ATHENS, Greece, June 14, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

At the first CAMS summit in Athens on 14-16 June, ECMWF, in charge of CAMS on behalf of the European Commission, will launch a radically new interactive and ready to use version of its online platform of atmosphere data. Policy makers, scientific and business communities or citizens will benefit from an enhanced free-to-access array of customisable and "live" maps and charts in just a few clicks. 

Some of today's most important environmental concerns relate to the composition of the atmosphere. The increasing concentration of the greenhouse gases and the cooling effect of aerosol are prominent drivers of a changing climate, but the extent of their impact is often still uncertain. Air quality is also one of the major concerns throughout the world, affecting human health and life expectancy, the health of ecosystems and the fabric of the built environment.

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The European Union's Copernicus Earth Observation programme uses and contributes to a worldwide network of thousands of sensors on land, in our oceans, and in the air, as well as a network of over 50 satellites providing millions of environmental readings every day. To address these environmental concerns there is a need for data and processed information that is easily accessible. That means, not only free of charge, but ready to use and designed to match users' needs.

Instant online design "à la carte" 

To see the video presentation of the new CAMS online platform: https://youtu.be/r-nhoTxkR8U  

The new CAMS interface provides dynamic visualisations without the need to download data into specialist tools or software, giving users access to maps, charts, animations and local time series based on information about atmospheric chemistry as generated by the Copernicus programme.

The Catalogue component provides the basis for users to easily find the many products, be it data, maps or documents. It includes an intuitive search system, improved filtering and clear display of the resulting information.

The new catalogue marks an important step in broadening access to the wealth of CAMS data as part of Copernicus's mission, supporting society to understand and adapt to our changing environment through world-leading science and technology.

Introducing the new interface, Dr. Vincent-Henri Peuch, Head of the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service said:

"To sum up this major improvement, any user will find in just one place the data they need with just a few clicks and be able to display them on a live map of the world instantly, zooming on a region and panning on the map, making point & click queries to visualize timeseries and playing animations."  

Notes for editors 

CAMS will present its new online platform during a press briefing on Tuesday, June 14th at 18:00 at the Academy of Athens, Athens, Greece in the context of the first CAMS General Assembly. 

Registration:
http://atmosphere.copernicus.eu/cams-general-assembly-press-information

Examples of maps that will be displayed:

1. Global surface forecasts e.g. forecasts for levels and movement of carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide, ozone, nitrogen dioxide and formaldehyde in the surface layer (the air that we breathe)
   http://atmosphere.copernicus.eu/maps/global-surface-forecasts
2. Global total column forecasts e.g. Forecasts for total levels and movement of carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide, ozone, nitrogen dioxide and formaldehyde in all levels of the earth's atmosphere
   http://atmosphere.copernicus.eu/maps/global-total-column-forecasts
3. Aerosol forecasts e.g. airborne pollutants such as those caused by dust storms
   http://atmosphere.copernicus.eu/maps/aerosol-forecasts
4. Fire emissions e.g. emissions from biomass burning and wildfires
   http://atmosphere.copernicus.eu/maps/fire-activity

New functionalities will include:

• Global or regional views
• Panning
• Zoom
• Fullscreen view
• Social media sharing
• Animated forecasts
• On-the-fly data layer selection
• Point-and-click chart generation from the maps

CAMS is holding its inaugural General Assembly over three days, 14 - 16 June 2016, in Athens, Greece, for atmospheric data providers, existing users and potential users alike.

The General Assembly will:

• provide updates on the latest developments to the service;
• gather and share user-requirements and feedback on the service so far;
• share the knowledge and experience of the current CAMS providers;
• identify emerging research and development needs and foster collaborations with the wider atmospheric composition research community

The first CAMS General Assembly is co-ordinated with support from the Research Center for Climatology of the Academy of Athens, the National Hellenic Meteorological Service and the Mariolopoulos-Kanaginis Foundation for the Environmental Sciences.

The European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) is an international organisation, which specialises in numerical weather prediction and is supported by 34 states.

ECMWF operates the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service and Copernicus Climate Change Service on behalf of the European Commission and contributes to the Copernicus Emergency Management Service.

Academic and environmental institutions from across Europe, including the National Meteorological Services, play an integral role in making Copernicus a success.

Press Pictures 

All pictures can be used with reference to ECMWF Copernicus and are downloadable here: http://atmosphere.copernicus.eu/news-and-media/press-room/press-resources/press-photos

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Graphic 1: Live maps embedded in the CAMS website, readily accessible for users. (ECMWF Copernicus).

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Graphic 2: Audience can use data without specialists' tools. They can use the interface to pan, zoom and make point & click investigations. In addition, they can play time animation series to understand data evolution (ECMWF Copernicus).

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Graphic 3: The new user interface of the CAMS Catalogue compared to its precursor with an improved user experience: Easier to understand the data content at-a-glance and increased functionalities (ECMWF Copernicus). 

Web: ecmwf.int | atmosphere.copernicus.eu | climate.copernicus.eu

SOURCE Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS)