Documents
This page contains links to a number of pdf documents and websites related to carbon cycle science.
Resources, reports, papers, slides and videos from U.S. Carbon Program Activities
A U.S. Carbon Cycle Science Plan(s)
Ocean Carbon and Biogeochemistry
International Programs and Agreements: Global Carbon Project, CarboNA
US Global Change Research Program
Synthesis and Assessment Products
Carbon Cycle Science Project Office
Guiding Documents
The Second Decadal U.S. Carbon Cycle Science Plan: Michalak A., Jackson R., Marland G. and Sabine C, co-chairs. 2011. A U.S. Carbon Cycle Science Plan : A Report of the Carbon Cycle Science Steering Group and Subcommittee
Carbon Cycle Scientific Steering Group Charter September 2005.
The First U.S. Carbon Cycle Science Plan:Sarmiento, J.L. and S.C. Wofsy. 1999. A U.S. Carbon Cycle Science Plan. A Report of the Carbon and Climate Working Group for the U.S. Global Change Research Program Washington, DC: U.S. Global Change Research Program.
Other CCSPO-related Materials
2025 (examples)
Zhang, Z., Poulter, B., Melton, J. R., Riley, W. J., Allen, G. H., Beerling, D. J., ... & Zhuang, Q. 2025. Ensemble estimates of global wetland methane emissions over 2000–2020. Biogeosciences, 22(1), 305-321.
Ou, Y., Xue, Z. G., & Hu, X. 2025. A numerical assessment of ocean alkalinity enhancement efficiency on a river-dominated continental shelf–a case study in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Environmental Research Letters.
2024
Byrne, B., Liu, J., Bowman, K. W., Pascolini-Campbell, M., Chatterjee, A., Pandey, S., ... & Sinha, S. (2024). Carbon emissions from the 2023 Canadian wildfires. Nature, 633(8031), 835-839.
Clark, J. B., & Uz, S. S. 2024. Toward the future integration of land-to-ocean observing systems to characterize organic carbon fluxes from storms. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, 302, 108694.
East, J. D., Jacob, D. J., Balasuds, N., Bloom, A. A., Bruhwiler, L., Chen, Z., ... & Zhang, Z. 2024. Interpreting the seasonality of atmospheric methane. Geophysical Research Letters, 51(10), e2024GL108494.
Friedlingstein, P., O'Sullivan, M., Jones, M. W., Andrew, R. M., Hauck, J., Landschützer, P., ... & Zeng, J. 2024. Global Carbon Budget 2024. Earth System Science Data Discussions, 2024, 1-133.
Javadpoor, M., Sharifi, A., & Gurney, K. R. 2024. Mapping the relationship between urban form and CO2 emissions in three US cities using the Local Climate Zones (LCZ) framework. Journal of Environmental Management, 370, 122723.
Jiang, L. Q., Boyer, T. P., Paver, C. R., Yoo, H., Reagan, J. R., Alin, S. R., ... & Wanninkhof, R. 2024. Climatological distribution of ocean acidification variables along the North American ocean margins. Earth System Science Data, 16(7), 3383-3390.
Kang, K. A., Marín-Spiotta, E., Vaughan, E., Ferring, C. R., & Ponette-González, A. G. 2024. Soil black carbon increases under urban trees with road density and time: opportunity hotspots for carbon storage in urban ecosystems. Environmental Management, 73(4), 788-800.
Morrissette, H. K., Neale, P. J., Megonigal, J. P., Tzortziou, M., Canuel, E. A., Pinsonneault, A. J., & Hood, R. R. 2024. Wetland soil characteristics influence the kinetics of dissolved organic carbon sorption. Wetlands, 44(6), 81.
Nelson, J. A., Walther, S., Gans, F., Kraft, B., Weber, U., Novick, K., ... & Jung, M. 2024. X-BASE: the first terrestrial carbon and water flux products from an extended data-driven scaling framework, FLUXCOM-X. Biogeosciences, 21(22), 5079-5115.
