MAJOR ACTIVITIES PLAN FOR 1998, 1999

AND OUTLOOK FOR 2000 FOR THE GEWEX CONTINENTAL-SCALE INTERNATIONAL PROJECT (GCIP)

Cover

Cover Page

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

LIST OF TABLES

LIST OF FIGURES

1. THE GCIP PROJECT

1.1 Background
1.2 Scientific Questions and Objectives
1.3 Project Implementation

1.3.1 Research Approach
1.3.2 Continental Domain Synthesis

1.4 Accomplishments to Date

1.4.1 Scientific/Technical Implementation Framework
1.4.2 Research Path Achievements
1.4.3 Achievements in the Operational Centers
1.4.4 Database Development
1.4.5 Data Management and Service System

1.5 Role and Structure of GCIP Major Activities Plan
1.6 GCIP After the Year 2000

2.1 General Approach
2.2 Coupled Modeling Research

2.2.1 Atmospheric/Hydrologic Coupling Sensitivity

2.2.1.1 Evidence of and Mechanisms for Seasonal Predictability
2.2.1.2 Coupling importance in the annual cycle
2.2.1.3 Significance of diurinal variations in surface energy fluxes

2.2.2 Hydrological Interpretation of Meteorological Predictions

2.2.2.1 Evaluation of seasonal-to-interannual predictions
2.2.2.2 Definition of the predictive products required by hydrologists

2.2.3 Improved coupling processes-issues and actions

2.2.3.1 Precipitation Processes
2.2.3.2 Soil Moisture processes
2.2.3.3 Snow Cover and Other Cold-Season Processes
2.2.3.4 Biospheric processes

2.2.4 Model Parameter Estimation

2.2.4.1 Parameter Estimation Techniques
2.2.4.2 Improvements to Regional Mesoscale models

2.3 Improvements to Regional Mesoscale Models

2.3.1 The NCEP Mesoscale Eta Model and Eta Data Assimilation System (EDAS)
2.3.2 Regional Model Upgrade at CMC
2.3.3 Improvements to MAPS

2.4 Model Assimilated and Forecast Data Sets

2.4.1 Regional Mesoscale Model Output
2.4.2 Evaluation of Model Output

3.1 Approach

3.1.1 Hydrological Modeling
3.1.2 Water Resources Modeling
3.1.3 Linkages to Coupled Modeling

3.2 Needs from Other GCIP Research Areas
3.3 Near-Term Priorities
3.4 Long-term Priorities

4.1 Background
4.2 GCIP Needs for Model Assimilated Data Sets
4.3 Observational Data for GCIP Data Assimilation
4.4 Data Assimilation Techniques Relevant to GCIP
4.5 Near Term Priorities

5.1 Energy and Water Budgets

5.1.1 Budget Variables
5.1.2 Basic Strategy

5.1.2.1 CSA and LSA Budgets
5.1.2.2 ISA/SSA Budgets

5.1.3 WY 98 Activities
5.1.4 WY 99 Activities
5.1.5 Outlook for WY 2000

5.2 Land-Surface Boundary Layer Coupling

5.2.1 Warm Season Processes
5.2.2 Cold Season Hydrology
5.2.3 Near Term Activities

5.3 Diagnostic Studies of Long Lasting Hydrological Regimes

6.1 Precipitation

6.1.1 Space-time Structure of Precipitation Fields
6.1.2 Atmopsheric Precipitation Processes
6.1.3 Orographic Precipitation
6.1.4 Precipitation Predictability
6.1.5 Snow and Snow Water Equivalent
6.1.6 Precipitation Data for GCIP Research
6.1.7 Precipitation Measurements and Analysis
6.1.8 Snow Measurements and Analysis

6.2 Soil Moisture

6.2.1 In Situ Soil Moisture Measurements
6.2.2 Soil Moisture Fields
6.2.3 Model Estimates of Soil Moisture
6.2.4 Local Variability of Soil Moisture
6.2.5 Remote Sensing of Soil Moisture
6.2.6 Recommended High Priority Activities

6.3 Land Surface Characteristics

6.3.1 Land Surface Characteristics Research
6.3.2 Land Cover Characteristics and Associated Data Products
6.3.3 Soils, Geology and Associated Data Products
6.3.4 Topographic Information

6.4 Clouds and Radiation

6.4.1 Satellite Product Development
6.4.2 Validation of Satellite Algorithms to Retrieve the Surface and Atmospheric Radiation Budget
6.4.3 Validation and Improvement of Operational GOES ShortwaveRadiation Budget Products
6.4.4 Analyses of Clouds and Radiation
6.4.5 Cloud Data Products
6.4.6 Radiation Data Products
6.4.7 Outgoing Longwave Radiation (OLR) and Planetary Albedo
6.4.8 Surface and Atmospheric Radiation Budget Components
6.4.9 SURFRAD Sites for GCIP

6.5 Streamflow and Runoff

6.5.1 Relationships between Runoff and Streamflow
6.5.2 Estimation of Runoff from Streamflow and Climate Data
6.5.3 Surface and Ground Water Measurements

7.1 LSA-SW

7.1.1 Significant Features in the LSA-SW
7.1.2 LSA-SW Activities during WY'98-WY'00

7.2 LSA-NC

7.2.1 Characteristics of the LSA-NC
7.2.2 LSA-NC Activities

7.3 LSA-E

7.3.1 Characteristics of the LSA-E
7.3.2 LSA-E Activities

7.4 LSA-NW

7.4.1 Significant Features in the LSA-NW
7.4.2 LSA-NW Activities for WY'99

7.5 CSA Activities for 1998 to 2000

8.1 Collaboration with Other GEWEX Projects

8.1.1 Research relating to the GEWEX Cloud System Study
8.1.2 ISLSCP/GCIP Surface Flux Measurements

8.2 Collaboration with the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Program
8.3 Collaboration with NASA Initiatives in the Mississippi River Basin
8.4 Collaboration with PACS and GOALS
8.5 Collaboration with the US Weather Research Program
8.6 FAA Collaboration - The Water Vapor Sensing System (WVSS) for Commercial Aircraft
8.7 Cooperative Atmospheric-Surface Exchange Study (CASES)

9.1 Overall Objectives
9.2 Data Availability and Costs
9.3 System Services Approach
9.4 DMSS Overall Design
9.5 Near-Term Improvements

10.1 Compiled Data Sets
10.2 Near Surface Observation Data Set

10.2.1 Summary Description of a Near Surface Observation Dataset
10.2.2 Data Collection Schedule for Near Surface Observation Data Set

10.3 Model Output During the EOP
10.4 Data Collection for ESOP-96
10.5 EOP-2 Data Collection During WY 1997
10.6 EOP-3 Data Collection During WY 1998
10.7 EOP-4 Data Collection During WY 1999
10.8 EOP-5 Data Collection During WY 2000
10.9 EOP Collection Plans for the Continental Scale Areas (CSAs)
10.10 Retrospective Data Sets

APPENDIX A - A POST-2000 IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGY FOR GCIP

APPENDIX B - REGIONAL MESOSCALEMODEL OUTPUT PRODUCTS

APPENDIX C - LSA-NC SCIENCE IMPLEMENTATION TASK GROUP SESSION II REPORT AND RECOMENDATIONS

APPENDIX D - SUMMARY OF RESULTS FROM GCIP/LSA-E DETAILED DESIGN WORKSHOP

APPENDIX E - SUMMARY OF GCIP INITIAL DATA SETS COMPILED

APPENDIX F -ACRONYM LIST