Expanding the Role of Atmospheric Composition Measurements in Environmental Prediction and Services (Invited Presentation)

Atmospheric composition matters to climate, weather forecasting, human health, terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, agricultural productivity, aeronautical operations, renewable energy production, and more. Meeting the growing need for atmospheric composition information and related services requires increased efforts directed towards enhancing observing systems to provide the data needed to characterize the current state and trends in atmospheric composition and to support the development of services with high societal impact that rely on information on atmospheric composition and related parameters. Improved prediction and services will involve the integration of different types of observations in observation-based analysis and numerical prediction with the objective to deliver information products enabling evidence-based decision making for detecting, managing and mitigating effects on the environment, health and well-being worldwide. In this talk we will discuss the current state of atmospheric composition observing systems and their use in various applications. We will emphasize the needs for increased information near the ground and how this enhanced information, with larger amounts flowing in near real time, will enable enhanced predictions and services.