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ACSYS/CliC
Terms of Reference
- ACSYS/CliC Scientific Steering Group
- International ACSYS/CliC Project Office (IACPO)
- Numerical Experimentation Group (NEG)
- ACSYS/CliC Observation Products Panel (OPP)
- Panel on Products from Re-analyses (PPR)
- ACSYS/CliC Data Management and Information Panel (DMIP)
Update: 18 May 2000
- Formulate and guide the ACSYS observational and modelling programmes for determining Arctic climate processes and realistic
representation of the Arctic region in global climate models.
- Formulate and guide the CliC observational and modelling programmes for determining the role of the cryosphere in global
climate and realistic representation of the cryosphere in global climate models.
- Formulate in particular the implementation plan for CliC.
- Stimulate exchange and analysis of data relevant to ACSYS and CliC projects, and the dissemination of scientific results.
- Use the advice of experts and expert groups as necessary in order to assist with the development and implementation of the ACSYS and
CliC projects.
- Establish scientific liaison and logistic co-operation with other WCRP projects and with appropriate programmes/organizations/groups
and activities relevant to ACSYS and CliC.
- Advise the JSC on progress achieved in the implementation of the ACSYS and CliC projects and advances in the understanding of polar
and cryosphere processes.
Update: 22 February 2001
- The International ACSYS/CliC Project Office (IACPO) is established to
support the ACSYS/CliC Scientific Steering Group (SSG) in implementing
the Arctic Climate System Study (ACSYS), the international co-ordination
of ACSYS observation, modelling and data management activities, and
planning and implementing the WCRPs Climate and Cryosphere (CliC)
project.
- The IACPO operates as a component of the WMO/IOC/ICSU Joint Planning
Staff for WCRP. The Director of IACPO (D/IACPO) is responsible to the
Director of the World Climate Research Programme (D/WCRP).
- The IACPO initiates international correspondence and carries out
international liaisons at the working level, as required for the
development and implementation of ACSYS observational and data
management systems, ACSYS modelling, planning and implementation of the
CliC project, ensuring the widest possible participation of all
interested nations in ACSYS and CliC.
- The specific tasks of the IACPO include:
- Co-ordinate national commitments of resources and logistical support,
as required, to achieve the goals of the ACSYS Implementation and CliC
Science and Co-ordination Plans.
- Implement the data management plans for ACSYS, and the ACSYS Data and
Information Service, promoting the timely flow of ACSYS scientific
data.
- Develop and implement the data management plan for CliC, and the
preparation of a CliC Implementation Plan.
- Develop and maintain linked ACSYS and CliC Home Pages on the World
Wide Web.
- Ensure the timely flow of operational and other relevant information
to the ACSYS/CliC Scientific Steering Group, national agencies,
appropriate international bodies, as well as ACSYS and CliC
participants and the climate science community.
- Support the preparation and distribution of the working documents
required for the implementation of ACSYS and CliC and inform the broad
scientific community of the activities of these projects.
- Assist in planning and organising ACSYS/CliC meetings, workshops and
conferences as required.
- Other organizational duties as may be required during the course of
ACSYS and CliC.
- The Director of the IACPO will attend the sessions of the ACSYS/CliC
SSG, and may also participate in other national and international
meetings relevant to ACSYS and CliC.
- The IACPO is located at the Norwegian Polar Institute in Tromsų, Norway.
It may be constituted by staff seconded by participating countries.
- Support for international travel, as required for discharging the
responsibilities of the Office, will be provided by the Joint Climate
Research Fund (under the responsibility of D/WCRP).
- Annual reports on IACPO activities will be submitted to the Chairman of
the ACSYS/CliC SSG, the Director of the Norwegian Polar Institute,
D/WCRP and to the agencies which have seconded personnel to the office
or made monetary contributions to its operations.
Update: 9 July 2001
- In liaison with other NEGs within the WCRP:
- to address cryospheric modelling issues of the coupled system
(atmosphere, sea ice, ocean, ice sheets, ice shelves, ice caps,
glaciers, and land hydrology including snow cover, frozen ground,
permafrost, and lake and river ice) relevant to ACSYS/CliC;
- to promote the investigation and improvement of the parameterisation of
specific cryospheric processes in climate models;
- to distribute the improved parameterisations.
