ESA-GCP-CEOS 3rd CARBON FROM SPACE WORKSHOP University of Exeter, UK 21st – 23rd January, 2016 ESA-GCP-CEOS 3rd Carbon from Space Workshop Table of Contents Table of Contents ....................................................................................................................................... ii Acknowledgements .................................................................................................................................... 9 1. Objective of this document ............................................................................................................. 10 2. Introduction ...................................................................................................................................... 11 3. Scene setting ..................................................................................................................................... 14 4. Understanding of carbon cycle – pools ......................................................................................... 15 5. Understanding of the carbon cycle – fluxes ................................................................................. 19 6. Climate, humans and carbon cycle change ................................................................................... 21 7. Key problem areas and new frontiers ............................................................................................ 27 8. Advancing towards an integrated approach ................................................................................. 34 9. Summary of the breakout sessions ................................................................................................ 35 ii ESA-GCP-CEOS 3rd Carbon from Space Workshop Scientific Committee and Contributors Hartmut Boesch, University of Leicester, UK Antonio Bombelli, CMCC, IT Philippe Bousquet, LSCE, FR Heinrich Bovensmann, University of Bremen, D Kevin Bowman, JPL, NASA, USA Michael Buchwitz, University of Bremen, D Josep Canadell, CSIRO, AU Frederic Chevallier, LSCE, FR Philippe Ciais, LSCE, FR Peter Cox, University of Exeter David Crisp, JPL, NASA, USA Han Dolman, Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam, NL Craig Donlon, ESA Mark Dowell, JRC, EC Ralph Dubayah, University of Maryland, USA Diego Fernandez, ESA Helen Findlay, Plymouth Marine Laboratory, UK Pierre Friedlingstein, University of Exeter, UK Emanuel Gloor, University of Leeds, UK Christoph Heinze, University of Bergen, NO Rob Jackson, Stanford University, USA Martin Jung, Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, D Thomas Kaminski, Inversion Lab, D Peter Land, Plymouth Marine Laboratory, UK Miguel Mahecha, Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, D Julia Marshall, Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, D David McGuire, University of Alaska, USA Yasjka Meijer, RHEA Group for ESA Edward Mitchard, University of Edinburgh, UK Philip Nightingale, Plymouth Marine Laboratory, UK iii ESA-GCP-CEOS 3rd Carbon from Space Workshop Bernard Pinty, DG-Growth, EC Stephen Plummer, ESA Catherine Prigent, LERMA - Observatoire de Paris, FR Shaun Quegan, University of Sheffield, UK Markus Reichstein, Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, D Sassan Saatchi, JPL, NASA, USA Shubha Sathyendranath, Plymouth Marine Laboratory, UK Marko Scholze, University of Lund, SE Klaus Scipal, ESA Jamie Shutler, University of Exeter, UK Oksana Tarasova, WMO Andrew Watson, University of Exeter, UK Tatsuya Yokota, NIES, JP Claus Zehner, ESA Zhiliang Zhu, USGS, USA Jakob Zscheischler, ETHZ, CH iv ESA-GCP-CEOS 3rd Carbon from Space Workshop List of Abbreviations 3D Three Dimensional AGB Above Ground Biomass AR5 The Fifth Assessment Report (AR5) of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change ARGO The broad-scale global array of temperature/salinity profiling floats BESD The Bremen Optimal Estimation DOAS (BESD) algorithm BIOMASS ESA's Biomass satellite (ESA’s seventh Earth Explorer mission) Cant Anthropogenic Carbon CarbonSat Satellite for the Carbon Cycle (candidate ESA Earth Explorer mission) CCDAS Carbon Cycle Data Assimilation System CCI European Space Agency Climate Change Initiative CEOS Committee on Earth Observation Satellites CERN Chinese Ecosystem Research Network CFC Chlorofluorocarbon CH4 Methane CMIP5 The fifth phase of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5) CO Carbon monoxide CO2 Carbon dioxide COP-21 The 2015 Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change CSIRO Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (Australia) DEMs Digital Elevation Models DMS Dimethyl Sulphide DOAS Differential Optical Absorption Spectroscopy EC European Commission EE7 Earth Explorer 7 ENSO El Nino Southern Oscillation ENVISAT ENvironmental Satellite EO Earth Observation EPA US Environmental Protection