Introduction to the WMO WDCGG
1. The Global Atmosphere Watch (GAW)
The Global Atmosphere Watch (GAW) programme is an atmospheric composition
observation in the WMO observing system that, in turn, is a major contribution
to the Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS).
The mission of GAW is to
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Reduce environmental risks to society and meet the requirements of
environmental conventions.
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Strengthen capabilities to predict climate, weather and air quality.
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Contribute to scientific assessments in support of environmental policy.
through
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Maintaining and applying global, long-term observations of the chemical
composition and selected physical characteristics of the atmosphere.
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Emphasising quality assurance and quality control.
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Delivering integrated products and services of relevance to users.
GAW observations are archived and made available by World Data Centres (WDC).
The purpose of the WDCs is to collect and archive processed GAW data, to make
them publicly available, and to provide support in the quality assurance,
analysis and interpretation of these data for scientific advances and policy
decisions. The WDCs are committed to align their operations to the needs of
data submitters and data users alike.
2. History and objectives of the WDCGG
The WDCGG, which is one of the WDCs under the WMO GAW programme, has been
operating since October 1990 at the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA). In October 2002,
the WDCGG took over the role of the World Data Centre for Surface Ozone (WDCSO) from
the Norwegian Institute for Air Research (NILU).
Furthermore, under the agreement between Global Climate Observing System (GCOS)
and WMO/GAW that considers the WMO/GAW global atmospheric CO2 and CH4 monitoring
network as a comprehensive network of GCOS, the WDCGG is charged with the data
management and dissemination of value-added products on these species in order to
facilitate more reliable monitoring and data analysis.
The objectives of the WDCGG are to support scientific researches, assessments and
correspondence policy for environmental issues such as global warming, ultimately to
contribute towards reducing societal environmental risks, and to meet the requirements of
related environmental conventions.
3. Functions of the WDCGG
Since its establishment in 1990, the WDCGG has been principally working to achieve the
objectives of the WDCGG. In addition, the WDCGG has improved its operation and functions
in accordance with the GAW Strategic Plans. The current operations of the WDCGG are
composed of the following five functions:
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To gather measurement data and associated metadata of greenhouse and related
trace gas species from various platforms of the GAW observation network
and relevant international research programmes.
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To archive the data of known quality for long-term use after validation.
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To make the archived data available to users via the Internet.
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To disseminate value-added products and user support information in order
to facilitate more reliable monitoring and data analysis.
Schematic diagram of data submission, dissemination, and data flow in the WDCGG
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4. Gathering parameters
The WDCGG gathers measurement parameters regarding greenhouse gases and related
gases in the atmosphere and the ocean (64 gaseous species as of 31 December 2006).
The data, which the WDCGG covers, are classified into six observation categories
according to the observation platforms or methods used (see WDCGG Data Submission
and Dissemination Guide).
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Air sampling observation at a ground-based station
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Air sampling observation for a vertical profile (e.g. multi heights observation using a tower)
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Air sampling observation by mobile platforms (e.g., aircraft, ships, etc.)
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Ice core observation
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Surface seawater and overlying atmosphere observation
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Hydrographic sampling observation by ships
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