A workshop on long-term measurements of biosphere-atmosphere chemical interactions was held November 13 and 14, 2017, at the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Center of the National Academies of Sciences and Engineering. The workshop was open to the scientific community and was organized in response to the 2016 National Academy of Sciences, Board on Atmospheric Sciences and Climate, Committee on the Future of Atmospheric Chemistry Research report titled, “The Future of Atmospheric Chemistry Research: Remembering Yesterday, Understanding Today, Anticipating Tomorrow” that identified priorities and strategic steps forward for atmospheric chemistry research for the next decade. The report included the recommendation that “The National Science Foundation should take the lead in coordinating with other agencies to identify the scientific need for long-term measurements and to establish synergies with existing sites that could provide core support for long-term atmospheric chemistry measurements, including biosphere–atmosphere exchange of trace gases and aerosol particles.”. The workshop successfully addressed this recommendation by (i) characterizing existing research activities and approaches for investigating biosphere-atmosphere chemical exchange across key ecosystems, (ii) assessing the need for long-term measurements of biosphere-atmosphere chemical exchange to address outstanding scientific questions and (iii) identifying scientific community needs including innovative observational instruments and approaches that could transform the community capabilities for comprehensive, long-term observations of biosphere-atmosphere chemical exchange including particles and reactive gases (e.g., volatile organic compounds, oxides of nitrogen, ozone and other oxidants). Details of these outcomes are described in the workshop report that is available for download at https://sites.google.com/uci.edu/bai/events.

The workshop participants described lessons learned and successes of long-term networks and discussed the need for long-term measurements of biosphere-atmosphere chemical interactions to address outstanding scientific questions.   Overall, there was agreement that important scientific questions could be addressed by long-term chemical flux and ancillary measurements, and that a coherent network of sites are needed. The role of this network would be to facilitate data archiving and distribution, develop protocols, support existing sites, and prioritize needs for additional sites.  The workshop participants also identified key science questions that must be examined with long-term measurements of biosphere-atmosphere chemical exchange and interactions.  The questions were synthesized under four major scientific themes and are compiled in the workshop report. 

The workshop identified several approaches for investigating long-term biosphere-atmosphere exchange and interactions.  One approach is focused on extensive networks that include a large number of sites with a limited number of measurements. This could be accomplished by utilizing existing sites. The second approach would have sites with a more comprehensive suite of measurements that would likely be implemented at a limited number of sites due to cost constraints. This could be accomplished using the single PI model (e.g., based on the slow and sustained growth of the Ameriflux network, in which individual PIs run independent, individual sites) or could be managed by an organization such as NCAR. The two approaches are complementary and a hybrid of these approaches could be comprised of a larger number of well distributed sites with a limited core set of flux measurements, and a smaller number of sites with comprehensive suites of measurements and the ability to continuously introduce and test innovative instrumentation, approaches, and scientific questions. The NSF mid-scale research infrastructure program was recognized as an outstanding opportunity for developing the required infrastructure for a long-term measurement network. The development and implementation of a long-term network would also benefit from sponsorship and connection with relevant international programs including IGAC, GEIA, iLEAPS.  This could be valuable to provide a mechanism for establishing protocols, interactions and distributing information, especially on an international level. 

Last Modified: 09/03/2018
Modified by: Alex B Guenther