ICOS
ICOS is a European research infrastructure and is intended to secure Europe's leading position in climate research in the long term.
- Runtime: 01.01.2013 - 01.01.2034
Integrated Carbon Observation System
ICOS is a European research infrastructure and is intended to secure Europe’s leading position in climate research in the long term. This is done through a well-coordinated network of national contributions, which are linked by central institutions at the European level. ICOS provides a decentralised research infrastructure that guarantees continuous long-term measurements of CO2, CH4 and N2O concentrations in the atmosphere throughout Europe.
Participants: Dr. Samuel Hammer, Prof. Dr. Ingeborg Levin
Because even very small concentration differences between atmospheric measuring stations contain important information about the spatial distribution of greenhouse gas emissions, the highest accuracy of the measured data is an essential prerequisite for measurements in ICOS. In order to achieve this goal and to ensure the long-term consistency of the data, the ICOS concept includes a central laboratory for trace gas and a central laboratory for radiocarbon measurements. A central laboratory is located in Heidelberg: the Institute for Environmental Physics. In cooperation with the Institute, the 14C content in the air samples of the ICOS atmosphere stations is measured at CEZA with highest precision on a few litres of air.
