GRUAN: GCOS Reference Upper-Air Network

“Start small but start!”

The GCOS Reference Upper Air Network (GRUAN) is an international reference observing network, designed to meet climate requirements and to fill a major void in the current global observing system. Upper air observations within the GRUAN network will provide long-term high-quality climate records, will be used to constrain and validate data from space based remote sensors, and will provide accurate data for the study of atmospheric processes.

Since 2005 target requirements of accuracy, stability and vertical resolution have been stated and the GRUAN community called upon the hydro-meteorological equipment industry to develop a new “reference type radiosonde”.

Implementation of the network has started, involving the identification of eligible measurement sites, development of a data policy and dissemination scheme and the quest for a common mode of operations. Currently, the network comprises 15 initial sites. In 2009, the ‘GRUAN Implementation Plan 2009-2013’ has been published.
The first GRUAN-quality data will be made available in March 2011, and the network is planned to be fully operational by 2013.

GRUAN has been identified by the climate community as being required to generate long-term high quality climate records, to constrain and calibrate data from more spatially-comprehensive global observing systems (inc. satellites and current radiosonde networks) ), and to fully characterize the properties of the atmospheric column. GRUAN is building on existing observational networks, such as NDACC, ARM, GUAN, GAW, BSRN and GSN.

GRUAN is a part of GCOS

		Sponsered by:

The Global Climate Observing System (GCOS) is a joint undertaking of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and the International Council for Science (ICSU).

GCOS is an internationally coordinated system of observing networks and systems for meeting the full range of national and international needs for climate and climate-related observations. It is designed to provide comprehensive information on the total climate system, involving a multidisciplinary range of physical, chemical and biological properties, and atmospheric, oceanic, hydrologic, cryospheric, and terrestrial processes.