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| Global Climate Observing System Reference Upper-Air Network | |
|---|---|
| Name | Global Climate Observing System Reference Upper-Air Network |
| Abbreviation | GCOS RARUN |
| Formation | 1990s |
| Purpose | Climate-quality upper-air observations |
| Region | Global |
| Parent organization | World Meteorological Organization; United Nations Environment Programme |
Global Climate Observing System Reference Upper-Air Network The Global Climate Observing System Reference Upper-Air Network is an international program for high-quality upper-atmosphere observations supporting Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, World Meteorological Organization, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts assessments. Designed as a benchmark for radiosonde, wind profiler, and satellite validation, the network underpins reports by Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, International Civil Aviation Organization, United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, and major national meteorological services such as Met Office (United Kingdom), Deutscher Wetterdienst, and Météo-France.
The network provides systematic, traceable upper-air measurements—pressure, temperature, humidity, and winds—collected at reference stations operated by agencies including Australian Bureau of Meteorology, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Japan Meteorological Agency, China Meteorological Administration, and the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research. Data support global reanalysis projects conducted by ECMWF, National Centers for Environmental Prediction, Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), and research programs such as Global Atmosphere Watch, Climate Research Unit, and World Climate Research Programme. The network interfaces with satellite missions like NOAA-20, MetOp series, Aqua (satellite), Suomi NPP, and Argo (ocean observatory) for calibration and validation.
Origins trace to international recommendations from World Meteorological Organization panels and the establishment of the Global Climate Observing System during the 1990s alongside instruments from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. Early deployments built on heritage networks—Radiosonde Network, Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Climate Research Facility, and national upper-air programs from Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute, Servicio Meteorológico Nacional (Argentina), and Instituto Nacional de Meteorología (Spain). Milestones include coordination with the Global Climate Observing System Implementation Plan, incorporation into Global Earth Observation System of Systems, and linkage to efforts by World Data Centre for Meteorology.
Stations are sited to represent climatological regimes and are equipped with calibrated radiosondes from manufacturers historically used by Vaisala, InterMet Systems, and GRAW Radiosondes, alongside ground-based Doppler wind profilers, GPS radio occultation receivers, and reference radiosonde shelters similar to those used by Argonne National Laboratory and Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Design criteria follow standards set by WMO Guide to Meteorological Instruments and Methods of Observation and intercomparison campaigns coordinated with European Space Agency and National Institute of Standards and Technology. Instrument traceability chains often reference calibration facilities like Metrology Institute of Japan and Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt.
Observations are collected according to protocols used by WMO Regional Association I (Africa), Regional Association II (Asia), Regional Association IV (North America), and transmitted via the Global Telecommunication System and archives such as the National Centers for Environmental Information. Processing employs homogenization and bias-correction methods used in products from Hadley Centre, NOAA Climate Prediction Center, and Berkeley Earth, while quality control routines draw on techniques developed at Lamont–Doherty Earth Observatory, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, and Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research. Metadata standards align with ISO 19115 and catalogues at World Data System.
Data feed into multi-decadal reanalyses like 20th Century Reanalysis Project, ERA5, and MERRA-2, improving representation of stratospheric trends, tropospheric humidity, and jet-stream variability—topics central to Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Sixth Assessment Report chapters and studies by National Academy of Sciences. Contributions include validation of satellite sounders such as Atmospheric Infrared Sounder and Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer, detection of long-term warming and humidity trends investigated by researchers at National Center for Atmospheric Research, Max Planck Institute for Meteorology, and University of Reading, and support for extreme event attribution analyses used by World Weather Attribution.
Governance involves partnerships among World Meteorological Organization, United Nations Environment Programme, Global Climate Observing System Office, and regional bodies like European Meteorological Network and national services including NOAA and UK Met Office. Funding has come from national science agencies such as National Science Foundation, Science and Technology Facilities Council, Agence Nationale de la Recherche, and multilateral programs including European Union Horizon 2020 and bilateral aid from ministries of foreign affairs in contributors like Germany and Japan. Coordination mechanisms use expert teams reflecting panels convened by WMO Commission for Climatology and the GCOS Steering Committee.
Challenges include sustaining long-term funding amid shifts in priorities at agencies such as NASA and NOAA, addressing coverage gaps in regions served by Servicio Meteorológico Nacional (Mexico), Kenya Meteorological Department, and Pacific island services, and integrating new technologies like CubeSats from Planet Labs and advanced radiosondes from Vaisala into calibration frameworks. Future directions emphasize enhanced satellite–in situ synergy with missions like Copernicus Programme and Sentinel series, expanded collaborations with institutions such as University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, and improved data assimilation for next-generation reanalyses led by ECMWF and JMA.
Category:Climate observation systems