Towards a Global Ground-Based Earth Observatory (GGBEO): Leveraging existing systems and networks

To tackle the planetary environmental and climate crisis and meet the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), we must fully leverage the potential of Earth observations (EO). This involves integrating globally sourced data on the atmosphere, hydrosphere, cryosphere, lithosphere, along with ecological and socio-economic information. By harmonizing and integrating these diverse data sources, we can more effectively incorporate observational data into multi-scale modeling and artificial intelligence (AI) frameworks. This paper is based on discussions from the "Towards Global Earth Observatory" workshop held from May 8-10, 2023, organized by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the Atmosphere and Climate Competence Center (ACCC), in collaboration with the Institute for Atmospheric and Earth System Research (INAR) at the University of Helsinki. The current state of EO and data repositories is fragmented, highlighting the need for a more integrated approach to establish a new global Ground-Based Earth Observatory (GGBEO). Here, we summarize the current status of selected in-situ and ground-based remote sensing observation systems and outline future actions and recommendations to meet scientific, societal, and economic needs. In addition, we identify key steps to create a coordinated and comprehensive GGBEO system that leverages existing investments, networks, and infrastructures. This system would integrate regional and global ground-based in situ and remote sensing systems, marine, and airborne observational data. An integrated approach should aim for seamless coordination, interoperable and harmonized data repositories, easily searchable and accessible data, and sustainable long-term funding.

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Publication Details

Journal
Big Earth Data
Published
2025-10-02
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1080/20964471.2025.2574174
Citations
1
Primary Topic
Atmospheric Ozone and Climate
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
1.30

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article

Towards a Global Ground-Based Earth Observatory (GGBEO): Leveraging existing systems and networks

Beryl Morris, Markku Kulmala, B. L. Lefer, Sagnik Dey et al.
1 citations
Big Earth Data
Atmospheric Ozone and Climate
1.30
article

Towards a Global Ground-Based Earth Observatory (GGBEO): Leveraging existing systems and networks

Beryl Morris, Markku Kulmala, B. L. Lefer, Sagnik Dey, Jaana Bäck, Eija Juurola, Shahzad Gani, Sara Basart, Emmanuel Salmon, Jürg Luterbacher, Clare Paton‐Walsh, Hiroyuki Muraoka, Alexander Baklanov, Dick Schaap, Leiming Zhang, Evangelos Gerasopoulos, Natacha B. Bernier, Yann‐Hervé De Roeck, Thomas G. Bornman, Nicolas Pade, James W. Hannigan, Xiubo Yu, Jaswant Rathore, Hibiki Noda, Gregor Feig, Helen Glaves, Henry W. Loescher, Juanjo Dañobeitia, Jörg Klausen, Paolo Laj, Tuukka Petäjä, Martin Steinbacher, Andreas Petzold, Steffen Zacharias, Hanna K. Lappalainen, K. Achuta Rao, Georg Teutsch, Dominique Bérod, S. Scory, Christos Arvanitidis, Alex Vermeulen, Pier Luigi Buttigieg, Michael Mirtl, Gregory R. Carmichael
article en
1 citations

Abstract

To tackle the planetary environmental and climate crisis and meet the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), we must fully leverage the potential of Earth observations (EO). This involves integrating globally sourced data on the atmosphere, hydrosphere, cryosphere, lithosphere, along with ecological and socio-economic information. By harmonizing and integrating these diverse data sources, we can more effectively incorporate observational data into multi-scale modeling and artificial intelligence (AI) frameworks. This paper is based on discussions from the "Towards Global Earth Observatory" workshop held from May 8-10, 2023, organized by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the Atmosphere and Climate Competence Center (ACCC), in collaboration with the Institute for Atmospheric and Earth System Research (INAR) at the University of Helsinki. The current state of EO and data repositories is fragmented, highlighting the need for a more integrated approach to establish a new global Ground-Based Earth Observatory (GGBEO). Here, we summarize the current status of selected in-situ and ground-based remote sensing observation systems and outline future actions and recommendations to meet scientific, societal, and economic needs. In addition, we identify key steps to create a coordinated and comprehensive GGBEO system that leverages existing investments, networks, and infrastructures. This system would integrate regional and global ground-based in situ and remote sensing systems, marine, and airborne observational data. An integrated approach should aim for seamless coordination, interoperable and harmonized data repositories, easily searchable and accessible data, and sustainable long-term funding.

Big Earth DataVol. 9(4)
NSF National Center for Atmospheric Research (US), University of Copenhagen (DK), University of Iowa (US), Alfred-Wegener-Institut Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung (DE), Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology MeteoSwiss (CH), World Meteorological Organization (CH), University of Helsinki (FI), Environment and Climate Change Canada (CA), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (ES), Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (DE), British Geological Survey (GB), Ifremer (FR), Forschungszentrum Jülich (DE), Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research (US), University of Colorado Boulder (US), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CN), Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (BR), National Institute for Environmental Studies (JP), Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen (DE), University of Wollongong (AU), Tenaris (United States) (US), Institute of Natural Sciences (BE), University of Colorado System (US), National Ecological Observatory Network (US), Integrated Carbon Observation System (FI), Computer Network Information Center (CN), Kiadis Pharma (Netherlands) (NL), National Institute of Technology, Gifu College (JP), National Observatory of Athens (GR), South Bend Museum of Art (US), Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network (AU), South African Environmental Observation Network (ZA), Universitäres Zentrum für Zahnmedizin Basel (CH), Sugar Research Australia (Australia) (AU), LifeWatch (Israel) (IL), Detection Limit (United States) (US), Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research (CN), Newbiotechnic (Spain) (ES), Nano Carbon (Poland) (PL), Gifu University (JP), Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IN), University of Pretoria (ZA), Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (CH), Volga State University of Technology (RU)
National Science Foundation, Battelle, Helsingin Yliopisto, CERN, European Commission, Analyses et Expérimentations pour les Ecosystèmes, College of Computing, Division of Chemistry
Openalex Percentile: Top 16%
Atmospheric Ozone and Climate
1.30
DOIOpen Access PDFOpenAlex
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