Working group II (WGII): Satellite data and products
Working Group II, on satellite data and products, meets at the annual CGMS plenary sessions usually before the plenary session. The WGII meeting has a membership consisting of specialists on the delegations of participating CGMS members. Although participation is left to the discretion of the CGMS members there is a high degree of continuity in regards to the active participation of delegations in the meetings of WGII.
WGII Co-chairs: Na Xu, CMA / Takuya Sakashita, JMA, and JV Thomas, ISRO (incoming and outgoing co-chair, pending plenary endorsement)
WGII Rapporteurs: Andrew Heidinger, NOAA / Paolo Ruti, EUMETSAT
Objectives
WGII is the forum where aspects of technical and scientific nature related to instrument calibration and products from satellites are discussed. The agenda is determined by a) papers that relate to actions and recommendations from previous meetings and b) by additional submissions of papers from delegates. New proposals for actions and recommendations emerging from the discussions at WGII are presented at the subsequent plenary session and, once adopted, are placed as action or recommendation on CGMS members. Terms of Reference of WGII (as endorsed by CGMS-48 plenary, August 2020). WGII also serves as important link between the annual CGMS meetings and the CGMS International Science Working Groups which provide regular reports and feedback to CGMS. These are currently:
- International TOVS working group (ITWG)
- International Radio Occultation Working Group (IROWG)
- International Precipitation Working Group (IPWG)
- International Satellite Winds Working Group (IWWG)
- International Clouds Working Group (ICWG)
- International Earth Surface Working Group (IESWG)
All groups but the ITWG were created upon the initiative of CGMS. Each of the Working Groups is led by two Co-Chairs and regular international meetings between science, operational and user communities are organised. Exchange and coordination between CGMS and the International Science Working Groups is realised through a rapporteur for each working group who regularly participates in CGMS meetings as members of a delegation to CGMS. The rapporteur is also obliged to participate in the separate meetings of the scientific working groups. The two co-chairs of the scientific working groups are the interface between the rapporteur (attending CGMS meetings as part of a CGMS delegation) and the scientific working group meetings. It is the task of the co-chairs to provide summaries and recommendations from the working group meetings to the rapporteur for further discussion at the CGMS meetings. The role of the rapporteur is to provide feedback and guidance to the co-chairs on how to best address relevant issues at CGMS meetings.
