The <scp>GCOS</scp> at 20 years: the origin, achievement and future development of the Global Climate Observing System

Houghton, J. T.; Townshend, J. R. G.; Dawson, Kirk; Mason, P. J.; Zillman, John W.; Simmons, A. J.

doi:10.1002/wea.1964

Cited by 29 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 5 publications

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“…Founded in 1992, the aims of the Global Climate Observing System (GCOS) were to meet the demand for climate-related observations and to make the data freely available to all nations (Spence & Townshend, 1995). The GCOS is essentially an aggregate of all climate-related activity in the observing systems from which it is built, from the global to the local scale (Houghton et al, 2012). The total number of rain gauges operated worldwide is estimated to be between 150,000 and 250,000 (Groisman & Legates, 1995;New et al, 2001;Strangeways, 2006).…”

Section: Gauge-based Precipitation Productsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Review of Global Precipitation Data Sets: Data Sources, Estimation, and Intercomparisons

Sun

Miao

Duan

et al. 2018

Reviews of Geophysics

1,328

871

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In this paper, we present a comprehensive review of the data sources and estimation methods of 30 currently available global precipitation data sets, including gauge‐based, satellite‐related, and reanalysis data sets. We analyzed the discrepancies between the data sets from daily to annual timescales and found large differences in both the magnitude and the variability of precipitation estimates. The magnitude of annual precipitation estimates over global land deviated by as much as 300 mm/yr among the products. Reanalysis data sets had a larger degree of variability than the other types of data sets. The degree of variability in precipitation estimates also varied by region. Large differences in annual and seasonal estimates were found in tropical oceans, complex mountain areas, northern Africa, and some high‐latitude regions. Overall, the variability associated with extreme precipitation estimates was slightly greater at lower latitudes than at higher latitudes. The reliability of precipitation data sets is mainly limited by the number and spatial coverage of surface stations, the satellite algorithms, and the data assimilation models. The inconsistencies described limit the capability of the products for climate monitoring, attribution, and model validation.

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Section: Gauge-based Precipitation Productsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Review of Global Precipitation Data Sets: Data Sources, Estimation, and Intercomparisons

Sun

Miao

Duan

et al. 2018

Reviews of Geophysics

1,328

871

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…These stations are labelled A, B and C respectively in Figure 4(f). All are designated by the programme for the Global Climate Observing System (GCOS) as members of the baseline GCOS Surface Network (GSN: Houghton et al ., 2012), based in part on their long‐term reporting record. Average availability for the main synoptic hours is about 95% of the maximum possible for January to March, apart from three years (2002–2004) for which no data at all was available to ERA‐Interim from Polar GMO im.…”

Section: Performance Of the Era‐interim Analysis Systemmentioning

confidence: 99%

Arctic warming in ERA‐Interim and other analyses

Simmons

Poli

2014

Quart J Royal Meteoro Soc

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“…The Applications of Meteorology Programme (AMP) built on the products of the WWW to support the longstanding services to international shipping (under the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) Convention) and civil aviation (under the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)) as well as services for agriculture and the WMO Public Weather Services (PWS) Programme established in 1991. The World Weather Watch also underpinned the World Climate Programme established following the 1979 (First) World Climate Conference (WCC‐1) and restructured following WCC‐2 and WCC‐3, including through the establishment of the Global Climate Observing System (Houghton et al, ) and the Global Framework for Climate Services (WMO, ). It also provided basic data and products in support of the Hydrology and Water Resources Programme (HWRP) which was established following incorporation of ‘operational hydrology’ into the WMO Convention in 1975 at the end of the International Hydrological Decade (IHD; Zillman, ).…”

Section: International Cooperation After Garpmentioning

confidence: 96%

International cooperation in meteorology, part 2: the golden years and their legacy

Zillman

2018

Weather

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International cooperation in meteorology was one of the great success stories of the second half of the twentieth century. This article recalls the implementation of the World Weather Watch and the Global Atmospheric Research Programme (GARP) in the 1960s and 1970s, the challenges of the post‐GARP decades of the 1980s and 1990s and the legacy and lessons they provide for international cooperation in the twenty‐first century.

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The GCOS at 20 years: the origin, achievement and future development of the Global Climate Observing System

Cited by 29 publications

References 5 publications

A Review of Global Precipitation Data Sets: Data Sources, Estimation, and Intercomparisons

A Review of Global Precipitation Data Sets: Data Sources, Estimation, and Intercomparisons

Arctic warming in ERA‐Interim and other analyses

International cooperation in meteorology, part 2: the golden years and their legacy

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