Shi, Z., Hoffman, F. M., Xu, M., Mishra, U., Allison, S. D., Zhou, J., & Randerson, J. T. 2024. Global‐scale convergence obscures inconsistencies in soil carbon change predicted by Earth system models. AGU Advances, 5(2), e2023AV001068.
Silvy, Y., Frölicher, T. L., Terhaar, J., Joos, F., Burger, F. A., Lacroix, F., ... & Ziehn, T. 2024. AERA-MIP: emission pathways, remaining budgets, and carbon cycle dynamics compatible with 1.5 and 2° C global warming stabilization. Earth System Dynamics, 15(6), 1591-1628.
Wei, X., Hayes, D. J., Butman, D. E., Qi, J., Ricciuto, D. M., & Yang, X. 2024. Modeling exports of dissolved organic carbon from landscapes: A review of challenges and opportunities. Environmental Research Letters.
Yi, K., Li, R., Scanlon, T. M., Lerdau, M. T., Berry, J. A., & Yang, X. 2024. Impact of atmospheric dryness on solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence: Tower-based observations at a temperate forest. Remote Sensing of Environment, 306, 114106.
2023
Cenozoic CO2 Proxy Integration Project (CenCO2PIP) Consortium*†, Hönisch, B., Royer, D. L., Breecker, D. O., Polissar, P. J., Bowen, G. J., ... & Zhang, L. 2023. Toward a Cenozoic history of atmospheric CO2. Science, 382(6675), eadi5177.
Liu, Z., Kimball, J. S., Ballantyne, A., Watts, J. D., Natali, S. M., Rogers, B. M., ... & Zona, D. 2023. Widespread deepening of the active layer in northern permafrost regions from 2003 to 2020. Environmental Research Letters, 19(1), 014020.
Lloyd, M. K., Stein, R. A., Ibarra, D. E., Barclay, R. S., Wing, S. L., Stahle, D. W., ... & Stolper, D. A. 2023. Isotopic clumping in wood as a proxy for photorespiration in trees. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 120(46), e2306736120.
Marcotullio, P., Smith, S., Lamson-Hall, P., & Angel, S. 2023. On-Road Energy Efficiency and CO2 Reduction Strategies in a Small Island State: Grenada. In Urban Energy and Climate: Prospects for a Sustainable Transition (pp. 225-263).
Sanderson, B. M., Booth, B. B., Dunne, J., Eyring, V., Fisher, R. A., Friedlingstein, P., ... & Zaehle, S. 2023. The need for carbon emissions-driven climate projections in CMIP7. EGUsphere, 2023, 1-51.
Stoer, A. C., Takeshita, Y., Maurer, T. L., Begouen Demeaux, C., Bittig, H. C., Boss, E., ... & Fennel, K. 2023. A census of quality-controlled Biogeochemical-Argo float measurements. Frontiers in Marine Science, 10, 1233289.
Sun, W., Luo, X., Fang, Y., Shiga, Y. P., Zhang, Y., Fisher, J. B., ... & Michalak, A. M. 2023. Biome-scale temperature sensitivity of ecosystem respiration revealed by atmospheric CO2 observations. Nature Ecology & Evolution, 7(8), 1199-1210.
North American Carbon Program (NACP)
Guiding Documents
NACP Implementation Plan. 2023.
NACP Science Steering Group Chater for the North American Carbon Program. 2021
A Science Plan for Carbon Cycle Research in North American Coastal Waters. 2016
NACP Scientific Steering Group Charter. February 2008.
Denning, A.S. et al. 2005. Science implementation strategy for the North American Carbon Program. Report of the NACP Implementation Strategy Group of the U.S. Carbon Cycle Interagency Working Group. Washington, DC: U.S. Carbon Cycle Science Program.
