Climate Monitoring: Philosophical and Practical Framework

Climate Monitoring - loosely described as providing quantitative and qualitative information about current and recent climate conditions in the context of a larger history - is listed by both the American Meteorological Society and the World Meteorological Organization as one component in the larger suite of climate services provided by the enterprise. While climate monitoring has been performed for decades, several factors have changed the shape of its contours in recent years: (1) climate change introduced both a moving target for concepts of “normal” and has raised vulnerability to, and/or awareness of, certain weather and climate hazards; (2) Nearly all aspects of the economy have experienced revolutionary changes and are much more information-driven than before; and (3) relevant climate data are available sooner, and in much larger doses than before.

As the landscape of climate monitoring continues to change, and especially as the private sector becomes more involved in the purchasing and provision of such services, it is wise to examine the contours of what it means to monitor climate successfully. This presentation will name and elaborate on six basic pillars and six practices of climate monitoring. It is informed by practice, the needs of scientific assessment, the emerging needs of the economy, and is presented in context of principles of communications and adult learning.