- To advise the ACSYS/CliC SG on data requirements for model development,
validation and optimisation, and on archiving model output.
- To develop, review and update as appropriate the ACSYS and CliC
implementation plans on a regular basis.
- To create temporary task groups where required to:
- promote the improvement and evaluation of models of individual
components of the cryosphere;
- investigate coupling processes and techniques in models whose
representations of cryospheric components are interactively connected in
part or in combination, and
- advise the ACSYS/CliC SSG on the use of data assimilation techniques
applied to individual components and coupled models.
Update: 9 July 2001
Through a rolling programme agreed with the ACSYS/CliC SSG to:
- Evaluate the ACSYS/CliC user requirements for observational products and
data obtained by in-situ and remote-sensing observations.
- Evaluate the techniques by which specified observational products are
derived with the aim of identifying the best currently available
scientific and technical approach.
- Evaluate data sets derived from the application of these techniques
against the requirements for their use and recommend the best products
for ACSYS/CliC purposes.
- Maintain awareness of newly developing techniques and products for
application in ACSYS/CliC-relevant climate research and to advise the
ACSYS/CliC SSG accordingly.
- Liaise with other groups both within and external to WCRP as appropriate
in promoting and carrying out the needed evaluation of techniques and
data sets.
- Contribute to, review and update appropriate sections of the ACSYS and
CliC Implementation Plans as needed.
- Liaise with the ACSYS/CliC SSG and other ACSYS/CliC panels using the
resources of the International ACSYS/CliC Project Office.
Update: September 2001
- Promote the evaluation and assessment of re-analysis products for the
polar regions of both Northern and Southern hemispheres, (and other
regions influenced by cryospheric processes), working with the
Re-analysis Centres, other WCRP Projects and others as appropriate.
- Maintain an overview of re-analysis products for the wider global
cryosphere as a whole and their relevance to CliC, in liaison with other
WCRP Projects, Re-analysis Centres and others as appropriate.
- Maintain awareness of the work of re-analysis centres, liaising with
them as appropriate on the representation of polar and cryospheric
processes in future re-analysis efforts, in collaboration with the
ACSYS/CliC Numerical Experimentation Group (NEG).
- Promote the development and implementation of techniques for blending
modelled and in-situ data sources to provide optimal gridded data sets.
- Give particular attention to precipitation fields, in collaboration with
the Global Precipitation Climatology Center (GPCC) with the aim of
providing data sets at spatial and temporal resolutions suitable for
input to hydrologic models of drainage basins influenced by cryospheric
processes.
- Contribute to, review and update appropriate sections of the ACSYS and
CliC Implementation Plans as needed.
- Liaise with the ACSYS/CliC SSG and other ACSYS/CliC panels using the
resources of the International ACSYS/CliC Project Office.
Update: 9 July 2001
- Advise and inform the ACSYS/CliC SSG of on-going data and information
management issues in the implementation of a sound strategy for ACSYS
and CliC.
- Provide ACSYS and CliC data management and information advice as well as
guidance and co-ordination to investigators, collaborating data centres,
projects and programmes.
- Advise on and develop a consistent policy for the identification, flow
and dissemination of relevant data and information for ACSYS and CliC.
- Prepare data and information flow management plans for ACSYS and CliC;
review and update them as and when required.
- Evolve the current ACSYS Data Information Service to encompass needs for
CliC, guiding its design and on-going development.
- Undertake activities to provide metadata, documentation and sources for
data sets of interest for ACSYS and CliC. Perform data rescue as
appropriate and encourage the exchange of data and information via data
information services specialized to meet project needs.
- Promote the free and unrestricted dissemination of ACSYS/CliC data for
non-commercial purposes.
- Contribute to, review and update appropriate sections of the ACSYS and
CliC Implementation Plans as needed.
- Liaise with the ACSYS/CliC SSG and other ACSYS/CliC panels using the
resources of the International ACSYS/CliC Project Office.
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