The Chairman invited each of the individual participants to provide a brief statement, if desired.
Dr Desa described the current space-based observations and the future plans of India. The Ocean Remote Sensing Programme is based on specific missions of the INSAT, IRS-1x and IRS-Px series incorporating other resource satellites (i.e., LANDSAT, SPOT, NOAA, ERS-SAR). Dr Desa stressed the significance of the set-up of the Ocean Colour Validation Programme. Future objectives of the Indian Space Agency will be to provide data to fill data gaps, and to improve instruments which will lead to higher resolution. In discussion, Dr Desa informed the participants that IRS-1c data can be received and procured from EOSAT (USA) or in India at the NRSA, Hyderabad.
Mr Johannessen gave an overview of the European Space Agency's (ESA) contribution to G3OS. He reported on the current status of the ERS, noting the significant contributions to operational oceanography and gave a future outlook of available instruments. He introduced ESA's Dual Mission Concept for the post-2000 era - called “Earth Explorer” and “Earth Watch”. He remarked that the objectives of these missions will address atmospheric issues as well as open oceans and coastal zones. He predicted that the concept will link regional and global issues.
Dr Mitchell reported on work relating to GCOS space-based data requirements and associated priorities sponsored by the National Space Development Agency of Japan (NASDA). He informed the panel on work to date that NASDA had supported in establishing GCOS users' requirements and progress toward a parameter by parameter analysis. To develop priorities, he advocated the methodology of the Ocean Observing System Development Panel (OOSDP) and the Hadley Centre where priority requirements are based on a combination of their fundamental importance (decided by users) and their measurement feasibility (decided by technical experts). At this stage, the principal difficulties are to establish detailed requirements from the user communities and to ensure that these are expressed in a form which allows technical experts to assess their measurement feasibility. The Chairman supported the idea of a prioritisation scheme with regard to the impact of socio-economic benefits.
Mr Ishida summarised the Japanese Earth Observation Satellite Programmes and showed how NASDA supports the global strategy. He provided a report on the recent ADEOS satellite programme, and noted the variety of products which may result. Panellists were impressed with the first ADEOS images, since they gave an indication of the high quality of the data which should follow. The Chairman congratulated NASDA for the successful launch of ADEOS in August 1996.
Ms Gitonga agreed with panel statements about the need for complete data information over the Indian Ocean. She also noted the tremendous importance of programmes of training and education to assist developing countries in exploiting the satellite information.
As a frequent delegate to CEOS from GCOS, Dr Croom updated the panel on its activities. He reviewed the progress of the Long-Term Planning Task Force which is providing an assessment of the user requirements and the space agency capabilities. The Task Force has met frequently, and will report its findings to the CEOS plenary in November. He noted the opportunities for the GOSSP to assist in refining future analysis. For example, differences in definitions and terminologies between CEOS affiliates and CEOS members must be rectified. The Chairman agreed that a large amount of information must be put into convenient well-understood terminology, and volunteered that he would refer to the issue later in the meeting (see Section 6 and Annex IV). Drs Aschbacher and Hinsman both pointed out that the existing database has been integrated and has in fact become the CEOS dossier.
Mr Mignogno presented NOAA's satellite programmes. He gave a general overview about the status of the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES) and the polar-orbiting Polar Operational Environmental Satellites (POES). Mr Mignogno elaborated the LANDSAT programme goals and underlined especially the LANDSAT-7 mission (May 1998 launch). This mission was cited as an interesting one for the ocean community due to the fact that high resolution data, distributed by commercial operators, will be widely available. Panellists asked if international ground stations receiving LANDSAT-7 data will follow US data policy and offer data at the cost of fulfilling user requests (i.e., low cost). In his response, Mr Mignogno clarified that all data must made available on a non-discriminatory basis but prices may be set in accordance with national laws and policies. He pointed out that in the development of requirements or gaps analysis, in the future the panel should consider commercial remote sensing space systems.
Dr Aschbacher discussed the status and prospects of the G7 Environmental and Natural Resources Management Project (ENRM) Virtual Library Prototype Server. This project, conceived by the Centre for Earth Observation (CEO), is driven by the space community to acquire and search for data sources. It has been established to enable users to take an active part in the system which is based on existing infrastructure and standards. The main goal is to develop a global database which is inter-active and on-line to meet public users' needs. At the moment, only meta-information can be accessed.
Dr Cihlar referred to the GCOS/GTOS Plan for Terrestrial Climate-related Observations (GCOS-21) and the ongoing review of the Plan, Version 2.0. Particular emphasis has been given to the hydrosphere and cryosphere in this version. He noted that a mismatch has been discovered between variables and measurements which proves the necessity of a accurate definition of requirements.
Mr Lefebvre introduced a proposal for an integrated strategy for the J-GOOS. It includes space and in situ observations as well as modelling and data assimilation as components of an operational system. These three components should work in operational mode and be embedded in a coherent system by the year 2000.
Mr Lefebvre put stress on data availability and user integration. Major points of discussion of the specific components were data continuity and the difficult updating of systems referring to the space component. He recommended additional commitments from both space and other agencies.
Prof. Wingham presented recent scientific results illustrating the use of satellite information in cryosphere studies. In this way, he stressed the value of having high quality data. He proposed that some data sets are of fundamental importance, and that the GOSSP should identify them and stress their significance.
Dr Karpov reported on space projects in the Russian Federation, noting plans for the Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment (SAGE) project in 1997 and the launch of a new satellite in 1998.
Dr Hinsman gave an overview of the history and status of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO)/CEOS - Database. The start of the WMO database was in 1985, based on requirements contributed by the WMO Technical Commissions, and in 1989, by an Executive Council Panel of Experts. Between 1990 and 1996 there was a rolling review of requirements involving the Commission for Basic Systems (CBS) and a Working Group on Satellites. CEOS was formed in 1985, and in 1990 the user side had been integrated. In 1992, in connection with the Earth Summit in Rio, the Dossier of Instrument and Missions was created. The database developed by user groups has existed since 1993/1994. In 1995, the CEOS task force, in its first report, proposed a detailed database structure. In the same year the databases of instrument performances and requirements were combined to form a single database. Dr Hinsman demonstrated the new updated and on-line version of the database, which is available on disk. The Chairman suggested that the database products should be correlated with priority indices and that requirements should be plotted against each other. Dr Hinsman agreed to update the GCOS Guide to Satellite Instruments for Climate (GCOS-16) and publish it in electronic format.
Dr Halpern illustrated how scientific results can be achieved using existing ESA and Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) data products and personal contacts. The Chairman indicated that the Data Transfer Working Group is at present working on problems caused by the use of different data sources and connections. It is hoped that the GCOS database, consisting of high level products, will serve as a better source of information.
