Goal: Our goal is to understand the feedbacks between physical and biological processes involving the carbon cycle, in order to predict changes in carbon fluxes at the Earth's surface.

Partners and Customers: National Centre for Atmospheric Science (NCAS), QUEST (Quantifying and Understanding the Earth System) , Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (CEH), Met Office/Hadley Centre, National Centre for Ocean Forecasting (NCOF), Environment Agency, Forestry Commission, Defra (Department for Food and Rural Affairs), WWF

Understanding the role of carbon - the carbon cycle, in the Earth system is crucial. It is closely coupled to greenhouse gas induced climate change, the water cycle, marine and land productivity and biodiversity. If we can better understand the interaction of physical and biological processes in the carbon cycle and climate, our ability to predict future changes in carbon fluxes and reservoirs will be enhanced. We need to quantify the global carbon budget, in regional detail, by combining space observations of surface processes with the next generation of atmospheric carbon and ground-based measurements.

Our priorities include:

  
• To combine satellite measurements of the Earth's surface and atmosphere with bio-physical models of the land and ocean, in order to quantify surface fluxes of carbon dioxide and methane, and understand the processes that drive them.   
• To improve quantification of the role played by fire in the Earth system.   
• To identify the relative weighting of the key processes affecting the carbon balance of the tropics and in so doing provide support for negotiations on the post-Kyoto Protocol reduced deforestation mechanism and the associated benefits for biodiversity.   
• To determine the importance of shelf seas with their high biological productivity and hence strong draw down of CO2

Click here to view the science theme proposal document