Essential Climate Variables https://calvalportal.ceos.org/web/guest/cal/val-wiki/-/wiki/668236 2026-04-15T00:26:48Z 2026-04-15T00:26:48Z Emma Woolliams https://calvalportal.ceos.org/web/guest/cal/val-wiki/-/wiki/668236/Essential Climate Variables?_com_liferay_wiki_web_portlet_WikiPortlet_version=1.0 2021-10-04T16:33:07Z 2021-10-04T16:33:07Z

<p><strong>Definition</strong> </p><p><strong><!----></strong> </p><p><strong><!----></strong>An ECV is a physical, chemical, or biologicalvariable or a group of linked variables <span class="diff-html-removed" id="removed-diff-0" previous="first-diff" changeId="removed-diff-0" next="added-diff-0">that critically </span><span class="diff-html-added" id="added-diff-0" previous="removed-diff-0" changeId="added-diff-0" next="removed-diff-1">thatcritically </span>contributes to the characterization <span class="diff-html-removed" id="removed-diff-1" previous="added-diff-0" changeId="removed-diff-1" next="added-diff-1">of Earth’s </span><span class="diff-html-added" id="added-diff-1" previous="removed-diff-1" changeId="added-diff-1" next="removed-diff-2">ofEarth’s </span>climate. ECV data sets provide <span class="diff-html-removed" id="removed-diff-2" previous="added-diff-1" changeId="removed-diff-2" next="added-diff-2">the empirical </span><span class="diff-html-added" id="added-diff-2" previous="removed-diff-2" changeId="added-diff-2" next="removed-diff-3">theempirical </span>evidence needed to understand <span class="diff-html-removed" id="removed-diff-3" previous="added-diff-2" changeId="removed-diff-3" next="added-diff-3">and predict </span><span class="diff-html-added" id="added-diff-3" previous="removed-diff-3" changeId="added-diff-3" next="removed-diff-4">andpredict </span>the evolution of climate, to <span class="diff-html-removed" id="removed-diff-4" previous="added-diff-3" changeId="removed-diff-4" next="added-diff-4">guide mitigation </span><span class="diff-html-added" id="added-diff-4" previous="removed-diff-4" changeId="added-diff-4" next="removed-diff-5">guidemitigation </span>and adaptation measures, to <span class="diff-html-removed" id="removed-diff-5" previous="added-diff-4" changeId="removed-diff-5" next="added-diff-5">assess risks </span><span class="diff-html-added" id="added-diff-5" previous="removed-diff-5" changeId="added-diff-5" next="removed-diff-6">assessrisks </span>and enable attribution of climatic events <span class="diff-html-removed" id="removed-diff-6" previous="added-diff-5" changeId="removed-diff-6" next="added-diff-6">to underlying </span><span class="diff-html-added" id="added-diff-6" previous="removed-diff-6" changeId="added-diff-6" next="removed-diff-7">tounderlying </span>causes, and to underpin <span class="diff-html-removed" id="removed-diff-7" previous="added-diff-6" changeId="removed-diff-7" next="added-diff-7">climate services</span><span class="diff-html-added" id="added-diff-7" previous="removed-diff-7" changeId="added-diff-7" next="removed-diff-8">climateservices</span>. </p><p><strong>Source</strong> </p><p><a href="https://ceos.org/document_management/Working_Groups/WGISS/Interest_Groups/Data_Stewardship/White_Papers/EO-DataStewardshipGlossary.pdf"> CEOS/WGISS/DSIG/GLOS</a> </p><p><strong><span class="diff-html-removed" id="removed-diff-8" previous="added-diff-7" changeId="removed-diff-8" next="last-diff">Category</span></strong><span class="diff-html-removed" previous="added-diff-7" changeId="removed-diff-8" next="last-diff"> </span></p><p><a href="https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fcalvalportal.ceos.org%2Ft-d_wiki%3Fp_p_id%3D54_INSTANCE_Wg3ti1194i20%26p_p_lifecycle%3D0%26p_p_state%3Dnormal%26p_p_mode%3Dview%26p_p_col_id%3Dcolumn-2%26p_p_col_count%3D1%26_54_INSTANCE_Wg3ti1194i20_struts_action%3D%252Fwiki_display%252Fview%26_54_INSTANCE_Wg3ti1194i20_nodeName%3DCEOS_Terms_and_Definitions%26_54_INSTANCE_Wg3ti1194i20_title%3D1.%2BEarth%2BObservation%2Bsystem%2Bwords&amp;data=04%7C01%7Cfaye.lai%40npl.co.uk%7C71d207afa14d469389d808d988e92c16%7C601e5460b1bf49c0bd2de76ffc186a8d%7C1%7C0%7C637691357310842913%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&amp;sdata=MFNAfQnNfO%2FSg73NKEVZ4eUMLWqKqZn9Es5VcxyDP%2FQ%3D&amp;reserved=0"><span class="diff-html-removed" previous="added-diff-7" changeId="removed-diff-8" next="last-diff">1. Earth Observation system words</span></a><span class="diff-html-removed" previous="added-diff-7" changeId="removed-diff-8" next="last-diff"> </span></p>

Emma Woolliams 2021-10-04T16:33:07Z