Workshop Report: Strengthening the Observational Basis for Carbon Science, Policy
A report summarizing the CCIWG / U.S. Carbon Cycle Science Program workshop 'Sustained Observations for Carbon Cycle Science and Decision Support' convened in Colorado in April 2016, was published by the American Geophysical Union. An excerpt is provided below.
'...Sustained observations provide the foundation for understanding Earth’s carbon budget on timescales ranging from seasonal to several decades. To track variations in carbon stocks in the atmosphere, ocean, and terrestrial biosphere—as well as fluxes between these reservoirs—data records must be of sufficient quality, density, and duration. Such data are needed to verify emissions inventories and carbon storage estimates. One group, the U.S. Carbon Cycle Science Program (CCSP), has already coordinated sustained observations among various government agencies to a significant degree. In April 2016, the Carbon Cycle Interagency Working Group, via the CCSP, sponsored a workshop hosted by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Earth System Research Laboratory. Sixty-one participants attended the workshop, including university, government, and private sector researchers and agency program managers....Although much work is still needed to develop long-term monitoring networks, recent investments in technology have already enabled the deployment of autonomous sensor networks and satellite measurement systems with unprecedented capability....'
Citation: Andrews, A. (2017), Strengthening the observational basis for carbon science, policy, Eos, 98, https://doi.org/10.1029/2017EO080609. Published on 12 September 2017.
