"The European measuring network ICOS is the best way we to find if CO2 action has an effect, and where the emissions go," says climate researcher Siv K. Lauvset, of the Norwegian Research Centre, NORCE.
Lauvset was recently appointed coordinator for ICOS (Integrated Carbon Observation System), a European network for monitoring greenhouse gas emissions. One of the unique selling points of ICOS is the ability to make local and regional carbon maps.
At the ONS conference (Offshore Northern Seas) in Stavanger, Norway, this week, she held a talk on the importance of the network, and how the carbon budget helps to reach targets in the Paris agreement:
After this agreement, it's more important than ever to observe to what degree reducing climate gases helps, to give policy advice to politicians and stake holders in climate gas politics.
"ICOS givcs a great basis of data to answer important questions of CO2 emissions, both at sea, in the atmosphere, and at land," says Lauvset, adding:
"Climate research needs all the observations and data from ICOS to deliver as reliable analysis as possible."
Gives more granular detail
ICOS' target is to produce consistant and exact data and evaluations of the carbon balance between land, ocean, and atmosphere, to quantify how much carbon each nation emits.
Researchers know the big picture of where the emissions go. As a global average around 25 percent of emitted CO2 is absorbed and stored in the ocean. The remaining is 50 percent in the atmosphere, and 25 at land.
"If we are to reach the goals of the Paris agreement we have to granulate the data. The details are more and more important to uncover if the measures taken will have the effect we're looking for. The effect of forestation, and similar actions, these things we get to know much more about," says Lauvset
From Bergen in Norway, Lauvset and her colleagues at NORCE and the Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research lead ICOS' Ocean Thematic Centre, where data from all measuring stations comes in, many from ships in traffic.
Lauvsets research focus has mainly been in observation of the ocean carbon cycle.
"I work with the changes documented over the past decades, and the reasons for change," says Lauvset.
She wants to expand the knowledge on ocean carbon cycles, and how this changes in the coming years.
(Originally written by Andreas Graven, published in Norwegian at norceresearch.no.)