International Workshop on Rescue and Digitization of Climate Records in the Mediterranean Basin

Tarragona, Spain, 28-30 November 2007

1. Venue and other general info

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2. Rational and objectives of the workshop:

Long-term, high-quality and reliable climate instrumental time series are key information required in undertaking robust and consistent assessments in order to better understand, detect, predict and respond to global climate variability and change. The benefit areas include regional climate studies and predictions, calibration of satellite data, generation of climate quality reanalyses data, besides being a formidable and essential tool in translating climate proxy evidence into instrumental terms.The Mediterranean region has a very long and rich history in monitoring the atmosphere, going back in time to the 19th century. However, despite the efforts undertaken by some National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs) in Data Rescue (DARE) activities aimed at transferring historical long-term climate records from fragile media (paper forms) to new electronic media, accessible digital climate data is still mostly restricted to the second half of the 20th century hence, preventing the region from developing more accurate assessments of climate variability and change. To address these issues, WMO in collaboration with the University of Rovira i Virgili, Tarragona, Spain, organizes an international Workshop on Data Rescue and Digitization of Climate Records in the Mediterranean Basin (MEDARE, see objectives in page 4). 22 NMHS from the region and several regional and international institutions are invited to participate.

Built on Existing WMO Programs and other international projects including GCOS Regional Action Plans, the Workshop will provide an international opportunity for those interested in DARE in the Mediterranean basin to:

  1. Inform/discuss techniques and procedures on data and metadata recovery, digitization, composing, formatting, archiving and disseminating long-term climate records,
  2. Establish (*) an Inventory on country basis of the currently available long-term climate records in digital form (temperature, precipitation, air pressure) and the longest and key climate records to be recovered, going along with the potential sources,
  3. Identify (*) opportunities, resources to be mobilized at the national and regional scales, and beneficiaries of implementing a MedMEDARE projects,
  4. Set up a common website for inventorying the current available climate data and the potential data to be recovered on a national basis and actions to be undertaken for developing national/regional DARE activities. Existing CCl /ET2.2 web site and/or WCDMP web site as well as other possibilities will be discussed for hosting such inventory,
  5. Discuss and issue recommendations to make accessible the rescued time series for the international scientific community; decision makers and other end users.

(*) The invited participants will have an active role before during and after the workshop to establish the current status on available historical climate data in the region.

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3. Program of the workshop:

DAY 1
  • Opening Ceremony
    • Address by Secretary General of WMO or his representative,
    • Address by the University of Tarragona,
    • Welcoming Address by High official from Spain: Mr. Antonio Conesa
  • SESSION I: Emphasizing Needs for DARE Projects (Day 1 Morning)
    • I.1 Climate Data and information: A resource for present and future development challenges; Dr Buruhani Nyenzi / Mr Omar Baddour, WMO, Geneva;
    • I.2 Scientific benefits from undertaking data rescue activities: what more can be achieved with long digital records. Dr Phil Jones, CRU, UEA, Norwich, UK;
    • I.3 Climate datasets availability in RA VI, emphasis on the Mediterranean RA VI countries; Dr A. van Engelen , KNMI, De Bilt, The Netherlands;
    • I.4 The need of a historical climate data and metadata rescue project for the Mediterranean: the GCOS MedMEDARE project. Dr Manola Brunet, Climate Change Research Group, University Rovira i Virgili, Tarragona, Spain;
    • I.5 Gibraltar: recovering and analysing Iberia's longest climatic record. Dr. Dennis Wheeler, University of Sunderland, Sunderland, UK.
    • I.6 Developing long-term quality controlled and homogenized climate Data sets; Dr Olivier Mestre , Meteo France , France
  • SESSION II: Existing Regional initiatives and datasets (Day 1 Afternoon)
    • II.1 Atmospheric Circulation Reconstruction over the Earth (ACRE) and WMO DARE missions over the Mediterranean, Dr Rob Allan, Hadley Centre for Climate Change, Met Office, Exeter, UK
    • II.2 The MEDCLIVAR metadata base initiative:synergies with DARE national and regional missions across the Mediterranean countries. Dr Ricardo García, University Complutense of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
    • II.3 Data and metadata for the central part of the Mediterranean Basin: lessons from the GLIMGARI Project, Dr. Maurizio Maugeri, University of Milan, Italy
    • II.4 NOAA/NCDC Presentation. Mr Tom Ross NOAA-NCDC Asheville, USA;
    • II.5 African Regional DARE projects. MR Alphonse Kanga, Chairman of the Working Group on Climate Related Matters for Region.I (Africa);
    • II.6 Identifying deficiencies and constraints in DARE missions over eastern Mediterranean countries. Mr Serhat Sensoy, Turkish State Meteorological Service, Turkey;
    • II.7 Status, constraints and strategies for fostering DARE activities over the Balkans region. Dr. Nina Nikolova , University of Sofia, Bulgaria
DAY 2
  • SESSION III: Reviewing National Mediterranean DARE projects (All Day 2)
DAY 3
  • SESSION IV: Working group session (Day3 Morning)
    • WG 1 on techniques, methods and inventory
    • WG 2 on Resource Mobilization and Web Portal
  • SESSION V: Wrap up (Day 3 Afternoon)
    • Presentation of WG conclusions and Recommendations
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4. What is expected to be done by the attendees before the workshop takes place?

