Earth information-the diagnostics of Earth's climate, water, air, land, and other dynamic processes-is essential for our understanding of humankind's relationship to our natural resources and our environment. Earth information can inform our scientific knowledge, our approach to resource and environmental management and regulation, and our stewardship of the planet for future generations. New data sources, new ancillary and complementary technologies in hardware and software, and ever-increasing modeling and analysis capabilities characterize the current and prospective states of Earth...

This Product is one of 21 synthesis and assessment products (SAPs) commissioned by the U.S. Climate Change Science Program (CCSP) as part of an interagency effort to integrate federal research on climate change and to facilitate a national understanding of the critical elements of climate change. Most of these products are focused on specific substantive issues in climate science, impacts, and related topics. In contrast, the focus of this Product is methodological. Uncertainty is ubiquitous. Of course, the presence of uncertainty does not mean that people cannot act. As this Product notes,...

The core mission of the U.S. Climate Change Science Program (CCSP) is to "Facilitate the creation and application of knowledge of the Earth's global environment through research, observations, decision support, and communication." To accomplish this goal, the CCSP has commissioned 21 Synthesis and Assessment Products to summarize current knowledge and evaluate the extent and development of this knowledge for future scientific explorations and policy planning. These Products fall within five goals, namely: 1. Improve knowledge of the Earth's past and present climate and environment, including...

A primary objective of the U.S. Climate Change Science Program (CCSP) is to provide the best possible scientific information to support public discussion and government and private sector decision-making on key climate-related issues. To help meet this objective, the CCSP has identified an initial set of 21 synthesis and assessment products that address its highest priority research, observation, and decision-support needs. This Synthesis/Assessment Report, the first of the 21 Reports, focuses on understanding the causes of the reported differences between independently produced data sets of...

The U.S. Climate Change Science Program (CCSP), a consortium of Federal agencies that investigates climate, has established a Synthesis and Assessment Program as part of its Strategic Plan. A primary objective of the CCSP is to provide the best science-based knowledge possible to support public discussion and government- and private-sector decisions about the risks and opportunities associated with changes in climate and in related environmental systems (U.S. Climate Change Science Program,2007).The CCSP has identified an initial set of 21 Synthesis and Assessment Products (SAPs) that address...

A primary objective of the U.S. Climate Change Science Program (CCSP) is to provide the best possible scientific information to support public discussion, and government and private sector decision making on key climate-related issues. To help meet this objective, the CCSP has identified 21 Synthesis and Assessment Products (SAPs) that address its highest priority research, observational, and decision-support needs. This Product, CCSP SAP 1.3, is one of three products developed to address the first goal of the CCSP Strategic Plan: Improve knowledge of the Earth's past and present climate and...