Agency ESA European Space Agency ESM Earth Science Mission ESSP Earth System Science Programme EU European Union fAPAR Fraction of Absorbed Photosynthetically Active Radiation fCO2 Fugacity of Carbon Dioxide FFDAS Fossil Fuel Data Assimilation System FLEX Fluorescence Explorer (ESA’s eighth Earth Explorer mission) GAW Global Atmosphere Watch GCOS Global Climate Observing System v ESA-GCP-CEOS 3rd Carbon from Space Workshop GCP Global Carbon Project GEDI Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation Lidar (NASA Mission) GEO Geosynchronous Earth Orbit GHC-CCI Greenhouse Gas Climate Change Initiative GHG Greenhouse Gas GLAS Geoscience Laser Altimeter System GLODAP Global Ocean Data Analysis Project GLWD Global Lakes and Wetlands Database GOCE Gravity field and steady-state Ocean Circulation Explorer GOME Global Ozone Monitoring Experiment GOSAT Green-house gases Observing Satellite GPP Gross Primary Productivity GtC yr-1 Gigatonnes of Carbon per Year H2S Hydrogen Sulphide IAV Inter-Annual Variability ICESAT Ice, Cloud and land Elevation Satellite ICOS Integrated Carbon Observing System IG3IS Integrated Global Greenhouse Gas Information System IGBP International Geosphere - Biosphere Programme IPCC Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change LAI Leaf Area Index LANDSAT Land Remote-Sensing Satellite LEO Low Earth Orbit LES Large-Eddy Simulation LIDAR LIght Detection And Ranging instrument LST Land Surface Temperature LUC Land-Use Change MERLIN Methane Remote Sensing Lidar Mission Microsatellite to map sources and sinks of carbon dioxide (CNES MICROCARB Mission planned for 2020) MODIS Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (EOS) NASA National Aeronautics and Space Administration NEE Net Ecosystem Exchange NEON National Ecological Observatory Network NH Northern Hemisphere NOx Mono-nitrogen Oxides NPP National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System Preparatory Project OCO-2 Orbiting Carbon Observatory – 2 OCO-3 Orbiting Carbon Observatory – 3 OCS Carbonyl Sulphide OSSE Observational System Simulation Experiment PACE Pre-Aerosol, Clouds, and ocean Ecosystem (NASA Mission) PCN Permafrost Carbon Network vi ESA-GCP-CEOS 3rd Carbon from Space Workshop pCO2 Partial pressure of CO2 Pg Petagrams PgC Petagrams of Carbon pH Power of Hydrogen ppb Parts per Billion ppm Parts Per Million QA Quality Assurance RECCAP REgional Carbon Cycle Assessment and Processes REDD+ Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation S3 Sentinel-3 SAR Synthetic Aperture Radar SCIAMACHY Scanning Imaging Absorption Spectrometer for Atmospheric Cartography SEARCH Study of Environmental Arctic Change research project SIF Sustainable Innovation Forum SMAP Soil Moisture Active Passive SMOS Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity SOCAT Surface Ocean CO2 Atlas SOCCOM Southern Ocean Carbon and Climate Observations and Modelling SOCOM Surface Ocean pCO2 Mapping Intercomparison SWAMPS Severe Wind And Moisture Problems TANSO Thermal And Near infrared Sensor for carbon Observations (GOSAT instrument) TCCON Total Carbon Column Observing Network TERN Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network Tg Teragrams TLS Terrestrial Laser Scanning UNFCCC United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change US United States Weighting function modified differential optical absorption WFMD spectroscopy (DOAS) algorithm WMO World Meteorological Organization XCH4 Column-averaged of CH4 XCO2 Column-averaged of CO2 yr Year vii ESA-GCP-CEOS 3rd Carbon from Space Workshop Meeting abstracts book and presentations A link to all meeting presentations and abstract book can be found here: http://www.carbonfromspace.info 8 ESA-GCP-CEOS 3rd Carbon from Space Workshop Acknowledgements ESA, GCP and CEOS wish to thank all the members of the scientific committee, chairs of the different sessions and discussions sessions as well as the many contributors to this document and the participants to the event. Their contributions, valuable comments and feedback make the core of this report. Special thanks to Andy Watson for his help and support in the organization of the event. 9 ESA-GCP-CEOS 3rd Carbon from Space Workshop 1. Objective of this document This document aims to collect and elaborate the major discussion points gathered during the 3rd Carbon from Space workshop that took place in the University of Exeter, UK, the 26th – 28th January 2016. The meeting, with a participation of more than 80 experts, was aimed at reviewing and discussing the existing scientific knowledge gaps and research priorities areas for the carbon cycle with an emphasis on evaluating where Earth Observations (EO) may contribute over the next decade. The meeting and discussion was predicated on three key elements: 1. Implementation of recommendations of the CEOS Strategy for Carbon Observations