GCOS GOOS WCRP/OOPC IX/3 

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6.1 Global Climate Observing System (GCOS) 

The focus of GCOS has remained on the Second Adequacy Report (2AR) in response 

to the UN Framework Convention on Climate  Change (UNFCCC), which was submitted in 

December 2003, and on its Implementation Plan, which is to be submitted in the fall of 2004. 

The  GCOS  framework  of  sparse  and  baseline  networks,  and  its  emphasis  on  treating  each 

Essential  Climate  Variable  (ECV)  separately  has  been  a  tough  fit  at  times  to  the  composite 

ocean  networks,  which  are  made  up  of  many  different  types  of  sensors.  In  preparing  the 

Implementation  Plan  (IP),  there  has  been  a  lot  of  pressure  to  prioritize,  which  has  been 

resisted.  But  generally,  the   Next  Steps   that  emerged  from  the  1998  Ocean  Observations 

conference and that are advocated by the OOPC have made it into the GCOS IP intact. 

GCOS has initiated a Donor Fund for the purchase of consumables in developing the 

climate  network  in  less developed  countries.  Perhaps  the  only  component  of  the  ocean 

climate  observing  network  that  could  benefit  from  this  mechanism  is  the  coastal  tide  gauge 

network. Further details of the initiative are in development. 

Discussion by the OOPC focused on making  sure input into the ocean part of the IP 

reflected  the  panel s  concerns     surface  variables  had  a  tendency  to  be  lost  between  the 

atmospheric and oceanic sections of the plan. The chair noted positive points of the GCOS IP: 

it brings attention to a number of cross cutting issues relating to the continuity and quality of 

satellite  observations,  data  sharing  and  standards,  analysis  and  reanalysis,  and  engagement 

with the research community. The UNFCCC has  specifically asked for a report on progress 

on  the  implementation  of  the  ocean  observing  network  for  climate  for  the  Spring  of  2005; 

GOOS will take the lead in preparing this report along with GCOS. 

The  OOPC s  twin  panel  for  the  atmosphere  in  GCOS,  the  Atmosphere  Observation 

Panel  for  Climate  (AOPC),  shares  OOPC s  interest  in  improving  real time  operational 

products at the air sea interface, and has strongly supported the ocean surface components of 

the  Next Steps . The common Working Group on Sea Level Pressure has largely focused on 

reconstructions rather than improving operational products. The SURFA project will now fall 

under the WCRP s Working Group on Surface Fluxes, and OOPC panel members emphasized 

the importance of forward momentum in this project, which has been lacking. 

6.2 Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS) 

The GOOS Steering Committee (GSC) has continued its  support for the basic  set of 

recommendations on the global component of the ocean observing  system advocated by the 

OOPC. The I GOOS has been asked to give priority for moving forward with implementation 

through  national  efforts,  and  the  IOC  Executive  Council  will  be  asked  to  solicit 

implementation  progress  information.  The  GSC  has  emphasized  the  importance  of 

participating in the GEO Implementation Plan. 

The Coastal Ocean Observation Panel (COOP) has come far in its planning, with the 

basis of actions being organized around the GOOS Regional Associations (GRAs). It will be 

important  to  link  global  scale  phenomena  to  local  scales,  and  the  OOPC  may  be  able  to 

suggest pilot projects, we should consider placing a higher priority on this activity. 

National  data  sharing  remains  incomplete  between  nations  that  contribute  to  GOOS. 

This point was discussed for some time within the committee. It was pointed out that while 

there  are  many  CLIVAR relevant  datasets,  few  of  them  are  collected  through  CLIVAR.