Welcome to ICOS Sweden!
ICOS - Integrated Carbon Observation System - is a European
research infrastructure for quantifying
and understanding the greenhouse gas balance of the European continent
and of adjacent regions. The infrastructure is built up as a
collaboration of nationally operated measurement stations in 17 European
countries. ICOS Sweden is the Swedish contribution to this European
effort.
High-precision, standardized observations of the exchange of greenhouse gases and heat between the Earth's surface and its atmosphere form an essential basis for understanding not only our planet's present climate, but also past and future developments. It has also become clear that these studies must be secured beyond the lifetime of a typical research project. The aim of ICOS is therefore to construct, equip and operate a network of standardized, long-term, high precision integrated monitoring stations for atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations of CO2, CH4, CO and radiocarbon-CO2.
The network should be able to provide coherent, highly precise datasets that can be used both to quantify the fossil fuel component of the greenhouse gas emissions to the atmosphere, as well as broadening our understanding of the way ecosystems emit and take up greenhouse gases and energy. Together with advanced computer models, these data will allow a unique regional top-down assessment of fluxes from atmospheric data, as well as a bottom-up assessment from ecosystem measurements and fossil fuel inventories. The target is a daily mapping of European sources and sinks for greenhouse gases at scales down to about 10 km, as a basis for understanding the exchange processes between the atmosphere, the terrestrial surface and the ocean.
ICOS invites other research groups to use the infrastructure. Please download and complete the application form and follow the instructions mentioned in the form.
