Norsk medlemskap - ICOS

ICOS (Integrated Carbon Observation System) is a programme within the European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures (ESFRI) list of European infrastructures. ICOS has passed the evaluation as a European Research Infrastructure Consortium (ERIC) by the EU commission and is now in its signature phase to become fully operational with national ICOS activities being a formal part of the ICOS ERIC. Since April 2014, ICOS is on the Norwegian Roadmap for Research Infrastructure and the Norwegian Ministry of Climate and Environment has signed the ICOS ERIC for ICOS-Norway to become an observer with a limited portfolio (Attachment 12). Through the current proposal, ICOS-Norway will be upgraded towards the highest quality of stations and activities, and to co-host the OCT together with UK. ICOS builds a network conducting standardized, long-term, high precision measurements of key Greenhouse Gas (GHG) concentrations. The infrastructure integrates terrestrial, oceanic and atmospheric observations at various sites into a single, coherent, precise data product. ICOS contributes to the implementation of the Integrated Global Carbon Observation and Analysis System. We request funding to establish the infrastructure ICOS-Norway, as the integrated Norwegian component of ICOS. Through the proposed infrastructure, ICOS will be provided with much needed top quality measurements from Norway, our territories and the northern North Atlantic, Nordic Seas, and waters around Svalbard, with required high-latitude ocean, atmosphere, and terrestrial carbon data. We will also supply integrated products and assessments to carbon system science and various stakeholders. In addition to the funding of ICOS-Norway, we also request funding to co-host the ICOS Ocean Thematic Centre (OTC) in co-operation with the UK, building on the leading international role of Norwegian scientists in developing and organising ocean carbon measurements.