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Content archived on 2024-05-21

Airbone european regional observation of the carbon balance

Objective

Problem to be solved
Assist the EU in the implementation of the Kyoto Protocol provisions on terrestrial carbon sinks.
Objectives and approach
The AEROCARB project is based on a synergy of atmospheric measurements, mesoscale atmospheric transport models, surface emission data, and diagnostic models of land ecosystems carbon exchange. A unified European network of atmospheric CO2 and related tracer concentration measurements will be set up.
Such an observational programme is based
(i) on the existing 20 monitoring stations at the ground level, to be calibrated and integrated into one coherent ensemble, and
(ii) on a new transect of 8 regular biweekly aircraft CO2 soundings between the Atlantic and Eastern Europe. The observational strategy of the science plan is oriented towards the acquisition of three complementary types of atmospheric measurements. The first set of observations will be regular CO2 concentration vertical soundings over the interior of the European continent, to improve retrievals of the continental fluxes in models. The second set of observations will be regular O2 and 13CO2 concentration in air samples to separate the contribution of the ocean fluxes in the European CO2 concentration signal. The third set of observations will be regular 14CO2 and CO measurements that will separate the fossil sources contribution. The remaining part of the CO2 concentration signal will be interpreted as the effect of net exchange between terrestrial ecosystems and the atmosphere. The modelling strategy consists of developing an inverse modelling system to infer the carbon balance of the European continent. This system relies on the use of 3 mesoscale models of atmospheric CO2 transport that will first be run with prescribed maps of CO2 fluxes and compared to the observations. In a second step, surface CO2 fluxes over large regions of the continent will be optimised against the atmospheric measurements using inverse procedures. Modellers will subsequently use atmospheric measurements collected during the first two years of the project during the last year. Finally, we will carefully assess uncertainties in the inverted fluxes pertaining to the a priori information injected in the inversions, as well as to the atmospheric transport fields. The final deliverable of the project will be a top-down quantitative estimate of the European carbon balance, where fossil and terrestrial components will be constrained separately. Interaction with stakeholders will be strongest at this stage of the project, with the publication of a summary report and the establishment of a web-site with the inversion.
Expected impact
This project forms part of the CARBOEUROPE cluster which will provide a focus for policy-relevant terrestrial carbon research in the Fifth Framework Programme. A significant input to negotiations on the implementation of the relevant provisions of the Kyoto Protocol is expected, and mechanisms for engaging with policy makers at EU and Member State level have been established.

Assist the EU in the implementation of the Kyoto Protocol provisions on terrestrial carbon sinks.

Expected impacts
This project forms part of the CARBOEUROPE cluster which will provide a focus for policy-relevant terrestrial carbon research in the Fifth Framework Programme. A significant input to negotiations on the implementation of the relevant provisions of the Kyoto Protocol is expected, and mechanisms for engaging with policy makers at EU and Member State level have been established.

Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)

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Funding Scheme

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Coordinator

CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE
EU contribution
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Address
Avenue de la Terrasse, BFtiment 12
91198 GIF SUR YVETTE
France

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Total cost

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Participants (10)

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