Inventory of the digitized data, including local/WMO station codes, stations names, geographical details, variables, length of records, time resolution of the records (i.e. monthly, daily, sub-daily) and preliminary assessment of time series gaps. Assessment on data availability for end users (accessibility, terms and conditions, etc.)

Inventory of the longest/key and not digitized stations/records including the above mentioned metadata, their status (i.e. sources where the data are kept like NMHSs archives, national/international archives/libraries, their current format and state of preservation (i.e. paper form, microfilm) and a preliminary assessment on their completeness and continuity in the foreseeable future.

Status, constraints and prospects of national DARE activities, if any. Description of actions taken for developing national long-term climate records (i.e. previous inventorying of data, transferring data from paper form to microfiches/microfilms, digitalization issues, etc.), identification of difficulties and problems for fostering DARE initiatives at the national scale and definition of national reference climate network.

5. Abstract submission, extended reports and PPT presentations:

Short abstracts:

  • Word file with maximum one page A4, Font Arial, Font size: 12.
  • Submission deadline: October 31st 2007

Final report

  • 12 A4 pages maximum, font Arial, Font size: 12
  • Submission deadline: January 31st 2008

Publication of the workshop reports/proceedings will be made before March 31st 2008

PPT presentations: All participants are asked for preparing a PPT presentation picking up the aforementioned details on the status of national climate records/DARE activities. Each presentation will last about 10/15 minutes

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6. Organization:

International Organizing Committee: International Scientific Committee:

  • Dr Buruhani Nyenzi; WMO
  • Dr Manola Brunet; Spain
  • Dr Antonio Labajo, INM; Spain
  • Mr Hama Kontongomde, WMO
  • Mr Omar Baddour; WMO,
  • Mr Tom Ross; USA
  • Dr Manola Brunet; Spain
  • Dr Aryan van Engelen; Netherlands
  • Mr Peer Hechler; Germany
  • Dr Raino Haino; Finland
  • Mr Alphonse Kanga; Congo
  • Mr Azzedine Saci, Algeria
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7. Provisional list of Participants:

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8. Contacts:

Scientific matters:

  • Manola Brunet
  • Climate Change Research Group
  • Physical Geography
  • University Rovira I Virgili
  • Pza. Tarraco, 1 – Tarragona 43071
  • Telephone: +34 977559583
  • Fax: +34 977559597
  • E-mail: manola.brunet@urv.net

Organization matters:

  • Omar Baddour
  • Chief Division
  • World Climate Data and Monitoring Program
  • World Meteorological Organization
  • 7 bis, avenue de la Paix
  • CH-1211 GENEVE 2, S
  • Telephone: +41-22-730-8268
  • Fax: +41-22-730-8042
  • E-mail: Obaddour@wmo.int
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9. Information on social events:

There is foreseen an afternoon visit to Tarragona’s Roman remains and two official dinners

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10. Workshop flyer:

Download (184Kb)

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11. Related documents

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12. Abstracts

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This web portal is an external branch of the CCl website developed by the MEDARE community and host by the Universitat Rovira i Virgili (Tarragona, Spain)

Universitat Rovira i Virgili

Disclaimer: The views expressed in the web site do not reflect necessarily the WMO official position on some issues, and there publication on this site does not imply their endorsement by WMO before they are duly published through WMO official publication procedures and channels