International Earth Surface Working Group: IESWG
The CGMS International Earth Surface Working Group (IESWG) is a science working group. The IESWG reports on observations from space-based platforms that are of most importance to the land surface modelling community.
The IESWG was formed to address “a gap in the use of observations” when it comes to land surface models and data assimilation. While there are lots of land surface observations available, the current land surface models do not approximate or simulate these well. By bringing together the land surface modeling, data assimilation, and weather prediction communities, the IESWG aims to change that.
The group’s current focus include more accurate models for land-atmosphere fluxes, better data and models for snow and ice, vegetation data and data assimilation, and coupled data assimilation. By coming together, the community can share what they have tried, what works and what does not work, rather than doing parallel work in siloed groups.
For the last few years IESWG has presented their findings in multiple special journal issues as well as being a vehicle for the needs and requests of the land surface modelling and data assimilation community to CGMS, the body that globally coordinates operational weather and climate observing satellites. CGMS is a powerful platform to make data requests, ensuring continuity of valuable assets and communicating new observation requirements such as timeliness and quality needed for improving forecast accuracy. The IESWG is currently working towards maintaining sensors for soil moisture and snow water equivalent (SWE) with CGMS.
The IESWG is the most recent CGMS science working group, added in the spring of 2023.
