Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
information in order to obtain an internally coordinated (dynamically balanced)
structure ensuring an adequate simulation of variability of the climate system in the
interests of climate forecast. Naturally,
first steps in this direction should consist in
substantiation of an adequate global observational system and detailed requirements
to observation data (these problems are far from being resolved). One of the related
steps was an accomplishment of the COPES project of coordinated frequented
observations in 2002
2004 within the sub-programme of the experiment on study
of global energy and water cycles (GEWEX) as part of WCRP, the key questions of
which were (COPES 2004):
-
Do variations of the rate of water cycle take place due to climate change?
To what degree do local weather changes result from anthropogenic (or natural)
global climate change?
Is it possible to forecast precipitation on spatial-temporal scales determined by
requirements connected with solving of applied problems?
How can the total impact of processes determining water cycle be taken into
account (parameterized) in weather forecasts and climate models?
A new stage of the GEWEX programme is connected with accomplishment of a
complete global description of water and energy cycles, as well as the development
of improved forecasts of precipitation and water cycle variability (with due regard
to natural and anthropogenic climate changes), bearing in mind resolution of var-
ious practical problems, especially those concerning water resources. As Lawford
(2004) pointed out, the following items are playing an increased role: the use of
space-borne observational means such as an experimental satellite CloudSat for
radar measurements of the vertical structure of clouds and their properties; the
system of polar-orbiting environmental satellites (NPOESS); means of remote
sensing of soil moisture and ocean water salinity (SMOS); programme to study the
state of the hydrosphere (Hydros) with the global survey of changes of soil moisture
and conditions of surface permafrost melting and global precipitation measurement
(GPM). The Integrated Global Observing Strategy (IGOS) planned for 10 years and
combined systems of global Earth observations (GEOSS) favour the coordination
of such developments. Within the programme of partnership IGOS (IGOS-P) plans
are being made to create observational systems with the use of routine (in-situ) and
satellite observational means. In this connection,
the problem-oriented special
complex
field experiments such as CEOP (Koike 2004) aimed mainly at studies of
global water cycle should play a special role.
The main goal of CEOP project started in October 2002 and completed by the
end of 2004 was to assess the impact of the sources and sinks of heat and moisture
on land on the global climate formation. The CEOP was considered as a pilot
project in accomplishing global observations of water cycle within the partnership
in strategy of global observations (IGOS-P) (Wanders et al. 2012).
Another important observational component of GEWEX and CLIVAR (pro-
grammes of climate studies) is the project of multi-disciplinary analysis of the
African Monsoon Multidisciplinary Analysis (AMMA), which is a continuation of
the project CATCH to study the tropical atmosphere and water cycle interaction.
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