Wofsy, S.C. and R.C. Hariss. 2002. The North American Carbon Program (NACP). Report of the NACP Committee of the U.S. Carbon Cycle Science Steering Group. Washington, DC: U.S. Global Change Research Program.
Other NACP-related Materials
2024 (examples)
Koontz, E. L., Parker, S. M., Stearns, A. E., Roberts, B. J., Young, C. M., Windham-Myers, L., ... & Holmquist, J. R. (2024). Controls on spatial variation in porewater methane concentrations across United States tidal wetlands. Science of The Total Environment, 957, 177290.
Neuenschwander, A., Duncanson, L., Montesano, P., Minor, D., Guenther, E., Hancock, S., Wulder, M. A., White, J. C., Purslow, M., Thomas, N., Mandel, A., Feng, T., Armston, J., Kellner, J. R., Andersen, H. E., Boschetti, L., Fekety, P., Hudak, A., Pisek, J., Sanchez-Lopez, N., Sterenczak, K. 2024. Towards global spaceborne lidar biomass: Developing and applying boreal forest biomass models for ICESat-2 laser altimetry data. Science of Remote Sensing. 10, 100150. doi: 10.1016/j.srs.2024.100150
Mekonnen, Z. A., Riley, W. J., Shirley, I. A., Bouskill, N. J., Grant, R. F. 2024. Changes in high-latitude surface energy balance driven by snowpack and vegetation dynamics under warmer climate. Environmental Research Letters. 20(1), 014031. doi: 10.1088/1748-9326/ad98aa.
Chen, D., Fu, C., Jenkins, L. K., He, J., Wang, Z., Jandt, R. R., Frost, G. V., Bredder, A., Berner, L. T., Loboda, T. V. 2024. Regional fire-greening positive feedback loops in Alaskan Arctic tundra. Nature Plants. doi: 10.1038/s41477-024-01850-5
Kennedy, R. E., Serbin, S. P., Dietze, M. C., Andersen, H., Babcock, C., Baker, D. F., Brown, M. E., Davis, K. J., Duncanson, L., Feng, S., Hudak, A. T., Liu, J., Patterson, P. L., Raczka, B., Cochrane, M. A., Sepulveda Carlo, E. A., Vargas, R. 2024. Characterizing and communicating uncertainty: lessons from NASA's Carbon Monitoring System. Environmental Research Letters. 19(12), 123003. doi: 10.1088/1748-9326/ad8be0
For more NACP-related recent publications, visit NACP's Publication page.
Ocean Carbon and Biogeochemistry Program (OCB)
Guiding Documents
Benway, H., Scientific Steering Committee. OCB Principles of Engagement on Marine Carbon Dioxide Removal (mCDR). 2024.
Ocean Climate Action Plan. 2023
OCCC Scientific Steering Group Charter. May 2005.
Doney, S.C. et al. 2004. Ocean Carbon and Climate Change: An Implementation Strategy for U.S. Ocean Carbon Research. Report of the Carbon Cycle Science Ocean Interim Implementation Group for the U.S. Carbon Cycle Scientific Steering Group and Inter-Agency Working Group. Washington, DC: U.S. Carbon Cycle Science Program.
Other OCB-related Materials
2024 (examples)
Capotondi, A., Coles, V. J., Clayton, S., Friedrichs, M., Gierach, M., Miller, A. J., and Stock, C. 2024. Daily to Decadal Ecological Forecasting Along North American Coastlines Workshop Report. 1-54 doi: 10.1575/1912/70991.
Millette, N. C., Leles, S. G., Johnson, M. D., Maloney, A. E., Brownlee, E. F., Cohen, N. R., ... & Moeller, H. V. (2024). Recommendations for advancing mixoplankton research through empirical-model integration. Frontiers in Marine Sciences, 05 June 2024, Sec. Marine Ecosystem Ecology, 11, 1392673. doi: 10.3389/fmars.2024.1392673.
