Home CCSP InfoSheets Fact Sheets Synthesis and Assessment Products (CCSP Fact Sheet 5, updated September 2007) |
CCSP Synthesis and |
The September 2007 version of this fact sheet also is available as PDF file. Hardcopies can be ordered from the online GCRIO catalog.
A more detailed description of the process for producing Sythesis and Assesment products is available online. |
According to the National Research Council, "an essential component of any research program is the periodic synthesis of cumulative knowledge and the evaluation of the implications of that knowledge for scientific research and policy formulation." The U.S. Climate Change Science Program (CCSP) is helping to meet that fundamental need through a series of 21 "synthesis and assessment" (S&A) products. As a key component of the CCSP Strategic Plan (released July 2003), they integrate research results focused on important science issues and questions frequently raised by decisionmakers. The S&A products support informed discussion and decisions by policymakers, resource managers, stakeholders, the media, and the general public. They also help define and set the future direction and priorities of the program. The S&A products are intended to meet the requirements of the Global Change Research Act of 1990. The law directs agencies to “produce information readily usable by policymakers attempting to formulate effective strategies for preventing, mitigating, and adapting to the effects of global change” and to undertake periodic scientific assessments. Designated CCSP agencies or departments are taking the lead in generating each S&A product. The CCSP is also continuing to participate in the principal international science assessments, including the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) assessment reports, and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) / United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) assessments of stratospheric ozone depletion and associated environmental impacts. The CCSP Strategic Plan sets forth general principles for the S&A products:
As the CCSP progresses with the S&A products, it is learning from experience and adjusts its approach accordingly. To help ensure adherence to those principles, the program has published guidelines for producing the S&A products. These guidelines establish a broadly standardized methodology that facilitate involvement of the research community and the public; ensure focused and useful products; and meet the highest standards of scientific excellence. The guidelines also encourage transparency by providing public access to information about the status of the products through the Federal Register, the CCSP Web site, and other means. The guidelines address three steps required to produce S&A products: (1) developing a prospectus, (2) drafting and revising the document, and (3) final approval and publication of each product. The guidelines set forth the roles of participants and the steps in the process. The first S&A product—Temperature Trends in the Lower Atmosphere: Steps for Understanding and Reconciling Differences— was issued by CCSP in May 2006. The rest of the reports are scheduled to be published in 2007 and 2008. For more information on the products, process and schedule, visit the Synthesis and Assessment products portion of the CCSP Web site. Steps of the Process*Planning the Process and Preparing a Prospectus
Additional Stakeholder Interactions, if Needed
Drafting/Reviewing the Products
Approving, Producing, and Releasing the Products
* A more detailed description is available on the CCSP web site.
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Product # |
Title |
Lead Agency |
CCSP Goal 1Extend knowledge of the Earth’s past and present climate and environment, including its natural variability, and improve understandingof the causes of observed changes |
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Temperature trends in the lower atmosphere: steps for understanding and reconciling differences |
NOAA |
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Past climate variability and change in the Arctic and at high latitudes |
USGS |
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Re-analyses of historical climate data for key atmospheric features: implications for attribution of causes of observed change |
NOAA |
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CCSP Goal 2Improve quantification of the forces bringing about changes in the Earth’s climate and related systems |
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Scenarios of Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Atmospheric Concentrations and Review of Integrated Scenario Development and Application. |
DOE |
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North American carbon budget and implications for the global carbon cycle |
NOAA |
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Aerosol properties and their impacts on climate |
NASA |
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Trends in emissions of ozone-depleting substances, ozone layer recovery, and implications for ultraviolet radiation exposure |
NOAA |
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CCSP Goal 3Reduce uncertainty in projections of how the Earth’s climate and related systems may change in the future |
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Climate Models: An Assessment of Strengths and Limitations |
DOE |
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Climate projections for research and assessment based on emissions scenarios developed through the Climate Change Technology Program |
NOAA |
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Weather and Climate Extremes in a Changing Climate. Regions of Focus: North America, Hawaii, Caribbean, and U.S. Pacific islands. |
NOAA |
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Abrupt Climate Change |
USGS |
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CCSP Goal 4Understand the sensitivity and adaptability of different natural and managed ecosystems and human systems to climate and related global changes |
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Coastal elevations and sensitivity to sea-level rise |
EPA |
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Thresholds of Change in Ecosystems |
USGS |
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The effects of climate change on agriculture, biodiversity, land, and water resources |
USDA |
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Preliminary review of adaptation options for climate-sensitive ecosystems and resources |
EPA |
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Effects of Climate Change on Energy Production and Use in the United States |
DOE |
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Analyses of the effects of global change on human health and welfare and human systems. |
EPA |
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Impacts of Climate Variability and Change on Transportation Systems and Infrastructure -- Gulf Coast Study |
DOT |
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CCSP Goal 5Explore the uses and identify the limits of evolving knowledge to manage risks and opportunities related to climate variability and change |
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Uses and limitations of observations, data, forecasts, and other projections in decision support for selected sectors and regions |
NASA |
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Best-practice approaches for characterizing, communicating, and incorporating scientific uncertainty in decision-making |
NOAA |
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Decision support experiments and evaluations using seasonal-to- interannual forecasts and observational data |
NOAA |
This fact sheet was generated by the Climate Change Science Program Office in collaboration with an interagency working group composed of representatives of the 13 Federal agencies participating in the U.S. Global Change Research Program.
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