Update on ICOS – Oct 2009ICOS is a new European Research Infrastructure for quantifying and understanding the greenhouse balance of the European continent and of adjacent regions. ICOS was retained on the ESFRI roadmap of global large research infrastructures in 2006. ICOS is currently in its preparatory phase (2008-2011)Website: http://www.icos-infrastructure.eu/

Scientific objectives: ICOS prime objective will be to deliver regional carbon fluxes with accuracy sufficient to quantify changes and gain insight on underlying processes.

Meeting Jena, Sept on Marine ICOS

•likely measurement focus (in priority order):•pCO2 (air and sea), O2 (sea), Temperature, salinity • Nutrients, chl, alkalinity and/or DIC• other greenhouse gases

•Operational observations using standardized equipment•Emphasis on quality assurance, traceability of standards

Regions of interest

•Agreed that while Terrestrial ICOS is focused on Europe, Ocean ICOS could be more global•focus on N Atlantic and marginal seas, European waters•Observations in other regions where Europe has regional interests or the research agenda dictates

Funding

• Funding is devolved to the national level and it will be necessary for each country to obtain funding from national sources

• Catch-22, chicken-and-egg.• Finnish ICOS is funded• Possibility of EU infra-structure funding for

startup, via I3 call

Next steps

• National co-ordination and planning• Concept paper on Marine ICOS• Discussion early 2010 with EU concerning

infrastructure funding?

Germany

Focal Point: Martin Heimann, Max-Planck-Institut für Biogeochemie, Jena

• Scientific hosts:• MPI für Biogeochemie, Jena (Martin Heimann)• J.H. von Thünen Institute, Braunschweig (Annette Freibauer)• University of Heidelberg (Ingeborg Levin)• Leibniz-Institut für Meereswissenschaften, Kiel (Douglas Wallace)

• Funding agencies:• Build-up phase (~5 years)• Federal Ministry for Education and Research (BMBF)

• Operational phase (network)• Umweltbundesamt (UBA)• J.H. von Thünen-Institute (vTI)• Bundesamt für Seeschiffart und Hydrographie (BSH)

Germany - Envisaged Networks

MPI-BGC

UniHD

IfM

vTI

Ochsenkopf

Zugspitze GAW

WBerlin

EBerlin

CVAO

Shetlands

ZOTTO

VOS Atlantic

VOS Baltic

Heidelberg

Schauinsland

Westerland

Scientific hosts Atm. Network VOS Network Ocean Network

CVOO

Hausgarten

VOS Polarstern

Ny Alesund