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Climate Monitoring Summit

19-20 October 2010

Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center
University of Maryland Research Park (M-Square)
5825 University Research Court, College Park, MD

Sponsored by
the University of Maryland's Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center
and NOAA's Climate Prediction Center
with support and participation from
the Center for Satellite Applications and Research (STAR)


 

Key Questions for Breakout Groups

Breakout 1
  • What are the areas of overlap and where are the gaps in NOAAs climate monitoring enterprise?
  • Should inventories be modified based on NOAAs definition of climate monitoring?
  • Since there are multiple monitoring activities and products (e.g. for precipitation and temperature, how do users know what to use and believe?
  • What mechanisms should NOAA put in place to avoid duplication and address gaps in climate monitoring activities?
  • How far back in time should we be monitoring?
Breakout 2
  • What are the key indices, the successful monitoring of which (over the next 20 years), will make a profound difference to our understanding of climate variability and change. Some candidates:
    • Land and ocean surface temperatures;
    • Energy balance at the top of the atmosphere;
    • Ocean heat content, circulation;
    • Sea level and deep ocean;
    • Mass balances of the polar ice sheets;
    • Carbon sources and sinks
  • What technology should NOAA invest in to monitor these?
  • What is the role of research in defining and developing key indices and how should the hand-off between research and operations be prioritized and facilitated?
  • What should be the relationship between a core monitoring activity and attribution?
  • How should we address the need for improved data QC and development of analysis methods, documentation, and access tools to make monitoring products more useful?
  • There are numerous indices being monitored. How are these related, coordinated, updated, and explained to users?
Breakout 3
  • Where should users go to find climate monitoring information?
  • Should NOAA have a central location (e.g. Climate Portal) that aggregates monitoring information with explanations and references and linkages back to the original data? How comprehensive?
  • Can we develop an improved user requirements process (to avoid the tendency to develop products without knowing who is going to use them)?
  • How should NOAA communicate climate monitoring information (e.g. Science on a Sphere, Climate Portal, Ocean Kiosk, Webinars)? What is the role of climate monitoring in promoting science literacy?
Breakout 4
  • What steps should NOAA take to facilitate use of this definition in responding to user services (e.g. internal and external stakeholder meetings; NEP/NEC meetings; education and outreach activities)?
  • Who are the major users of climate monitoring information?
  • What is the role of partnerships in achieving NOAA climate monitoring goals?
  • Are there partnering mechanisms not currently taken advantage of? Partnering opportunities missed?
  • When should NOAA do things ourselves vs. seeking partners?