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UNEP Questionnaire for
Earthwatch Partners |
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PROGRAMME
NAME |
GCOS Surface Network
and
GCOS Upper-air Network
(GSN/GUAN)
GCOS - a Programme co-sponsored
by WMO, UNESCO/IOC, UNEP and ICSU
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URL/
Website |
http://www.wmo.int/pages/prog/gcos/gcoshome.html |
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Description |
The GCOS Surface Network (GSN)
and GCOS Upper-Air Network (GUAN) are subsets of the WMO Regional Basic
Climatological Networks (RBCN), chosen on the basis of uniform global
distribution, reliability, and the existence of long-term historical
records. The GSN consists of about 980 surface stations with a target
horizontal spacing of about 250 km, which is considered adequate for
climate change monitoring and detection at the global scale. The GUAN
consists of about 150 upper-air stations, also globally distributed to the
extent possible. |
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Agenda
21 - Areas of particular focus or interest |
Atmosphere -
Climate Change - Desertification - Forests - Oceans - Sustainable
Development
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Regions |
Worldwide |
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Data
collection, Observation, Monitoring
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For the GSN, monthly
summaries of surface temperature (monthly mean, minimum and maximum),
precipitation and surface pressure. These are provided by the station
operators in the CLIMAT format specified in the WMO manuals. For the GUAN,
monthly averages of daily soundings of temperature, water vapour and wind
speed and direction, provided in the WMO CLIMAT TEMP formats. The data are
monitored by the GCOS Monitoring and Analysis Centres in Germany, Japan,
the UK and USA and archive at the World Data Centre for Meteorology,
Asheville, USA.
Links to all of these centres can be found
through the GCOS Web site:
http://www.wmo.int/pages/prog/gcos/gcoshome.html
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URL/
Data collection., Observ., Monitor. |
http://www.wmo.int/pages/prog/gcos/networks.htm |
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URL/Assessment and Analysis |
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URL/Indicators |
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URL/Modelling |
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URL/Early warning mechanisms |
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URL/
Reports, Information dissemination |
http://www.wmo.int/pages/prog/gcos/publications.htm
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Major
Assessment Reports |
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URL/
Network dev. and support |
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Networks
managed by Agency/Prog. |
WMO Global Observing System – RBCN, GSN,
GUAN
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URL/
Capacity building |
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Responsible
Office/Person
(for inquiries or follow-up) |
Dr Alexander Karpov
Director, GCOS Secretariat
WMO
7 bis, Avenue de la Paix
CP 2300
CH-1211 Geneva 2
Switzerland
Tel.: +(41 22) 730 8275
Fax: +(41 22) 730 8181
AKarpov@wmo.int |
