The following four options for the treatment of the cryosphere within WCRP were considered by the ACSYS SSG:
Rely on existing WCRP projects to treat the relevant aspects of cryospheric/cold regions research;
Expand ACSYS to address the seasonal sea-ice zone of the Antarctic, the Antarctica ice sheet and shelves under an AACSYS (Arctic and Antarctic Climate Systems Study);
Implement a "Cold Regions - Climate Interactions" (CReCI) project as a framework comprising ACSYS and projects external to WCRP which have asked for WCRP recognition (such as MAGICS and ASPeCt);
Establish a "Cryosphere and Climate" (C&C) project which specifically focuses on the cryospheric components and their interactions with complementary parts of the climate system.
Because of the substantial gaps in existing WCRP and other activities identified above, and the difficulties of co-ordinating cryospheric research across different WCRP projects, the ACSYS SSG-VI considered that option (1) should not be adopted. The expansion of ACSYS (option 2) to include Antarctic topics not so far addressed by the WCRP - in an AACSYS - suffers from the disadvantage of having no clear boundaries with CLIVAR and GEWEX. Furthermore, an AACSYS would remain as the single regional project within WCRP.The preceding objections also pertain to option 3 for a CReCI. Moreover,the term "cold regions" has several differing interpretations.
In forming its view of option (4), the ACSYS SSG recognised that not all elements of the cryosphere are coupled enough to provide a strongly interacting project in all its aspects. However, given the strong need for WCRP leadership in global cryospheric research, the ACSYS SSG recommends adoption by JSC-XIX of option (4). The "Cryosphere and Climate" project approach complements the existing WCRP projects: SPARC for the stratosphere, GEWEX for the troposphere and land surface, CLIVAR for the ocean and the coupled ocean-atmosphere climate system; all WCRP projects then will have a global view. The SSG also recommends that a 'Cryosphere and Climate' project be implemented under WCRP without delay and that, following the conclusion of ACSYS (AD 2003, currently), the project should subsume any continuing ACSYS activities for the cryosphere and its interactions with other components of the climate system. Other ACSYS activities for the oceans, atmosphere, hydrosphere relevant to WCRP should then be transferred to CLIVAR or GEWEX, as appropriate.
The success of such a C&C project regardless of its organizational structure, depends directly on the strength of its communication and linkages within the C&C itself across the various sub-elements, with other relevant WCRP projects, and with external programmes having a cryospheric focus. A considerable number of linkages can already be identified. At present, these primarily involve formal liaison through panel/steering group membership and informal co-operative arrangements. To ensure the effectiveness of these linkages, given the expanded nature of the proposed new C&C structure, the ACSYS SSG recommends that formal links through liaison members be enacted as broadly as practical, supplemented by regular workshops across the C&C project, and less frequent joint workshops/meetings with other relevant programmes/organizations and the C&C project . The ACSYS SSG also proposes regular and timely dissemination of key C&C project findings and recommendations through regular brief reports. Finally, it is suggested that the ACSYS SSG be developed to instigate the management of the new C&C project. In particular it could be evolved to encompass the various C&C project element chairs in order to ensure that intra-project communication occur in the most efficient and effective manner.
References:
Fitzharris, B.B.,(Ed.), 1996: The cryosphere: changes and their impacts. In: R.T. Watson et al., Climate Change, 1995. Impacts, Adaptations and Mitigations of Climate Change: Scientific-Technical Analyses, Cambridge Univ. Press, pp. 224-265.
WCRP, 1998: Proceedings of a meeting of experts on cryosphere and climate (Cambridge, UK, 3-5 February 1997), R.G. Barry (Ed.), WCRP-102, WMO/TD No. 867.