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| WMO Integrated Global Observing System | |
|---|---|
| Name | WMO Integrated Global Observing System |
| Abbreviation | WIGOS |
| Formed | 2010s |
| Type | International observational framework |
| Parent organization | World Meteorological Organization |
| Headquarters | Geneva |
WMO Integrated Global Observing System
The WMO Integrated Global Observing System is an international framework that coordinates observational networks and platforms to support World Meteorological Organization programmes, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change assessments, and operational services such as National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration forecasts, European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts analyses, and United Nations disaster-risk reduction. It promotes interoperability among satellite operators like National Aeronautics and Space Administration, European Space Agency, and China National Space Administration, and in situ networks including Global Climate Observing System components and regional entities such as Copernicus Programme services and South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation initiatives.
WIGOS was designed within the World Meteorological Organization framework to integrate observing capabilities from organizations such as World Hydrological Cycle Observing System, Global Atmosphere Watch, International Civil Aviation Organization, and national services including Met Office and China Meteorological Administration. It aligns with international instruments like the Paris Agreement, supports assessments by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, and interfaces with programmes led by United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and Group on Earth Observations. The system stresses coordination among satellite constellations from Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Russian Federal Space Agency, and commercial providers, and in situ observations from networks tied to National Aeronautics and Space Administration field campaigns and European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites operations.
WIGOS encompasses multiple observing elements: surface synoptic stations operated by services such as Environment and Climate Change Canada and Australian Bureau of Meteorology; radiosonde and upper-air networks used by Japan Meteorological Agency and Deutscher Wetterdienst; oceanographic observing systems contributed by Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; and satellite missions from European Space Agency, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, China National Space Administration, and Indian Space Research Organisation. It integrates specialized networks including Global Climate Observing System components like GCOS Surface Network, Argo floats supported by Scripps Institution of Oceanography and Observatoire Midi-Pyrénées partners, as well as marine buoys from National Data Buoy Center and ice observations linked to International Arctic Research Center. Aviation-oriented observing systems interface with International Civil Aviation Organization standards and aeronautical meteorology services such as Federal Aviation Administration flight operations.
WIGOS promotes standardized metadata, quality control, and data exchange protocols aligned with World Meteorological Organization guidelines, Open Geospatial Consortium standards, and International Telecommunication Union recommendations. It advances interoperability through metadata registries similar to those used by Copernicus Programme and by adopting protocols from Global Telecommunications System and Distributed Oceanographic Data System. Data formats and vocabularies reference practices from Committee on Earth Observation Satellites and linkages to repositories like European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts archives and National Centers for Environmental Information. The framework supports machine-readable standards associated with Group on Earth Observations and collaborates with research infrastructures including European Research Infrastructure Consortium nodes and World Data System services.
Governance mechanisms draw on World Meteorological Organization constituent bodies, regional associations such as WMO Regional Association II, and collaborative partnerships with United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction and World Health Organization on hazard-related observations. Coordination occurs through expert teams, panels similar to those of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, and liaison with agencies including European Space Agency, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, and Group on Earth Observations. Implementation relies on national meteorological services like Met Office, Deutscher Wetterdienst, India Meteorological Department, and regional bodies such as African Centre of Meteorological Applications for Development to harmonize reporting, and on funding partnerships involving World Bank and multilateral development banks.
WIGOS-enabled observations underpin operational forecasting at institutions like European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, climate monitoring used by Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change authors, and services for sectors including aviation coordinated with International Civil Aviation Organization and maritime operations guided by International Maritime Organization. They support emergency response for events such as Hurricane Katrina, 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, and Cyclone Nargis through improved situational awareness, and contribute to environmental programmes like Global Framework for Climate Services and Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction implementation. Research user communities at universities such as Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Oxford, and Peking University use WIGOS data for studies published in venues like Nature (journal), Science (journal), and Journal of Climate.
Key challenges include sustaining in situ networks funded via national budgets of United States Department of Commerce, Ministry of Finance (India), and others, ensuring continuity of satellite missions from agencies like European Space Agency and National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and integrating commercial providers such as SpaceX and private remote-sensing firms. Priorities emphasize capacity building for developing members including Least Developed Countries, resilience of observing infrastructure against hazards exemplified by Mount St. Helens eruption impacts on sensors, advancing data assimilation used by Global Data Assimilation Experiment-inspired systems, and strengthening interoperability with initiatives like Copernicus Programme and Group on Earth Observations. Cross-cutting efforts target standardization, metadata completeness, and engagement with international funders such as Global Environment Facility to close observing gaps and enhance services for stakeholders including United Nations Environment Programme and national disaster-management agencies.
Category:Observational networks