Atmospheric Observation Panel for Climate (AOPC)
The GCOS Steering Committee established the Atmospheric Observation Panel for Climate (AOPC) to recognize the need for specific scientific and technical input concerning atmospheric observations for climate. The Joint Scientific Committee of the World Climate Research Programme, recognizing the benefits of the AOPC, agreed in 1995 to co-sponsor the panel, which was renamed the GCOS/WCRP Atmospheric Observation Panel for Climate.
AOPC is supported, amongst other things, by the WMO Integrated Global Observing System (WIGOS)—an integrated, comprehensive, and coordinated system that comprises in-situ and space-based observations of the present WMO global observing systems. WIGOS represents an integrated framework of existing WMO observing systems and aims to provide the data required for effective and efficient service delivery for all regions around the globe.
Key activities
- Assessing the current state of the atmospheric component of the global observing system for climate, and identifying its gaps and inadequacies
- Securing the implementation of designated GCOS networks and promoting the establishment and enhancement of other systems to provide long-term and consistent data and information for atmospheric ECVs, such as Earth radiation budget, Surface radiation, Greenhouse gases, Water vapor, Cloud properties, and Aerosols
- Liaising with relevant research, operational, and end-user bodies to determine and maintain the requirements for data to monitor, understand, and predict the dynamical, physical, and chemical state of the atmosphere and its interfaces on seasonal to multi-decadal timescales, on both global and regional levels
- Promoting the transfer and accessibility of data to the user community, as well as the rehabilitation of historical observational and proxy climate datasets
Atmospheric Observation Panel for Climate (AOPC), Terms of Reference
AOPC Members (as of November 2025)
Ex-officio Members (as of December 2024)
