Climate Observation Needs

Since its inception, the GCOS programme has been addressing the following core tasks:

Defining and regular updating of climate requirements for global observing systems, and;
Highlighting gaps in global observing systems for climate, and taking remedial action.

The latest status of this work is summarized in the following:

2010 Update of the Implementation Plan for the Global Observing System for Climate in Support of the UNFCCC (GCOS-138, August 2010)
Progress Report 2004-2008 (Full Report, Executive Summary)
("Progress Report on the Implementation of the Global Observing System for Climate in Support of the UNFCCC 2004-2008", GCOS-129, August 2009)
Implementation Plan for the Global Observing System for Climate in Support of the UNFCCC, GCOS-92, October 2004 (Full Report, Executive Summary)
Satellite Supplement to the GCOS Implementation Plan
("Systematic Observation Requirements for Satellite-based Products for Climate - Supplemental details to the satellite-based component of the GCOS Implementation Plan", GCOS-107, September 2006)
Second Adequacy Report (Full Report, Executive Summary, Technical Supplement)
("Second Report on the Adequacy of the Global Observing Systems for Climate in Support of the UNFCCC", GCOS-82, April 2003)
GCOS Essential Climate Variables
GCOS Climate Monitoring Principles
GCOS/WCRP Observation Requirements in the WMO/CEOS Database (Last updated: July 2007)

Last modified on Mon, 28 Jan 2013