Global Cryosphere Watch. contributions from and expectations of the internationally coordinated glacier monitoring

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1 GCW, Geneva, November 2011 Global Cryosphere Watch contributions from and expectations of the internationally coordinated glacier monitoring potential partner Michael Zemp the devil s advocate World Glacier Monitoring Service, Department of Geography, University of Zurich, Switzerland

2 Free and unrestricted international share of high-quality, long-term and standardized data and information products is one of the basic requirements for advances in research. GCOS (2010)

3 Glacier monitoring: internationally coordinated since : International Glacier Commission variations périodiques global vs. regional development terrestrial vs. extraterrestrial forcing Ice Age origin observations for the generations to come Today: Global Terrestrial Network for Glaciers (GTN-G) climate change sea level rise runoff hazards François-Alphonse Forel,

4 Global Terrestrial Network for Glaciers (GTN-G) Steering Committee Advisory Board Executive Board Global Land Ice Measurements from Space World Glacier Monitoring Service US National Snow and Ice Data Center available funding for operational work

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6 WGMS General Assembly of National Correspondents 2010 Find our summary report, as published in the NASA Earth Observer, Vol. 23,4: 28-31, on our website:

7 A worldwide scientific collaboration network WGMS (2008) WGMS National Correspondents for: Antarctica, Argentina, Austria, Bolivia, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Ecuador, France, Germany, Greenland, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Mexico, Mongolia, Nepal, New Zealand, Norway, Pakistan, Peru, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Russia, Tanzania, Uganda, U.S.A., and Uzbekistan

8 Global Terrestrial Network for Glaciers: strategy main goals of long-term observations: change detection: process understanding A multi-level, integrative strategy combining: rate of change model validation local process understanding with global acceleration coverage, trends change detection in-situ measurements with remote sensing, pre-industrial and variability impact assessments traditional observations with new technologies change patterns integrated / tiered observing strategy Haeberli et al. (2000) Tier 1: multi-component obs. system across environmental gradients Tier 2: process understanding and model calibration => extensive energy/mass balance, flow Tier 3: regional indicators => mass change (index stakes, photogrammetry, LIDAR) Tier 4: regional representativeness => cumulative length change; DEM differencing Tier 5: global coverage => inventories (remote sensing/geoinformatics)

9 Global glacier distribution 100,000 glaciers 100,000 glaciers WGMS (2008) UNEP (2007)

10 Glacier fluctuation series 1,000 glaciers photo by S. Kappeler 100 glaciers WGMS (2008) photos by M. Zemp and H. Machguth

11 One-stop data-portal on FoG WGMS WGI WGMS / NSIDC GLIMS NSIDC Glacier photos NSIDC

12 Terminology, guidelines and standards, assessment reports Kaser et al. (2003) WGMS (2008) Cogley et al. (2011) Zemp, M. (2011): Glacier monitoring at local, mountain, and global scale. Habilitation Thesis, Faculty of Science, University of Zurich, Switzerland.

13 POSTER WGMS (2008): online available from: :

14 Global Cryosphere Watch The Global Cryosphere Watch aims to establish a sustained, global, robust, end-to-end cryosphere observing and monitoring system (GCW Handouts 2011) Implementation note: Global Atmosphere Watch mainly builds on observation series run by national met and hydro services. Global Cryosphere Watch will have to mainly build on observations series from scientific projects.

15 SCAR GEO GCOS GTOS GRID/ARENDAL WDC-G GEOSS UNFCCC TOPC CIG GCW IAHS DEWA FAGS GTN-P ICSI GTN-H UNFAO IHP WMO ICSU IUGG WCRP CCS CliC GTN-G WDS IACS UNEP UNESCO How to make a difference? PSFG GLIMS GLACIODYN TTS/WGI SCNAT PAGES WGMS FoG EKK CRYOCLIM GMBB IPCC NSIDC NCCR-C GLIMS RC Implementation Plan: UZH??? GLOBGLACIER GPC WGMS NC SEP GK WGMS PI Available GLACIER_CCI resources:??? SAC NVE VAW/ETH ICIMOD UFR (Implementation) Strategy:

16 What role does GCW want to play in the glacier monitoring world? GCW GC W GCW GCW GC W GC W

17 GCW as authoritative source for data and information The Global Cryosphere Watch, working with WMO members and partners, will provide authoritative, clear, and useable data, information, and analysis on the past, current and future state of the cryosphere [ ] (GCW Handouts 2011) WGMS can contribute: long-term experience in coordinating the international glacier monitoring data and information on glacier distribution and changes Implementation questions: authoritative? [service v.s. project] who are the data/info users? who are the data/info providers? why should they contribute to GCW? missing services? [GT-Nets] data, meta-data or information portal? assessment reports? standardized data only? available long-term resources?

18 Authoritative data made available to unknown users Atlas of the cryosphere (NSIDC) showing ice sheet thickness

19 Terminology, best practices, guidelines, and standards [ ] timely reminder of the importance of a standard vocabulary. [ ] to have these as a GCW glossary of cryospheric terms. [ ] [ ] translated into 6 languages. (B. Goodison, personal comm. 2011) Some facts about the Mass Balance Glossary: 11 authors; experts from the glacier research and monitoring community 3 years of work > 450 terms (one language only) Cogley et al. (2011) update of earlier glossary

20 Cryospheric observation network of «supersites» The Global Cryosphere Watch, will initiate a comprehensive cryosphere observing network called CryoNet, a network of reference sites or supersites [ ] (GCW Explanatory Memerandum 2011) WGMS can contribute: long-term experience in coordinating the international glacier monitoring 37 reference glaciers with long-term and continuous mass-balance monitoring programmes (cf. Zemp et al. 2009, Ann. Glaciol.) Implementation questions: new or existing sites? representativeness? new label may down-rate other important series does it really make sense to monitor as many cryospheric variables as possible at one site? maybe better link the existing longterm cryo-sites to automatic weather stations available long-term resources?

21 conclusions Potential contributions from the WGMS and GTN-G to GCW: long-term experience in coordinating the international glacier monitoring representation of the glacier monitoring community data and information about glacier distribution and changes Our expectations of GCW: well-elaborated implementation plan that is feasible in light of available resources clear positioning within other international organizations close collaboration with authoritative data services In other words: Please add value (and not just another acronym) to the zoo of international organizations and focus on few but well implemented tasks. WGMS (2008)