
Europe is committed to providing extensive space-based facilities to monitor the world’s climate, most noticeably in the form of the programme called Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES). Rigorous understanding of climate requires access to information from a wide variety of sources (on land, on and under the ocean, airborne) and covering a variety of disciplines (geology, hydrography, atmospheric chemistry, etc.). Data spanning very long time periods is required, imposing stringent requirements on comparability of data from different sources. Climate change researchers need easy access to data and associated information, and well calibrated data with all ancillary information attached or easily accessed. Work financed by the European Space Agency will provide a generic facility for calibrating data collected by the GMES space-based sensors, and conforming to calibration standards being defined within the Global Earth Observation (GEO) community and the Committee for Earth Observation Satellites (CEOS). A facility that builds on this advanced calibration infrastructure is proposed that will act as custodian of climate-quality data sets, now and in the future, applying the necessary due diligence to the data to ensure its fitness for purpose. Traceability of sources will be an important function to provide, as will the ability to identify and access data that is contemporaneous within a defined level of uncertainty. The ancillary information will include calibration parameters and algorithms applied to the data including the detailed models used, plus relevant environmental information (local or regional weather, sensor environment, commissioning history, etc.). In addition to archiving and ensuring data quality, e.g.: traceability, the Centre should also commission activity to synthesise diverse data sources into a high quality digital rendition of the Earth system. This type of reanalysis activity is a critical component of exploiting GMES and operational satellite date for climate monitoring, diagnosis and prediction.
- Abstract document
- Manuscript document
IAC-08.B1.4.1.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).
To get the manuscript, please contact IAF Secretariat.