GCOS Essential Climate Variables (ECV)
Reference Documents & Web Sites

Updated June 14, 2010

Reference Documents:

• List of ECVs: (ANNEX I of the Guideline for the Generation of Satellite-based Datasets and Products meeting GCOS Requirements - GCOS-128 (WMO/TD No. 1488) - March 2009)
• GCOS Climate Monitoring Principles (GCMPs) (ANNEX II of the Guideline for the Generation of Satellite-based Datasets and Products meeting GCOS Requirements - GCOS-128 (WMO/TD No. 1488) - March 2009)
• Guideline for the Generation of Satellite-based Datasets and Products meeting GCOS Requirements - GCOS-128 (WMO/TD No. 1488) - March 2009
• CEOS EO Handbook - The Important Role of Earth Obervations: The Essential Climate Variables
• Terrestrial Essential Climate Variables for Climate Change Assessment, Mitigation and Adaptation - GTOS-52 - January 2008 (pdf)
• Report of the Conference of the Parties on its thirteenth session, held in Bali from 3 to 5 December 2007, Addendum, Decision 11/CP.13, (Reporting on GCOS, Revised UNFCCC Reporting Guidelines on GCOS), FCCC/CP/2007/6/Add.2, 14 March 2008
• Assessing the Status of the Development of Standards for the Essential Climate Variables in the Terrestial Domain -- Progress Report to the 26th Meeting of the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA) (GTOS-49) - March 2007 (pdf)
• Systematic Observation Requirements for Satellite-Based Products for Climate - Supplemental Details to the Satellite-Based Component of the "Implementation Plan for the Global Observing System for Climate in Support of the UNFCCC" - September 2006 - GCOS-107 (WMO/TD N0. 1338)
• Implementation Plan for the Global Observing Systems for Climate in Support of the UNFCCC - GCOS-92, WMO/TD No. 1219 - October 2004 (pdf)
• Establishment of a Global Hydrological Observation Network for Climate - Report of the GCOS/GTOS/HRWRP Expert Meeting GCOS-63/GTOS-26 - June 2000 (pdf)
• The Second Report on the Adequacy of the Global Observing Systems For Climate in Support of the UNFCCC - GCOS-82 - April 2003 (WMO/TD No. 1143)

IPCC Documents:

• Publications and Data (Assessment, Special, Methodological Reports, Technical Papers, Procedures, Report Summaries, Meeting Documentation)

Individual ECVs Documentation:

• ECV T1 River Discharge - Assessment of the Status of the Development of Standards for the Terrestrial Essential Climate Variables - Draft version 8 - November 2008 (pdf)
• ECV T2 Water Use - Information
• ECV T3 Ground Water - Assessment of the Status of the Development of the Standards for the Terrestial Essential Climate Variables (ECV) (doc)
• ECV T4 Lakes and Reservoirs - Assessment of the Status of the Development of the Standards for the Terrestial Essential Climate Variables (ECV) (pdf)
• ECV T5 Snow Cover - Assessment of the Status of the Development of the Standards for the Terrestial Essential Climate Variables (ECV), Version 8, 21 May 2009 (pdf)
• ECV T6 Glaciers and Ice Caps - Assessment of the Status of the Development of the Standards for the Terrestial Essential Climate Variables (ECV), Version 10, 21 May 2009 (pdf)
• ECV T7 Permafrost - Assessment of the Status of the Development of the Standards for the Terrestial Essential Climate Variables (ECV), Version 13, 8 May 2009 (pdf)
• ECV T8 Albedo - Assessment of the Status of the Development of the Standards for the Terrestial Essential Climate Variables (ECV), Version 12, 7 May 2009 (pdf)
• ECV T9 Land cover - Assessment of the Status of the Development of the Standards for the Terrestial Essential Climate Variables (ECV), Version 16, 21 May 2009 (pdf)
• ECV T10 FAPAR: Fraction of Absorbed Photosynthetically Active Radiation - Assessment of the Status of the Development of the Standards for the Terrestial Essential Climate Variables (ECV), Version 8, 11 May 2009 (pdf)
• ECV T11 LAI: Leaf Area Index - Assessment of the Status of the Development of the Standards for the Terrestial Essential Climate Variables (ECV), Version 10, 25 May 2009 (pdf)
• ECV T12 Biomass - Assessment of the Status of the Development of the Standards for the Terrestial Essential Climate Variables (ECV), Version 10, 25 May 2009 (pdf)
• ECV T13 Fire Disturbance - Assessment of the Status of the Development of the Standards for the Terrestrial Essential Climate Variables (ECV), Version 27, 6 May 2009 (pdf)

Reference Web Sites:

• WMO/GCOS ECV web site

• FAO/GTOS Individual Terrestrial ECV web pages:

• ECV T1 River Discharge
• ECV T2 Water Use
• ECV T3 Ground Water
• ECV T4 Lake Levels
• ECV T5 Snow Cover
• ECV T6 Glaciers and Ice Caps
• ECV T7 Permafrost and Seasonally-Frozen Ground
• ECV T8 Albedo
• ECV T9 Land Cover
• ECV T10 Fraction of Absorbed Photosynthetically Active Radiation (FAPAR)
• ECV T11 Leaf Area Index (LAI)
• ECV T12 Biomass
• ECV T13 Fire Disturbance