FY 2002

A large-scale CO₂ observing plan: In situ oceans and atmosphere (LSCOP)

Bender, M., S. Doney, R.A. Feely, I. Fung, N. Gruber, D.E. Harrison, R. Keeling, J.K. Moore, J. Sarmiento, E. Sarachik, B. Stephens, T. Takahashi, P. Tans, and R. Wanninkhof

NOAA OAR Special Report, NTIS: PB2003-00377, NOAA/OAR/PMEL, Seattle, WA, 201 pp (2002)

This report recommends a strategy for making observations of carbon dioxide (CO) and related properties in the atmosphere and oceans, over large spatial scales and long timescales. It also recommends process studies of air-sea gas exchange, in order to obtain more accurate estimates of CO transfer between the atmosphere and oceans. Models are essential tools for understanding the distributions and fluxes of CO in the atmosphere and oceans. We recommend observations and modeling efforts to enhance the skills of models used for this purpose. An ultimate product of the observations, modeling efforts, and complementary process studies will be improved projections of the trajectory of the atmospheric CO increase.