SOCCR Resources

The State of the Carbon Cycle Report #2

Why SOCCR2? SOCCR2 is a decadal assessment of carbon cycle science ("the state of carbon cycle" science) across North America as produced by the USGCRP (i.e., 13 agencies and departments within the federal government). While the scopes of SOCCR2 and the CCSP's Decadal Plans both cover carbon cycle science, CCSP produces reports that are community-driven and community-created and the Decadal Plan addresses carbon cycle priorities for the coming decade.

See the SOCCR2 full report.

SOCCR2 Background

In 2015, the Carbon Cycle Interagency Working Group (CCIWG), via the U.S. Carbon Cycle Science Program, initiated plans for the Second State of the Carbon Cycle Report (SOCCR2) as a follow-up to the 1st SOCCR (2007) which was a Synthesis andl Assessment Product (SAP 2.2) of USGCRP, and as a product of the Sustained National Climate Assessment. Led by the CCIWG, under USCGRP auspices and with USDA as the administrative lead, this federal interagency report was published in the fall of 2018.

The focus of SOCCR-2 is on the scientific understanding of U.S. and North American carbon cycle stocks and fluxes, in the context of and interactions with global scale budgets and climate change impacts in managed and unmanaged systems. Carbon stocks and fluxes in soils, water (including oceans), vegetation, aquatic-terrestrial interfaces (coastal/ estuaries/ wetlands), human settlements, agriculture, forestry etc. are included.

Relevant carbon management science perspectives and support tools for supporting decisions, as addressed in and related to the US Carbon Cycle Science Plan (2011) and U.S. National Climate Assessment, USGCRP 2012-2021 Strategic Plan and Global Change Research Act (GCRA) of 1990 will are included in this assessment. In addition to identifying uncertainties, rising opportunities for improving measurements and projections in the carbon cycle are be identified.

Major SOCCR2 milestones and planned next steps (as of September 2018, subject to change)

Relevant Resources

Table of Contents and SOCCR2 team (Federal Steering Committee and Liaisons, chapter leads, science leads, contributors) (updated Nov 23, 2018)

Report from the National Academy of Sciences Committee that reviewed the SOCCR-2 4th-order draft (March 2018)

Review editors and roles

2nd SOCCR2 Federal Register Notice: Federal Register Notice announcing Public Review of 4th Order Draft (November 8, 2017)

Request for Review Editors nominations

Presentation slides with background information (October 2017)

Prospectus (incl . draft Table of Contents)

Presentation slides from AGU 2016 (for info on report development process and leadership team composition)

All SOCCR2 team members - authors, leads, report credits (updated Nov 23, 2018)

All authors by chapters (as of March 23, 2017)

Presentation slides with SOCCR-2 updates (June 2017)

National Academy of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine Committee to Review the SOCCR2 Draft

First SOCCR-2 Federal Register Notice (February 12, 2016)

30-day Federal Register Notice (FRN) (released on February 12, 2016) by USDA-NIFA, on behalf of the CCIWG and USGCRP
The PDF of the FRN is available. The deadline for submission of nominations for contributors, technical input and comments on the draft prospectus was March 14, 2016.

National Climate Assessment and SOCCR-2 related resources:

Federal Register Notice: Public Comment on an Annotated Outline for the Fourth National Climate Assessment (July 2016)

SOCCR2 Public Engagement, Outreach, Updates

In addition to the above section, details on prior CCIWG-led SOCCR2 public engagement and outreach events and related opportunities can be accessed via the chronological list of public announcements below.

Please check Carbon Cycle News, or subscribe to @USCarbon

A video documentary, townhalls, sessions and exciting interactions with the international geoscience science community....

Public (joint NACP + OCB) Webinar: Reviewing or Commenting on SOCCR-2

A short public webinar outlining the process for SOCCR-2 development and the public comments submission procedure....

November, 2017

SOCCR-2 Draft Public Comment Period (Nov 3, 2017 to Jan 8, 2018)

DRAFT SOCCR-2 for download and public comments

October, 2017

SOCCR-2 Update: Preparations for scheduled November Public Comment Period

We are preparing for the Public Comment Period of the 2nd State of the Carbon Cycle Report Fourth-Order Draft.

