Adequacy of Climate Observing Systems (1999) / Chapter Skim
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Executive Summary
Executive Summary
Pages 1-6
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The leaders of the developed and developing nations recognize that climate changes are likely to have significant impacts on their economies, foreign policies, and quality of life in the coming decades. The 1997 Conference on the World Climate Research Programme to the Third Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change concluded that the global capacity to observe the Earths climate system is inadequate and is deteriorating worldwide: "Without action to reverse this decline and develop the Global Climate Observation System, the ability to characterize climate change and variations over the next 25 years will be even less than during the past quarter century" (See Appendix A)
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These activities are influenced by precipitation and water availability, temperature, storms, solar radiation, and sea level, and how they vary over time and with geography. Variables most useful for climate change detection and attribution are: three-dimensional temperature and water vapor; surface wind, sea level pressure, precipitation; sea ice and ice sheet properties; streamflow, groundwater and land water reservoirs; vegetation cover; and ocean upper-level temperature and salinity, deep ocean temperature and salinity profiles and the height of sea level.
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National climate assessments and international assessments, (e.g., international ozone or IPCC) are critical to evaluating and maintaining overall consistency of climate data sets.
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International cooperation is critical for successful data management. The panel's evaluation of existing climate records, using these ten principles, shows that only about half of the principles are being followed for some of the variables most useful for climate change detection and attribution.
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FINDING: There has been a lack of progress by the federal agencies responsible for climate observing systems, individually and collectively, toward developing and maintaining a credible integrated climate observing system, consequently limiting the ability to document adequately climate change. RECOMMENDATION: These agencies should work through the USGCRP process and at higher government levels to: .
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economic and social interests depend on knowing the climate globally, U.S. agencies should pursue international cooperation in climate observation and monitoring through international mechanisms.
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