Science

The OceanFlux Greenhouse Gases project is exploiting and extending the work of the first OceanFlux Greenhouse Gases project.  We are focussing our efforts on a number of key areas which include updating the OceanFlux climatology, extending the FluxEngine tool, developing a bubble mediated gas transfer velocity relationship, studying arctic air-sea carbon dioxide (CO₂₎ fluxes and characterising tropical cyclones. 

To increase the use of the OceanFlux datasets and the FluxEngine system, a community ensemble experiment is also planned. Extensions to the FluxEngine will include the ability for gases like methane and nitrous oxide to be studied.  We will be working with the Global Carbon Project and we will continue to work with the International Surface Ocean CO₂ Atlas initiative.

Our wider aims are that the results and outputs from the project will be assimilated into future International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reports and fully exploited by the wider Surface Ocean and Lower Atmosphere Study (SOLAS) community.

All of this work will exploit the synergistic use of satellite Earth observation (EO) data, in situ data and models. The work will also extensively involve and exploit data from SOCAT.

The outputs from this study are expected to include:

• An updated OceanFlux air-sea CO₂ climatology with EO derived gas transfer velocity.
• Improvements to the FluxEngine and its use in a community ensemble experiment.
• Suite of datasets for the international SOLAS community to access and exploit (with uncertainty estimates).
• A number of key peer reviewed publications.
• An international scientific workshop.
• A clear roadmap for future ESA involvement in future SOLAS-related studies.