August, 2017

CCIWG and SOCCR-2 August Public Engagement

ESA, GCP, and ICDC-10

July, 2017

Upcoming August Public Engagement Events on SOCCR-2 and broader U.S. Carbon Cycle Science Program

We will be at the Ecological Society of America Meeting in Oregon and at the International Carbon Dioxide Conference in Switzerland....

SOCCR-2 Review Editors Nominations

...for ensuring that all substantive public and the National Academy of Sciences review comments are appropriately addressed....

June, 2017

SOCCR-2 update

...third-order-draft transmitted to USGCRP member agency principals....

May, 2017

National Academies Committee to Review SOCCR-2: Comment Period

A new ad hoc Committee of the Academies will conduct an independent review of SOCCR-2.....

January, 2017

National Academies Call for Nominations: Review of SOCCR-2

A new ad hoc committee of the Academies will conduct an independent review of the SOCCR-2 draft report, which will be available in early 2017....

December, 2016

Please join us at AGU in December 2016!

Grants, opportunities and SOCCR-2 sessions and town halls in San Francisco in December 2016.....

June, 2016

Abstract submission open for the AGU session on SOCCR-2

The 2nd State of the Carbon Cycle Report (SOCCR-2): Assessing the Last Decades' Science of the Carbon Cycle across North America and Adjacent Oceans

February, 2016

Federal Register Notice: 2nd State of the Carbon Cycle Report (SOCCR-2)
Submit author nominations, technical input and comments on the draft prospectus.....

January, 2016

February 2, 2016 Public Forum on the 2nd State of the Carbon Cycle Report
This 1-day public forum will present an opportunity for interested parties and stakeholders to provide individual input on proposed SOCCR-2 themes.

December, 2015

Public Events: 2nd State of the Carbon Cycle Report (SOCCR-2)
December 2015 AGU San Francisco sessions, February 2016 Washington DC Public Forum.....

October, 2015

Announcing AGU 2015 sessions on the 2nd State of the Carbon Cycle Report (SOCCR-2)
... opportunities for the greater geophysical community to learn about and provide feedback on the 2nd State of the Carbon Cycle Report (SOCCR-2) that we are in the process of planning...

August, 2015

Carbon Cycle Science at the Frontier of Global Change’ at ESA Centennial meeting
Participants learned about the USGCRP annual research prioritization process as well as partnerships and opportunities....

Special Session at Ecological Society of America Centennial Meeting
The US Carbon Cycle Science Program is organizing a special session 'Carbon Cycle Science at the Frontier of Global Change: A Coordinated Effort Among Federal Agencies'.....

June, 2015

Submit your abstract to our AGU 2015 session: Second State of the Carbon Cycle Report (2016)
Abstracts informing and related to this Special Scientific Assessment of the Current Status and Opportunities in carbon cycle science across terrestrial, atmospheric and oceanic systems are requested....

May, 2015

30th Biannual CCSSG meeting and 2nd State of the Carbon Cycle Report (SOCCR-2) Planning Meeting
The CCIWG will meet with the CCSSG for individual input on carbon cycle science needs and opportunities......

Some background documents related to the earlier SOCCR, released in 2007, are available below.

State of the Carbon Cycle Report (SOCCR-1, published in 2007)

The carbon cycle chapter of the Strategic Plan for the U.S. Climate Change Science Program describes a vision to publish a series of government products on the status and trends of carbon emission and sequestration. The first of these reports, the State of the Carbon Cycle Report (SOCCR), was released by the US Climate Change Science Program (now the USGCRP) on November 13, 2007.

The 2003 Terms of Reference for the first SOCCR (2007), prepared by the Carbon Cycle Interagency Working Group and in consultation with the Carbon Cycle Scientific Steering Group, envisioned a report designed to provide accurate, unbiased, and policy-relevant scientific information concerning the carbon cycle to a broad range of stakeholders. The SOCCR Coordinating Team focused on (1) summarizing our knowledge of carbon cycle properties and changes relevant to the contributions of and impacts upon the U.S. and the rest of the world, and (2) providing scientific information for U.S. decision support focused on key issues for carbon management and policy. The report depends on results from comprehensive and informative programs, such as the North American Carbon Program and Ocean Carbon and Climate Change Program, and demands a global perspective, integrating information from studies on land and in the atmosphere and oceans around the world. The expected audience includes researchers, decision makers in the public and private sectors and the public. The Executive Summary is available.

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