Remedy 1: Extension and continuous update of a comprehensive review of existing geographical gaps for non-satellite observations

Primary gap remedy type: 
Governance
Proposed remedy description: 

The extensive review of existing observing non-satellite capabilities for the measurement of a multitude of ECVs provided in GAIA-CLIM should be considered for viability over the long term as a service activity updated on a regular basis. The process towards the implementation of such a service comprises of the following steps:

  • Establishing of broad synergies among the international bodies, research infrastructures, and meteorological services, maintaining the repositories where the observations provided by the existing networks operating at the global scale are stored;

  • Establishing a functioning governance structure between the data suppliers (i.e. networks) and the international data providers (WMO, GCOS, GAW, Research Infrastructures, etc), which must count on the effort of each network in maintaining the highest quality level for its own metadata. This should also include a reward to the data suppliers for maintaining service activities.

  • Facilitating the processes described above, by funding projects whose aim must be to demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed service activity for specific ECVs over the long term; these projects should involve experimental scientists, modellers, and ICT experts, along with representatives from international research bodies.

 

With respect to the last point above, the review offered within GAIA-CLIM will be improved and supported over the long term by Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) for the in-situ measurements component for a subset of the atmospheric, land and oceanic ECVs considered in GAIA-CLIM through the provision of extensive inventories of the investigated networks. C3S is dealing with the access to in-situ observation and shall provide valuable examples of structuring such governance between the data suppliers. The C3S outreach system ensures the coordination of its activities with other international activities for a sustained exchange of rich measurement metadata information ongoing at WMOs Commission for Basic Systems, GCOS, GEOSS, GAW (Global Atmospheric Watch). In particular, a synergy with the INSPIRE (Infrastructure for Spatial Information in Europe), at the EU level, and with WIGOS (WMO Integrated Global Observing System), at the international level, must be established. 

Relevance: 

The Copernicus Climate Data Store (CDS) will facilitate the access to rich discovery metadata and support the reduction of the fragmentation already experienced in the metadata sets available worldwide for a large number of networks. 

Measurable outcome of success: 

Use of the collected geographical metadata through the CDS, the GAIA-CLIM Virtual Observatory or similar efforts, and hence downstream applications. The timeline for the assessment and quantification of these datasets can be quantified on the basis of users level of satisfaction (via feedback collection) in the first two years after the release of metadata through each specific access platform. 

Expected viability for the outcome of success: 
  • High
Scale of work: 
  • Programmatic multi-year, multi-institution activity
Time bound to remedy: 
  • Less than 5 years
Indicative cost estimate (investment): 
  • Medium cost (< 5 million)
Indicative cost estimate (exploitation): 
  • No
Potential actors: 
  • Copernicus funding
  • National funding agencies
  • National Meteorological Services
  • WMO