Palevsky, H. I., Clayton, S., Benway, H., Maheigan, M., Atamanchuk, D., Battisti, R., ... & Yoder, M. 2024. A model for community-driven development of best practices: the Ocean Observatories Initiative Biogeochemical Sensor Data Best Practices and User Guide. Frontiers in Marine Sciences, 11, 1358591. doi: 10.3389/fmars.2024.1358591.
Carter, B. R., J. D. Sharp, M. I. García-Ibáñez, R. J. Woosley, M. B. Fong, M. Álvarez, L. Barbero, S. L. Clegg, R. Easley, A. J. Fassbender, X. Li, K. M. Schockman, Z. A. Wang 2024. Random and systematic uncertainty in ship-based seawater carbonate chemistry observations. Limnology and Oceanography, 69(10), 2473-2488
Saito, M.A., H. Alexander, H.M. Benway, P.W. Boyd, M. Gledhill, E.B. Kujawinski, N.M. Levine, M. Maheigan, A. Marchetti, I. Obernosterer, A.E. Santoro, D. Shi, K. Suzuki, A. Tagliabue, B.S. Twining, and M.T. Maldonado. 2024. The dawn of the BioGeoSCAPES program: Ocean metabolism and nutrient cycles on a changing planet. Oceanography.
For more OCB-related recent publications, visit NACP's Publication page.
International Programs and Agreements
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
AR6 Synthesis Report: Cliamte Change. 2023
AR6 Climate Change 2022: Impmacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability. 2022
AR6 Climate Change 2021: The Physical Science Basis. 2021
2019 Refinement to the 2006 IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories. 2019
AR6 Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate. 2016
AR6 Special Report on Climate Change and Land. 2016
AR6 Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5ºC. 2016
AR5 Synthesis Report: Climate Change. 2014
Global Carbon Project
Terms of Reference for the U.S. Affiliated Project Office. Accepted August 22, 2007, Hazyview, South Africa.
US Global Change Research Program (USGCRP)
State of the Carbon Cycle Reports
Cavallero, N., Shrestha, G., Birdsey, R., Mayes, M. A., Najjar, R. G., Reed, S. C., Romero-Lankao, P., Zhu, Z. [eds.] 2018. State of the Carbon Cycle Report (SOCCR2).
King, A. W., Dilling, L., Zimmerman, G. P., Fairman, D. M., Houghton, R. A., Marland, G., Rose, A. Z., Wilbanks, T. J. [eds.] 2008. The First State of the Carbon Cycle Report (SOCCR1).
Scientific Assessments
For the full list of USGCRP scientific assessments, please visit USGCRP Scientific Assessments.
Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States [2009]
- Entire Document
- Highlights Brochure (20 pp.)
- Companion Brochure (4 pp.)
Scientific Assessment of the Effects of Global Change on the United States [2008]
Synthesis and Assessment Product 2.1: Scenarios of Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Atmospheric Concentrations and Review of Integrated Scenario Development and Application [2007]
- Part A: Scenarios of Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Atmospheric Concentrations
- Clarke, L., J. Edmonds, H. Jacoby, H. Pitcher, J. Reilly, R. Richels, 2007. Scenarios of Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Atmospheric Concentrations. Sub-report 2.1A of Synthesis and Assessment Product 2.1 by the U.S. Climate Change Science Program and the Subcommittee on Global Change Research. Department of Energy, Office of Biological & Environmental Research, Washington, DC., USA, 154 pp.
- Entire Document
- Databases: Scenario information from modeling teams [xls file 1] [xls file 2]
- Part B. Global Change Scenarios: Their Development and Use
- Parson, E., V. Burkett, K. Fisher-Vanden, D. Keith, L. Mearns, H. Pitcher, C. Rosenzweig, M. Webster, 2007. Global Change Scenarios: Their Development and Use. Sub-report 2.1B of Synthesis and Assessment Product 2.1 by the U.S. Climate Change Science Program and the Subcommittee on Global Change Research. Department of Energy, Office of Biological & Environmental Research, Washington, DC., USA, 106 pp.
