Project objectives
From CryoClim
The project is organized in four phases. Each phase has its specific objectives leading toward fulfilling the project vision. Phase 1 was carried out in 2008. The currently ongoing Phase 2 started April 1st 2009.
Phase 1
Phase 1 (the pilot project phase) was carried out in 2008 and prepared the ground for a successful development of an operational monitoring system and service. More specifically, phase 1
- identified the user needs,
- developed a first design of the system,
- developed a demonstrator of the system and climate demonstration products,
- promoted the initiative,
- established contacts with key users and other key organisations, and
- developed a work plan for the main project.
More about the outcome of Phase 1 can be found here.
Phase 2
Phase 2 of the project started April 1st 2009 and is the currently ongoing phase. The Phase 2 objectives are:
- System development and verification:
- Present and discuss service demonstrator with key users obtaining a revised and refined set of user requirements.
- Develop a revised system specification based on the given user requirements.
- Implement and verify a revised version of the system with more complete and integrated functionality.
- Provide products from the sub-services semi-operationally through a web portal.
- Production chain for global sea ice products:
- Completed and validated Passive Microwave Radiometer (PMR) Sea Ice Concentration (SIC) and Sea Ice Edge (SIE) product time series from 1978.
- Sea ice climate-change indicator products at various scales (national, regional and global).
- Production chain for global snow products:
- Develop and verify a production chain for PMR Snow Cover Extent (SCE).
- Evaluate alternative PMR SCE algorithms and select one for this service.
- Produce a global PMR SCE product time series from 1987.
- Production chain for glacier products mainland Norway:
- Methods for Glacier Area Outline (GAO) and Glacier-dammed Lake Outline (GLO) derivation tested for all glaciers in mainland Norway.
- Production chain for glacier products Svalbard:
- Develop and verify algorithms for Glacier Surface Type (GST) and Glacier Balance Area (GBA).
- Prepare all sub-services for future sensors.
- Project management, coordination, promotion and outreach:
- Maintain and develop project links to key users as well as other key organisations, initiatives and projects.
- Make the project visible in media, conferences, international meetings, etc.
- Manage the project successively towards the project goals.
Phase 3
The Phase 3 objectives are:
- System development and verification:
- Go through one more iteration of user dialogue, system design refinements, implementation and verification in order to obtain a more complete service with the possibility of chaining services.
- Production chain for global snow products:
- Extend the processing chain to include optical SCE, select optical SCE algorithm, validate the algorithm and produce a time series from 1982.
- Snow climate-change indicator products at various scales (national, regional and global).
- Production chain for glacier products mainland Norway:
- Produce time series of GAO and GLO.
- Glacier climate-change indicator products at various scales (local, regional and national).
- Evaluate SAR algorithms in mainland Norway.
- Production chain for glacier products Svalbard:
- Implement production chain for GST and GBA.
- Produce time series of GST and GBA.
- Evaluate optical algorithms in Svalbard.
- Project management, coordination, promotion and outreach:
- Initiate the process leading to successful operationalisation of the service, including permanent funding.
- Maintain and develop project links to key users as well as other key organisations, initiatives and projects.
- Make the project visible in media, conferences, international meetings, etc.
- Manage the project successively towards the project goals.
Phase 4
The Phase 4 objectives are:
- System development and verification:
- Go through a final iteration of user dialogue, system design refinements, implementation and verification in order to complete the operational service, including chaining of services external to the system.
- Production chain for global snow products:
- Extend the processing chain to include multi-sensor SCE, select multi-sensor SCE algorithm, validate the algorithm and produce a time series from 1982.
- Production chain for glacier products mainland Norway:
- Extend time series of GAO and GLO to pre-satellite era.
- Extend service with Glacier Periodic Photo series.
- Production chain for glacier products Svalbard:
- Glacier climate-change indicator products at various scales (local and regional).
- Extend time series of GAO to pre-satellite era (option).
- Glacier Surface Velocity (GSV) for selected glaciers (option).
- Project management, coordination, promotion and outreach:
- Fulfil the process leading to successful operationalisation of the service, including permanent funding.
- Maintain project links to key users as well as other key organisations, initiatives and projects. Focus on permanent collaboration.
- Make the operational service visible in media, conferences, international meetings, etc.
- Manage the project towards a successful completion.