Global Monitoring

Performance Targets/Goals:» Produce data that meets WMO targets» Assign NIST as owner for critical evaluation and data repository

Figure D-1: Standardizing Acquisition, Formation, and Collating to Evaluate GHG DataFigure D-1: Standardizing Acquisition, Formation, and Collating to Evaluate GHG Data

Stakeholders and Roles

NOAA Continued coordination with NIST on national reference standards; NOAA assumes responsibility for network and identifies stakeholders and resources needed

NIST Continued coordination with NOAA on national reference standards; NIST assumes responsibility for critical evaluation of data and repository

Public, private and academia sectors

To help identify and prioritize needs

Applications

» Publicly accessible database as a basis upon which to develop policy decisions and further analysis

Impacts

» Provide critically evaluated data to policy makers to enable meaningful decisions on GHG strategies» Provide critically evaluated data to research community and stakeholders to be used for other critical evaluation and research efforts (cross-functional use of data)

Technology and Measurement Science Challenges/Barriers

» Lack of coordination among federal agencies and lack of an owner-agency to claim responsibility for large-scale network (NOAA)» Need to choose appropriate technologies for network and other inputs (NOAA & stakeholders)» Need to ensure that analyzer to analyzer measurements can be compared spatially and temporally» NIST needs mandate and funding to conduct critical evaluation of data and serve as national repository for GHG data

Pathway

1. Immediate - choose owner of network (NOAA)

2. Immediate - identify NIST to lead critical evaluation of data + data repository, identify funding and manpower requirements

3. Coordination of detailed efforts between NOAA and NIST and other stakeholders

Short Description:• No large-scale network currently exists within the U.S. • Need national reference standards (continued coordination between NIST and NOAA)• Need critical evaluation of GHG data (NIST)• Need central repository for data (NIST)

Global Monitoring

Performance Targets/Goals:» Standards protocols for defining/explaining/recording and using uncertainties

Figure D-2: Understanding and Documenting Data UncertaintyFigure D-2: Understanding and Documenting Data Uncertainty

Stakeholders and Roles

Scientists from national labs, academia, industry

Applications

» Uncertainty will always exist» Needed as input for data assimilation models

Impacts

» Better applications and use (critical for data assimilation)» Improved feedback to future improvements» Better management tool

Technology and Measurement Science Challenges/Barriers

» Difficult to define/record/explain/use» Hard to translate to policy makers (internal tool)

Pathway

1. Collaboration to define pathways between scientists and managers

Short Description:• Knowledge of full uncertainty is essential for the use of data

Global Monitoring

Performance Targets/Goals:» Observation-based estimate of national emissions with +/- 55 uncertainty» Detect treaty non-compliance

Figure D-3: Decoupling Anthropogenic and Natural FluxesFigure D-3: Decoupling Anthropogenic and Natural Fluxes

Stakeholders and Roles

State and Federal agencies, international organizations

Should negotiate and enforce emissions regulations

Agencies and national labs Should carry out the research

Carbon market players Reap the benefits of credible markets

Applications

» Regulatory and treaty enforcement/compliance» Improve carbon cycle science» Improve bottom-up inventory methods» Measure/evaluate effectiveness of mitigation policies» Diagnose areas of promise for future mitigation

Impacts

» None listed

Technology and Measurement Science Challenges/Barriers

» Anthropogenic signal is small compared to natural background» Spatial and temporal variability of sources» Inadequate observations and model accuracy

Pathway

1. Operational processing of C14 measurement at 104 - 105 measurements/yr (near- to mid-term timeframe) in U.S.

2. O2/N2 measurement (near- to mid-term timeframe)

3. Enhanced multi-pollutant global sensor network (near-, mid-, long-term timeframe)

4. Improved inverse models and inventories (near- to mid-term timeframe)

Short Description:• Distinguishing the location and source of anthropogenic and natural GHG emission: measurement technologies, modeling methods, inventory protocols

Global Monitoring

Performance Targets/Goals:» Compare model-inversion system results with local flux measurements to validate and assess quality

Figure D-4: Data Modeling for CO2 Flux EstimatesFigure D-4: Data Modeling for CO2 Flux Estimates

Stakeholders and Roles

All Projectize and manage as long-term effort

Applications

» Carbon science data, emissions monitoring, measures assessment

Impacts

» Will reduce measurement requirements, if successful

Technology and Measurement Science Challenges/Barriers

» Atmospheric transport modeling stemming from few-data points or multiple-data out of such inversions

Pathway

1. Pilot projects (near-mid term)

2. Fluid-dynamically correct transport model development (mid term)

3. Develop techniques to trade measurement spatial/temporal density with model fidelity (mid-long term)

Short Description:• Data assimilation/inversions, with Unc. Quantification to produce CO2 flux estimates from experimental input data

Global Monitoring

Performance Targets/Goals:» None provided

Figure D-5: Commitment to Long Term (baseline) ObservationsFigure D-5: Commitment to Long Term (baseline) Observations

Stakeholders and Roles

National labs

Academia

Perhaps industry

Applications

» The backbone observations from which all follows

Impacts

» None provided

Technology and Measurement Science Challenges/Barriers

» High quality observations with sufficient spatial and temporal resolution - trace gases, isotopes (?13c, D14c) basic concentrations - and ancillary local meteorology observations satellite imagery (land), eddy EO variance flux measurements, basic C-stocks, financial/personnel are the barriers

Pathway

1. New technologies for continuous or near-continuous measurements; 3-6 yrs

2. Scaling up, in short-term, flask based measurements - new labs, personnel until new technologies are brought on-line; now - 10 yrs

3. Deploy/test new technologies in tandem with conventional (e.g., flask) measurements (5-10 yrs)

4. Expand existing networks and interstate data streams - EPA, NOAA, DOE, NSF (Neon);. for completeness FIA, USFS - basic C-cycle observation

Short Description: None provided

Global Monitoring

Performance Targets/Goals:» Reporting and quantification of the reference suite must be at the necessary precision - not conflate accuracy and precision

Figure D-6: GHG Whole Air Reference StandardsFigure D-6: GHG Whole Air Reference Standards

Stakeholders and Roles

• Best people/labs x/o matter where they are

oNational labsoAcademiaoIndustry

Applications

» Baseline and long term observations

Impacts

» Data-sets are able to be combined easily» Detection of laboratory or sample handling bias

Technology and Measurement Science Challenges/Barriers

» Reference suite used for continuous and discrete whole air samples across the spectrum of trace gases including isotopes

Pathway

1. Multiple techniques to quantify the standard suite

2. Should not be done by consensus - mediocre measurements do not help in quantifying/characterizing standards

3. Rolling suite of standards - take advantage of new/unknown techniques with long-term (>10yrs) cross-reference

Short Description: GHG reference whole air standards at ambient levels

Global Monitoring

Performance Targets/Goals:» Common units for data gathering, storage, file format

Figure D-7: Data StandardsFigure D-7: Data Standards

Stakeholders and Roles

Government Leadership

National labs and private sector and academia

Scientists

Standards organizations

Applications

» Communication between providers and users of data

Impacts

» Exchangeability of data» Reliability of data» Sustainability of data» Transport data» Quicker and better distribution and use of data» Defined chair of date custody

Technology and Measurement Science Challenges/Barriers

» Different groups with different units/formats» No current standard at any level of government

Pathway

1. An organization takes the lead – short-term

2. Identify stakeholders – short-term

3. Project to create the standards – short-term

4. Revisit/update the methodologies – mid-term

Short Description: Data format and content (metadata) standards for measurements and models