- Entire Document
Synthesis and Assessment Product 2.2: The First State of the Carbon Cycle Report (SOCCR) [2007]
The First State of the Carbon Cycle Report (SOCCR): The North American Carbon Budget and Implications for the Global Carbon Cycle. A Report by the U.S. Climate Change Science Program and the Subcommittee on Global Change Research [King, A.W., L. Dilling, G.P. Zimmerman, D.M. Fairman, R.A. Houghton, G. Marland, A.Z. Rose, and T.J. Wilbanks (eds.)]. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Climatic Data Center, Asheville, NC, USA, 242 pp.
Our Changing Planet
The annual report of the Climate Change Science Program, Our Changing Planet, highlights recent research, outlines plans for the coming fiscal year, and includes references to recently-published scientific literature relevant to these studies. Where carbon cycle-specific sections are available (beginning in FY 2000), links are given for both the carbon cycle section(s) and the full report.
FY 2009
Chapter 5: Global Carbon Cycle
FY 2008
Chapter 5: Global Carbon Cycle
FY 2007
Chapter 5: Global Carbon Cycle
FY 2006
Chapter 5: Global Carbon Cycle
FY 2004 / 2005
Chapter 5: Global Carbon Cycle
FY 2003
Chapter 3: Global Carbon Cycle
FY 2002
FY 2001
FY 1990
Other Programs and Workshops
August 2013 workshop on Key Uncertainties in the Global Carbon-Cycle: Perspectives Across Terrestrial and Ocean Ecosystems.
Metz, B., O. Davidson, H. de Coninck, M. Loos, and L. Meyer (eds.). 2005. IPCC special report: carbon dioxide capture and storage. Summary for Policy Makers and Technical Summary.
Coppock, R. and S. Johnson. 2004. Direct and indirect human contributions to terrestrial carbon fluxes: a workshop summary. Board on Agriculture and Natural Resources. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
Stern, P.C. 2002. Human interactions with the carbon cycle: summary of a workshop. Committee on the Human Dimensions of Global Change. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.
RiOMar 2001. The transport, transformation, and fate of carbon in river-dominated ocean margins. November 1-3, 2001. New Orleans, LA.
Other documents
- Japanese Translation of the Summary and Chapters 1-2 of A U.S. Carbon Cycle Science Plan (2011) in CGER Reports No.i112 (PDF, 10.5 MB). A Research Road Map toward Understanding Carbon Cycle Changes
by Integrating Global Environment Observational Data and Models (only available in Japanese). - Climate Change Science Program. The First State of the Carbon Cycle Report (SOCCR): The North American carbon budget and implications for the global carbon cycle. A Report by the U.S. Climate Change Science Program and the Subcommittee on Global Change Research [King, A.W., L. Dilling, G.P. Zimmerman, D.M. Fairman, R.A. Houghton, G. Marland, A.Z. Rose, and T.J. Wilbanks (eds.)]. Asheville, NC: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Climatic Data Center.
- Hales, B. et al. [eds.]. 2008. North American Continental Margins: a synthesis and planning workshop. Report of the North American Continental Margins Working Group for the U.S. Carbon Cycle Scientific Group and Interagency Working Group. Washington, DC: U.S. Carbon Cycle Science Program.
Prior Carbon Cycle Science Planning Working Group Documents
- Carbon Cycle Science Working Group. 2009. Recommendations summary. White paper, November 6, 2009.
- Carbon Cycle Science Working Group. 2009. Scoping paper. White paper, March 27, 2009.
- Michalak, A.M., R. Jackson, G. Marland, and C. Sabine. 2009. A U.S. carbon cycle science plan: First meeting of the Carbon Cycle Science Working Group; Washington, D.C., 17-18 November 2008. EOS, Trans. American Geophys. Union, 90(12), 102-103.
- Sarmiento, J. 2008. The 1999 US carbon cycle science plan: history and outcomes. Presentation given at the November 17-18 working group meeting.
