obs4MIPs Governance Overview

The World Climate Research Programme (WCRP) is encouraging a broadening of contributions to obs4MIPs. To help guide this, the WCRP's Data Advisory Council (WDAC; http://www.wcrp-climate.org/wdac-overview) has constituted an international task team to provide stewardship for the advancement of obs4MIPs. The terms of reference and membership of this Task Team are given below.

WDAC Observations for Model Evaluation Task Team Terms of Reference
1. Establish data and metadata standards for observational and reanalysis data sets that are consistent with standards used in major climate model intercomparison efforts (e.g., CMIP), thereby facilitating evaluation of Earth System models and their components.
2. Encourage the application of these standards to well-established observational datasets that have demonstrated utility for model evaluation. Coordinate with and seek contributions to obs4MIPs from datasets developed under related projects (e.g., CFMIP-OBS and ana4MIPs).
3. Provide guidance and oversight to obs4MIPs, including the organization of data hosted on ESGF. Establish criteria and a process by which contributed datasets are accepted for inclusion. Recommend changes that might be made to ESGF software to facilitate management of and access to obs4MIPs datasets.
4. Encourage development of, compose content for, and oversee a website providing information on developing, proposing and applying observational data sets for model evaluation.
5. Seek community input and feedback on the value of products conforming to the standards, and refine and extend the standards, as necessary, to meet any additional or evolving needs.
6. Coordinate above activities with major climate model intercomparison efforts (e.g., CMIP) and liaise with other related WCRP bodies, such as WMAC. Recommend additions and improvements to CMIP standard model output so that models can better be directly evaluated against available observations.
7. Report to the WDAC and brief other relevant WCRP committees and panels (e.g., the WMAC and the WGCM) on progress, status, and plans for activities overseen by the task team.

Membership
Peter Gleckler, co-chair, PCMDI/DOE
Duane Waliser, co-chair, JPL/NASA
Sandrine Bony, IPSL
Mike Bosilovich, GSFC/NASA.
Helene Chepfer, IPSL
Veronika Erying, DLR
Robert Ferraro, JPL/NASA
Roger Saunders, UKMO
Jörg Schulz, EUMETSAT
Karl Taylor, PCMDI/DOE
Jean-Noël Thépaut, ECMWF
Gerald Potter, PCMDI/DOE, GSFC/NASA

Ex-Officio
Tsengdar Lee, NASA
Renu Joseph, DOE
Pierre-Phillipe Mathieu (ESA)
Michel Rixen, WMO
Otis Brown, WDAC