date: Thu Aug 11 09:48:26 2005
from: Phil Jones <p.jones@uea.ac.uk>
subject: Re: logbooks and things
to: "Dennis Wheeler" <denniswheeler@beeb.net>

    Dennis,
        I've sent some emails here, but people are away this week. I'm off next
    week, so maybe you'll get something in a week or two.
    Cheers
    Phil
   At 09:16 11/08/2005, you wrote:

     Phil,

     Thanks for your prompt reply. There's clearly some talking to be done in Exeter. I don't
     know if you are interested, but we are planning a working dinner on the Tuesday evening
     to review the whole logbook/imaging/digitisation enterprise. Philip Brohan and his
     people will be there, together with Clive, myself, Scott and Joe. You'd be more than
     welcome.

     I'd certainly appreciate anything that you can direct to me with regard to successful
     (or, even, otherwise) bid documents.

     regards

     Dennis

          ----- Original Message -----
          From: [1]Phil Jones
          To: [2]Dennis Wheeler
          Sent: Thursday, August 11, 2005 8:44 AM
          Subject: Re: logbooks and things
           Dennis,
                I am planning to come to the marine meeting in Exeter in October. There is
           an additional day on the Friday for MSLP, which Rob is putting together.
               On Gibraltar, it would be good to sort out the record once and for all,
           and if it involves using more of Cadiz, then so be it. It needs to be Gibraltar
           from the 1850s onwards though as this is by far the easiest to update. So, lets
           try and work on that. We could discuss this more in Exeter.
               In the long run it would be useful to try and sort out the temperatures also,
           but with the elevation and time schedule changes this is likely to be more
           difficult than MSLP.
               I've not managed to find the original copies of the Gibraltar data I got from
           Hubert Lamb. They are likely in my room somewhere, but I would need weeks
           to go through it. CRU has to clear out a store in a barn about 5 miles away
           over the next 2 months, so I might find them there!
               I saw Clive a few weeks ago, so am up to speed on what he's doing. It is good
           that he's got some funding for another year. As for getting funds from NERC, this
           is likely to optimistic, but if we don't even try we will never know. We've not
          been
           very successful with NERC over the years. They have just changed their
           submission strategy to an online submission and I've not yet used that. I don't
           know when deadlines are, but agree that we might stand more chance if it came
           from here rather than Sunderland. They also do joint submissions. I'm away next
           week, so I'll send a couple of emails to see if I can get sent (to you) copies of
           some recent successful ones - one for a new researcher and one for one of
           the thematic programs. NERC have an enabling fund, but calls for this have
           been stopped for this year as they are short of cash. We've been looking into
           this for updating some of widely used high-res datasets, and it seemed possible
           until the fund was dropped for a year. With NERC though we should use the
           impetus of the US and the CLIWOC special issue and the EU book.
               As for Catherine, I spoke to her a while ago. I've had that topic on the list
          for
           a few years, had some interest from students, but not been successful here
           as I have too many students at the moment. Some have completed now or will
           do soon, so I might have more chance this time (this will be late autumn/winter).
           Despite all the things you might read in the media, about students not wanting
           to do PhDs, we still require them to have a first and an MSc. We still manage
           to get them. Maybe this coming year will be different though. If you give her
           a good reference and say she is excellent, I might stand more chance. Also
           say topic is great also.
             I've probably rambled on enough now....
           Cheers
           Phil
          At 20:59 10/08/2005, you wrote:

          Phil,<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

          As promised, Ive written to keep you up-to-date with developments and also, although
          more of that later, to seek your expert advice.

          Firstly, Ive been reworking the early Gibraltar air pressure data. As you may know,
          Ive not been entirely happy with the 1821-1852 part of the series. Ive been out to
          Gibraltar (courtesy of a grant from the RMS Legacy Fund) and abstracted again the
          0900 series to check its accuracy, but Ive also taken the 1200 and 1700 observations
          for completeness and added the temperature obs for the same fixed hours. Time
          limited me to securing only the 1821 to 1830 part of the three decades. However, Ive
          been able to set these data against those for Cadiz for the same period (the INM
          kindly sent me photocopies of the very many original sheets that contain the latter
          and they gone on for many more years). The results so far but theyre far from
          complete suggest that my concerns may be unfounded. If this is the case, then the
          data are good but their behaviour suggests something very unusual about pressure
          variations at the southern end of the NAO for these years. Either way, Im becoming
          convinced that the Cadiz data would be a better basis for these years. Although they
          would need to be homogenised into the Gibraltar set. But this wouldnt be difficult.
          Ill keep you posted. Theres still a way to go on this, but it looks promising. By
          the way, Ive been asked to send a reference on behalf of a former CLIWOC abstractor,
          Catharine Ward, who wants to work on your Paris data project and the NAO
          ramifications. Ill get this off to you in the post tomorrow apologies for the delay.

