Development of the Elements of the GTOS

Facilitating Access to Global Observing Systems Data and Information

The requirements of the GCOS, GOOS and GTOS for data are specified by scientific or technical panels or advisory groups with the appropriate expertise. Each such group writes specifications for the data needed for an area of concern. GTOS focuses on five issues or themes of global concern: changes in land quality, freshwater resources availability, pollution and toxicity, loss of biodiversity, and climate change. The GCOS and GTOS established the Terrestrial Observation Panel for Climate (TOPC) to define the requirements for terrestrial data for climate purposes for both programs.

Link to the main GTOS page

The GTOS Technical Panels:

Coastal: C-GTOS
Land Cover: Global Observations of Land-Cover Dynamics (GOFC-GOLD) program
Carbon: Terrestrial Carbon Observation initiative (TCO)
Climate: Terrestrial Observation Panel for Climate (TOPC)

The GTOS Program Activities:

Networks: Global Terrestrial Observing Network (GT-Net)
Site Data: Terrestrial Ecosystem Monitoring System (TEMS)
Biodiversity: B-GTOS - Biodiversity Loss: the 2010 Target