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| Global Terrestrial Observing Network | |
|---|---|
| Name | Global Terrestrial Observing Network |
| Formation | 1990s |
| Type | International network |
| Headquarters | Geneva |
| Region served | Global |
Global Terrestrial Observing Network The Global Terrestrial Observing Network is an international coordination framework linking terrestrial environmental observation systems to support Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change assessments, United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change reporting, and research by institutions such as the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the European Space Agency, and the World Meteorological Organization. It integrates in situ and remote sensing activities across networks associated with National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, United Nations Environment Programme, Food and Agriculture Organization, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, and regional entities like the European Commission and African Union to inform initiatives including the Global Climate Observing System, Group on Earth Observations, and Convention on Biological Diversity processes.
The network coordinates contributions from observatories, national programs, and research infrastructures such as Smithsonian Institution, Max Planck Society, CNRS, CSIRO, and Chinese Academy of Sciences to provide standardized terrestrial datasets for users including Intergovernmental Science‑Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, World Bank, and United Nations Development Programme. It promotes interoperability with satellite missions operated by National Aeronautics and Space Administration, European Space Agency, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Indian Space Research Organisation, and China National Space Administration and supports synthesis products used by International Union for Conservation of Nature, Ramsar Convention Secretariat, and the Convention on Wetlands.
Origins trace to initiatives led by organizations such as the World Meteorological Organization, International Council for Science, and United Nations Environment Programme in response to data needs highlighted by the Brundtland Commission and the Rio Earth Summit. Early projects involved collaborations among the International Geosphere‑Biosphere Programme, Global Climate Observing System, and the International Long Term Ecological Research Network with funding from entities like the Global Environment Facility, the European Research Council, and national agencies such as National Science Foundation and Natural Environment Research Council. Milestones include alignment with the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, integration with the Group on Earth Observations architecture, and contributions to the Paris Agreement implementation and the Sustainable Development Goals reporting.
Governance blends advisory panels and operational centers drawn from institutions such as the World Meteorological Organization, Group on Earth Observations, Food and Agriculture Organization, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, and national agencies including National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Australian Research Council, and German Research Foundation. Scientific committees include representatives from Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Intergovernmental Science‑Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, and the International Union of Forest Research Organizations. Regional nodes coordinate with bodies like the European Commission, African Union, Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Organization of American States, and Arab League to align standards promoted by organizations such as International Organization for Standardization and Committee on Earth Observation Satellites.
The network aggregates data from long‑term observatories such as the LTER Network (US), ILTER, NEON, ICOS, and site networks affiliated with Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Institut Pierre‑Simon Laplace, Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, and Chinese Academy of Sciences. Instruments include flux towers linked to FLUXNET sites, automated soil sensors used by United States Geological Survey, biodiversity monitoring traps associated with Global Biodiversity Information Facility participants, and terrestrial laser scanning systems employed by research groups at University of Oxford, Harvard University, Peking University, and Wageningen University. The network interoperates with satellite missions such as Landsat, Sentinel, MODIS, ICESat, and GRACE to enable upscaling from plot to biome scales.
Data stewardship follows principles supported by Group on Earth Observations, Committee on Earth Observation Satellites, and the Research Data Alliance with metadata standards promoted by Dublin Core, ISO 19115, and repositories including PANGAEA, Dryad, Zenodo, GBIF, and national data centers like National Snow and Ice Data Center and British Atmospheric Data Centre. Access policies align with open data mandates from the European Commission Horizon programs, funding agencies such as the National Science Foundation and Wellcome Trust, and implement authentication systems interoperable with infrastructures like ELIXIR and OpenAIRE. Data citation practices reference guidelines from Committee on Publication Ethics and standards espoused by the International Science Council.
Outputs inform international assessments including reports by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and Intergovernmental Science‑Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, national reporting to United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and Convention on Biological Diversity, and operational services provided by National Meteorological Services and agencies like European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts and Met Office. Applications span carbon accounting used in Kyoto Protocol follow‑on mechanisms, land‑use change analyses for United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, biodiversity trend detection for Ramsar Convention Secretariat, and disaster risk reduction coordinated with United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction and International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.
Key challenges include harmonizing heterogeneous datasets across institutions such as National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Smithsonian Institution, and Max Planck Society; securing sustained funding from entities like the Global Environment Facility, European Commission, and national science foundations; and addressing capacity gaps in regions coordinated by African Union and Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Future directions emphasize integration with emerging satellite constellations from SpaceX and national programs of India, enhanced interoperability through standards from International Organization for Standardization and Committee on Earth Observation Satellites, and expanded partnerships with private sector actors including Google, Microsoft, and Amazon Web Services to enable scalable analytics and machine learning collaboration with research centers like MIT, Stanford University, ETH Zurich, and Imperial College London.
Category:Earth observation networks