Global Climate Observing System (GCOS)

Global Climate Observing System (GCOS)

The Global Climate Observing System (GCOS) was established in 1992 to provide comprehensive information on the climate system, which includes a multidisciplinary array of physical, chemical and biological observations of the atmosphere, oceans and land.

GCOS is a 'system of systems' based on:

  • The WIGOS Integrated Global Observing System of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO)
  • The Global Ocean Observing System (Global Ocean Observing System – GOOS) under the auspices of IOC-WMO-UNEP-ICSU
  • The Global Terrestrial Observing System (GTOS) under the auspices of the organizations FAO - UNEP - UNESCO - ICSU
  • and many other systems for research and operational observation

The Global Climate Observing System (GCOS) is a program that regularly assesses the state of global climate observations and provides guidance for their improvement. GCOS expert committees maintain the definitions of Essential Climate Variables (ECVs) that are necessary for systematic observations of Earth's changing climate.

GCOS-supported observations contribute to addressing climate change challenges.

GCOS operates within the framework of the Global Earth Observation System (GEOSS), under the umbrella of the Group on Earth Observations (GEO).

GCOS is co-financed by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO (IOC-UNESCO), the United Nations Environment Program and the International Science Council (ISC).

More at: https://gcos.wmo.int/


Integrated Global Observing System (WIGOS)

The Integrated Global Observing System (WIGOS) provides a framework for linking and sharing observational data from the National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHS) and other sources.

It operates under the auspices of the World Meteorological Organization.

It consists of a multitude of individual observing systems on the Earth's surface and in space, owned and operated by a number of national and international agencies. The program also provides a general framework for the coordination and optimized development of existing observation systems

The immediate objective is to facilitate climate services for five priority areas Global Framework for Climate Services (GFCS) – agriculture and food security, disaster risk reduction, energy, health and water.

More at: https://public.wmo.int/en/about-us/vision-and-mission/wmo-integrated-global-observing-system


Global Ratings Observation System (GOOS)

A comprehensive understanding of ocean climate and ecosystems, as well as human impacts and vulnerabilities, requires a coordinated and long-term ocean observing system. The Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS) coordinates observations around the world's oceans for three key themes: climate, operational services and marine ecosystem health.

Through its efforts, GOOS contributes to the UNFCCC Convention on Climate Change, the UN Convention on Biological Diversity and provides operational ocean services for WMO and IOC programs. GOOS is a program run by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) at UNESCO and coordinates the contributions of several people and organizations around the world. It is a permanent system of ocean observation cooperation involving in-situ networks, satellite systems, governments, UN agencies and individual scientists.

More at: https://www.goosocean.org/


Global Ground Observing System (GTOS)

The Global Terrestrial Observing System (GTOS) is a program for observing, modeling and analyzing terrestrial ecosystems in support of sustainable development. GTOS facilitates access to information about terrestrial ecosystems so that researchers and policy makers can detect and manage global and regional environmental change. The structure of the GTOS program consists of expert commissions, regional projects and technical programs. The implementation of observation programs is carried out with the help of satellite missions, technical programs and existing and expanded terrestrial networks.

More at: https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/gosic/global-terrestrial-observingsystem-gtos (Via NOAA)