Other (non-comprehensive) relevant reading materials
Tzortziou, M., M. Litvak, and G. Shrestha. 2017. Coordinating and communicating carbon cycle research, Eos, 98, https://doi.org/10.1029/2017EO080201.
Xiao, J., Y. Luo, and G. Shrestha. 2016. Improving carbon cycle projections for better carbon management, Eos, 97,doi:https://10.1029/2016EO062341.
Vargas, R., S. Alin, and G. Shrestha. 2015. Integrating carbon cycle research into decision-making processes, Eos, 96, doi:10.1029/2015EO037893
Patricia Romero-Lankao, Kevin Gurney , Karen Seto , Mikhail Chester , Riley Duren , Sara Hughes , Lucy Hutyra , Peter Marcotulio, Lawrence Baker, Nancy Grimm, Christopher A. Kennedy, Elisabeth Larson, Stephanie Pincetl, Daniel Runfola, Landy Sanchez Peña, Gyami Shrestha, Andrea Sarzynski, Johannes J. Feddema, Joshua Sperling, and Eleanor Stokes. 2014. A critical knowledge pathway to low‐carbon, sustainable futures: integrated understanding of urbanization, urban areas and carbon. Earth’s Future.
Michalak, A., D. Huntzinger, and G. Shrestha. 2013. Progress and Future Directions in North American Carbon Cycle Science, Eos Trans. AGU, 94(20), 184.
Thomas, R. Q., McKinley, G. A., Long, M. C. 2013. Examining Uncertainties in Representations of the Carbon Cycle in Earth Systems Models of the Carbon Cycle in Earth System Models. Key Uncertainties in the Global Carbon‐Cycle: Perspectives Across Terrestrial and Ocean Ecosystems; Boulder, Colorado, 6–10 August 2013. doi: 10.1002/2013EO480006
US Carbon Cycle Science Poster presented at AGU Fall Meeting 2014.
Birdsey, R. et al. 2009. Carbon Cycle Observations: Gaps Threaten Climate Mitigation Strategies. Eos 90(34):292.
Michalak, A.M., R. Jackson, G. Marland, and C. Sabine. 2009. A U.S. Carbon Cycle Science Plan: First Meeting of the Carbon Cycle Science Working Group; Washington, D.C., 17-18 November 2008. EOS, Trans. American Geophys. Union, 90(12), 102-103.
Hales, B. et al. [eds.]. 2008. North American Continental Margins: A Synthesis and Planning Workshop. Report of the North American Continental Margins Working Group for the U.S. Carbon Cycle Scientific Group and Interagency Working Group. Washington, DC: U.S. Carbon Cycle Science Program.
Lueger, H., R. Wanninkhof, A. Olsen, J. Trinanes, T. Johannessen, D. Wallace, and A. Koertzinger, 2008. The CO2 Air-Sea Flux in the North Atlantic Estimated from Satellite Data and ARGO Profiling Float Data. NOAA Technical Memorandum, OAR AOML-96, 28 pp.
The United States Carbon Cycle Science Program: An Interagency Partnership. Poster presented at the 50th Anniversary of the Global CO2 Record Conference, November 28-30, 2007.
Law, B. and R. Valentini. 2007. Comparative analysis of carbon balance and dynamics: influence of climate variability. Presentation to the US-Italy Bilateral Meeting on Climate Change, June 18, 2007.
Bender, M. et al. 2002. A large-scale CO2 observing plan: in situ oceans and atmosphere (LSCOP). A Report of the In Situ Large-Scale CO2 Observations Working Group. A Contribution to the Implementation of the U.S. Carbon Cycle Science Plan. Seattle, WA: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
National Science Foundation, Division of Earth Sciences. 2000. The Changing Carbon Cycle: A Terrestrial Focus. Report of the Workshop on the Terrestrial Carbon Cycle , June 3, 2000.
