THE ESA CLIMATE CHANGE INITIATIVE Satellite Data Records for Essential Climate Variables

ISI Document Delivery No.: 241DO Times Cited: 4 Cited Reference Count: 16 Cited References: Bodas-Salcedo A, 2011, B AM METEOROL SOC, V92, P1023, DOI 10.1175/2011BAMS2856.1 CAZENAVE A, 2004, REV GEOPHYS, V42, DOI DOI 10.1029/2003RG000139 Christy JR, 2000, J ATMOS OCEAN TECH, V17, P1153, DOI 10.1175/1520-0426(2000)0172.0.CO;2 Cogley JG, 2009, ANN GLACIOL, V50, P96, DOI 10.3189/172756409787769744 Dee DP, 2011, Q J ROY METEOR SOC, V137, P553, DOI 10.1002/qj.828 Embury O, 2012, REMOTE SENS ENVIRON, V116, P62, DOI 10.1016/j.rse.2011.02.028 Jung M, 2010, NATURE, V467, P951, DOI 10.1038/nature09396 Jung M, 2006, REMOTE SENS ENVIRON, V101, P534, DOI 10.1016/j.rse.2006.01.020 Loeb NG, 2009, J CLIMATE, V22, P748, DOI 10.1175/2008JCLI2637.1 Mears CA, 2005, SCIENCE, V309, P1548, DOI 10.1126/science.1114772 Mears CA, 2009, J ATMOS OCEAN TECH, V26, P1040, DOI 10.1175/2008JTECHA1176.1 Merchant CJ, 2012, J GEOPHYS RES-OCEANS, V117, DOI 10.1029/2012JC008400 Paul F, 2013, ANN GLACIOL, V54, P171, DOI 10.3189/2013AoG63A296 Schneising O, 2011, ATMOS CHEM PHYS, V11, P2863, DOI 10.5194/acp-11-2863-2011 Schulz J, 2009, ATMOS CHEM PHYS, V9, P1687 Williams KD, 2009, CLIM DYNAM, V33, P141, DOI 10.1007/s00382-008-0443-1 Hollmann, R. Merchant, C. J. Saunders, R. Downy, C. Buchwitz, M. Cazenave, A. Chuvieco, E. Defourny, P. de Leeuw, G. Forsberg, R. Holzer-Popp, T. Paul, F. Sandven, S. Sathyendranath, S. van Roozendael, M. Wagner, W. Merchant, Christopher/E-1180-2014 Merchant, Christopher/0000-0003-4687-9850 4 AMER METEOROLOGICAL SOC BOSTON B AM METEOROL SOC; Observations of Earth from space have been made for over 40 years and have contributed to advances in many aspects of climate science. However, attempts to exploit this wealth of data are often hampered by a lack of homogeneity and continuity and by insufficient understanding of the products and their uncertainties. There is, therefore, a need to reassess and reprocess satellite datasets to maximize their usefulness for climate science. The European Space Agency has responded to this need by establishing the Climate Change Initiative (CCI). The CCI will create new climate data records for (currently) 13 essential climate variables (ECVs) and make these open and easily accessible to all. Each ECV project works closely with users to produce time series from the available satellite observations relevant to users' needs. A climate modeling users' group provides a climate system perspective and a forum to bring the data and modeling communities together. This paper presents the CCI program. It outlines its benefit and presents approaches and challenges for each ECV project, covering clouds, aerosols, ozone, greenhouse gases, sea surface temperature, ocean color, sea level, sea ice, land cover, fire, glaciers, soil moisture, and ice sheets. It also discusses how the CCI approach may contribute to defining and shaping future developments in Earth observation for climate science.