the Framework Convention on Climate Change and urged that it be ready by that time. CNES agreed to facilitate holding an information session on the Oceans Theme paper at the October conference, Ocean Obs 99, in Saint Raphael, France.
Mr. Robert S. Winokur, SIT Chair
Dr. D. Brent Smith, SIT Organizing Committee, NOAA
Ms. Linda Moodie, CEOS Secretariat, NOAA
The CEOS Strategic Implementation Team (SIT), which has been tasked by CEOS and the Integrated Global Observing Strategy (IGOS) Partners to design and implement the space component of an IGOS, met at the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Rome, Italy, June 9, 1999, the day following the 3rd IGOS Partners meeting. CEOS is one of several Partners in the IGOS Partnership, established in June 1998.
The SIT welcomed the strong steps taken at the third IGOS Partners meeting toward the development of an IGOS. Key decisions were made with regard to adoption of a themes approach and agreement on criteria for activities to be undertaken under the IGOS Partnership. It was clarified at SIT that for all future theme-related activities, a lead organization and potential partners should submit a proposal, addressing the stated criteria, to the Chair of the next IGOS Partners meeting and the IGOS Liaison Group. The criteria state that scientific, application, and/or operational needs can be the basis of a theme or project(s) within a theme.
Oceans Theme
The SIT met with the leader of the first IGOS theme team, focused on
oceans, to which the IGOS Partners had agreed the previous day. As the
SIT had originally established oceans as a prototype theme in January 1999
to illustrate how the thematic approach might work, the SIT explored the
progress thus far and the team's plans to hold a joint meeting with the
G3OS Space Panel (GOSSP) in August 1999. See related article on Page 4.
The team expects to have its report, including recommendations, ready
by October prior to the IGOS Partners and CEOS Plenary meetings in November
1999. GCOS stated it would like to take the IGOS Oceans Theme paper forward
to the Conference of the Parties (COP-5) of
the Framework Convention on Climate Change and urged that it be ready
by that time. CNES agreed to facilitate holding an information session
on the Oceans Theme paper at the October conference, Ocean Obs 99, in Saint
Raphael, France.
Other Themes
Several IGOS Partners indicated their interest in supporting other
themes. NOAA proposed the develop-ment of a proposal for a Disaster Applications
Theme, welcoming the participation of others. CNES, CSA, EC, and ESA indicated
strong support, and the SIT encouraged
NOAA to develop the DMS Theme proposal with other interested parties
and submit it to IGOS-P. NOAA noted that FAO and UNESCO have also expressed
interest in this theme. It was noted that the challenge was how to engage
and confederate the diverse user community, especially since this thematic
area generally lies outside the purview of the G3OS and GOSSP.
GTOS stated that the GTOS/GCOS Terrestrial Observations Panel for Climate
will consider a proposal for an IGOS cross-cutting Carbon Cycle Theme.
Potential partners are GTOS and FAO with CCRS, CSA, the EC Joint Research
Centre, the Global Observation of Forest
Cover pilot project, IGBP, NASA, and WCRP. The SIT encouraged CSA and
CCRS to work with GTOS/FAO on
the Carbon Cycle Theme.
With regard to the initial IGOS pilot projects, SIT expects the following
transition:
Global Ocean Data Assimilation Experiment will be a part of the Oceans
Theme;
Ocean Biology will be a part of the Oceans Theme;
Disaster Management Support will be part of the anticipated Disaster
Applications Theme;
Global Observation of Forest Cover will be part of the anticipated
Carbon Cycle Theme;
Long-term Continuity of Ozone Measurements will be part of a potential
Atmospheric Chemistry Theme;
Upper Air Measurements will transition to the WMO Open Programme
Area Group for Integrated Observing Systems.
(to be continued page 5)
