Figures & data
Figure 1. Schematic of the water and energy cycle in the Earth climate system (U.S. Global Change Research Program Citation2003).
Table 1. Primary and supplemental Essential Water Variables (EWVs) (adapted from GEO Citation2014). (* – Water Extent was not one of the original EWVs identified in 2014).
Table 2. Summary of primary Essential Water Variables (EWVs) with identifiable measurement options and demonstrated end-user applications/sectors. (The letter ‘Y’ in the first two columns indicates that current observational systems can provide what is needed, ‘P’ indicates the system only partially provides what is needed and ‘X’ indicates that the observational system needs major improvements to meet the information requirements of the specific water management issue.)
Figure 2. Distribution of stations that reported their data to the GRDC based on an August 2020 assessment. (Courtesy of Ulrich Looser, GRDC; personal communication).
Table 3. Status of the implementation of the GEOSS Water Strategy recommendations by theme.
Table 4. Global data centers federated under GTN-H and the data types they archive.
Table 5. Satellite-based Essential Water Variables and their applications in water resource management (adapted from CEOS Citation2017).
Data availability statement
Information about this study is freely available from the lead author, or from other authors with expertise in specific areas, or from the IGWCO Community of Practice, and will be made available on request. The actual data from specific studies reported here are retained by the responsible organizations employing the investigators. and in most, if not all cases, the organizations treat the data as open access data.