          Secondly, logbook studies are continuing and, happily, within a new EU grant. You
          may have heard that Danny McCarroll (Swansea) led a successful bid for a so-called
          Millennium project which is, essentially, a European version of your work with Mike
          Mann for the 1000-year climate record. Doubtless the EU wanted a European version
          for political reasons but, as youll appreciate more than anyone, theres a good
          scientific basis for such a regional expression of the global scheme that you have
          produced with Mike. But I digress; I was asked to join the documentary team of the
          project (there others are for dendrochronology, terrestrial sediments, marine
          sediments and a multi-proxy calibration team) by Rudolf Brazdil. My brief is to
          supply logbook data, but Ive also written myself in to take care of the
          Gibraltar-Cadiz series, so I should be able to complete the unfinished work
          mentioned above. I have about 110,000 and will be able to employ one abstractor for
          at least a year, maybe longer. Its nothing on the CLIWOC scale, but were only using
          logbooks from the NE Atlantic and, helpfully, the Mediterranean.

          Clive, as you will probably know, is employed for this year by NCDC and is, with his
          usual attention to detail and thoroughness, preparing a directory of logbooks that
          can be expected to supply useful (mostly instrumental) climatic data. Scott and Joe
          Elms have secured about $700,000 for logbook digitisation, leaving the UK people to
          secure money to provide the images. Their funds, for reasons of US Government
          policy, cannot be spent outside the USA and Clives employment is a bit of a one-off
          exception. As a result Im trying to get money to produce a very large number of
          logbook images. Im working with Philip Brohan, Simon Tett and Rob Allen with a view
          to approaching NERC. The US support is obviously helpful but, on the other hand, I
          dont think that wed get much change from asking NERC for money to take lots of
          photos! So were thinking of tying the whole thing in with some research at the
          Hadley Centre and focussing on those logbooks that provide instrumental data. At the
          moment our plan, such as it is, is to consider using these data to test proxy and
          multi-proxy calibrations from other independently-derived series. Of course, the US
          folk would get copies for their warehouses full of people to digitise, but we might
          need to underplay that side of things. Id very much welcome your thoughts on this
          one Phil. Also, if its possible and practical, Id like to see a copy of a
          climate-based bid that has gone forward to NERC. Could you let me have such a thing
          without breaking confidences etc.? Ive not applied to them before, and Im a little
          in the dark on what they might expect in a bid document. The regulations will
          require that myself and the University are the leaders as the UK Met Office cannot
          receive funds directly from NERC. Alternatively, might CRU be interested in becoming
          involved? At this stage were open to any offers of support, guidance or
          participation. Needless to say, Im concerned that the university of Sunderland will
          not carry a great deal of academic weight with NERC. Otherwise, Ive had no luck
          elsewhere and its all a little embarrassing given the Americans enthusiasm and
          commitment.

          I probably beginning to ramble a bit here, so Ill close, but let me know your views
          on this and the other matters above. Scott and Joe Elms are coming over for the
          MARCDAT II meeting in Exeter in October. Clive is attending also, and Im giving
          short presentation on the instrumental data to be found in the logbooks of the EIC
          ships. Do you plan to attend?

          Regards

          Dennis

          Prof. Phil Jones
          Climatic Research Unit        Telephone +44 (0) 1603 592090
          School of Environmental Sciences    Fax +44 (0) 1603 507784
          University of East Anglia
          Norwich                          Email    p.jones@uea.ac.uk
          NR4 7TJ
          UK
          ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

     Prof. Phil Jones
     Climatic Research Unit        Telephone +44 (0) 1603 592090
     School of Environmental Sciences    Fax +44 (0) 1603 507784
     University of East Anglia
     Norwich                          Email    p.jones@uea.ac.uk
     NR4 7TJ
     UK
     ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

