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.

Link Shortcuts

See The Second State of the Carbon Cycle Report (SOCCR2) on the USGCRP website.

The GCIS documents the cross-links among research papers, researchers, original data, and more and includes links back to authoritative sources for its information')

The new State of the Carbon Cycle Report (SOCCR2) Website was released on Earth Day, April 22, 2019.

Second State of the Carbon Cycle Report (SOCCR2): A Sustained Assessment Report

Second State of the Carbon Cycle Report (SOCCR2)

SOCCR2, Sustained Assessment report of the U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP) was released on Friday November 23, 2018.

The SOCCR2 Report-in-Brief 

• With over 200 contributing experts, this interagency Highly Influential Scientific Assessment was led by the Carbon Cycle Interagency Working Group (CCIWG) and U.S. Carbon Cycle Science Program under USGCRP auspices, and reviewed by 13 US Government agencies and departments, the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, and the general public.
• This decadal interagency U.S. Government report involved diverse experts from multiple institutions over 3 years, producing over 6 drafts that collectively underwent over 6 rounds of formal reviews.
• Incorporating 19 chapters distributed across four interconnected sections  (I. Synthesis, II. Human Dimensions of the Carbon Cycle, III. State of Air, Land, and Water, IV. Consequences and Ways Forward), SOCCR2 assesses the last decade of cross-sectoral carbon cycle advances across the U.S., Canada and Mexico, in the global context.
• The 36-page SOCCR2 Report-in-Brief includes the Executive Summary and a plain language overview.
• The 4th U.S. National Climate Assessment (NCA4) Vol. II was also released simultaneously. 
  
• SOCCR2 contributes to NCA4 Vol. II but is a stand-alone Sustained Assessment process report.
• Individual chapter PDF links are provided below and can also be downloaded. 

Congratulations to the entire SOCCR2 team, whose commitment and hard work has been truly inspiring throughout this 3- years long process. Thanks to all of carbon cycle science colleagues and friends who helped in many ways, including in producing and sharing the science, tools and and knowledge assessed in SOCCR2.

Please utilize, disseminate and amplify the SOCCR2 findings and information using #SOCCR2. 

Links to individual SOCCR2 PDFs

Download by sections of chapters (PDF files):

I. Synthesis

II. Human Dimensions of the Carbon Cycle

III. State of Air, Land, and Water

IV. Consequences and Ways Forward

Download individual chapters and appendices (PDF files) 

• Second State of the Carbon Cycle Report (Full Report)  
• Highlights
• Preface
• Executive Summary
• Section I: Synthesis (entire section here or individual chapters below)
   
• Ch. 1: Overview of the Global Carbon Cycle
• Ch. 2: The North American Carbon Budget
• Section II: Human Dimensions of the Carbon Cycle (entire section here or individual chapters below)
   
• Ch. 3: Energy Systems
• Ch. 4: Understanding Urban Carbon Fluxes
• Ch. 5: Agriculture
• Ch. 6: Social Science Perspectives on Carbon
• Ch. 7: Tribal Lands
• Section III: State of Air, Land, and Water (entire section or individual chapters below)
   
• Ch. 8: Observations of Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide and Methane
• Ch. 9: Forests
• Ch. 10: Grasslands
• Ch. 11: Arctic and Boreal Carbon
• Ch. 12: Soils
• Ch. 13: Terrestrial Wetlands
• Ch. 14: Inland Waters
• Ch. 15: Tidal Wetlands and Estauries
• Ch. 16: Coastal Oceans and Continental Shelves
• Section IV: Consequences and Ways Forward (entire section or individual chapters below)
   
• Ch. 17: Biogeochemical Effects of Rising Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide
• Ch. i18: Carbon Cycle Science in Support of Decision Making
• Ch. 19: Future of the North American Carbon Cycle
• Appendices
• Appendix A: Report Development Process
• Appendix B: Information Quality in the Assessment
• Appendix C: Selected Carbon Cycle Research Observations and Measurement Programs
• Appendix D: Carbon Measurement Approaches and Accounting Frameworks
• Appendix E: Fossil Fuel Emissions Estimates for North America
• Appendix F: Acronyms, Abbreviations, and Units
• Appendix G: Glossary

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.

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 

April, 2019

New State of the Carbon Cycle Report (SOCCR2) Website Released on Earth Day

March, 2019

Recent and upcoming 2019 public engagement events

February, 2019

New Webinar Series 'From Science to Solutions: The State of the Carbon Cycle'

January, 2019

20th Anniversary and SOCCR2 Release Public Events at AGU 2018

November, 2018

SOCCR2 and NCA4 Released

September, 2018

SOCCR2 updates and public engagement activities

June, 2018

Submit AGU abstracts: SOCCR2 and 20 years of coordinated carbon research

April, 2018

SOCCR2 at EGU 2018 General Assembly in Vienna, Austria