Following the WMO INFCOM Decision 6.1(6) (INFCOM-2 November 2022), ‘Process to nominate and implement a pilot GCOS Surface Reference Network (GSRN)’, the implementation of the pilot GSRN has now started. The pilot GSRN will serve as the test phase for the GSRN.

It will:

• Generate the first GSRN data products considering all uncertainty components;
• Implement procedures on how to manage, process and archive data;
• Implement data quality assessment methods (QA / QC); and
• Generate a certification process for stations.

During the implementation of the pilot GSRN, the GSRN Task Team (TT-GSRN) and the GSRN Lead Centre (GSRN-LC) will gather experience on different instrumentation, and the operational practices and procedures, at stations in the member states and across different climate regions, which will provide valuable information for the establishment of the initial GSRN.

WMO members are called to nominate stations for the pilot GSRN. Details on the pilot GSRN station requirements are specified in the document here.

Please note that the Deadline to nominate a station has been extended to 31 March 2023. Please complete the proforma (link) and send it to ctassone@wmo.int.

The GCOS Secretariat, in consultation with the GSRN-LC and TT-GSRN will address any questions raised and will review the responses. The review will also consider the need to have stations in different climatological zones and their global distribution and uniqueness. Once the members have been notified, the final list of the pilot GSRN stations will be published on the GCOS website.