International Global Atmospheric Chemistry (IGAC) Integration and Synthesis Team (I&ST)

1. International Global Atmospheric Chemistry (IGAC)Integration and Synthesis Team (I&ST) Preparation notes for the first meeting of the I&S Team Toulouse France, Nov 4-5, 1998

2. Global Change ScienceInternational-Interdisciplinary Program to Conduct • IGBP Int. Geosphere-Bioshpere Program • WCRP World Climate Research Program • IHDP Int. Human Dimensions Program • Goal: Support to National Programs • Identification of research priorities • Standardized research methodologies • Coordination of international field campaigns • Exchange of data and results

3. International Geosphere-Bioshpere Program (IGBP) • The goal is to describe and understand • the interactive physical, chemical and biological processes that regulate the Earth system • the unique environment that it provides for life • the changes that are occurring in this system • and the manner in which they are influenced by human actions • IGBP fosters the integration of results towards the development of a holistic picture of global processes and how change affects them

4. IGBP Questions and Core Projects • Regulation of atmospheric chemistry; role of biota in trace gas (and aerosol) IGAC • The effect of global changes on terrestrial ecosystems • Interaction of vegetation with the hydrological cycle • The effect of land-use, sea level and climate on coastal ecosystems? • The influence of climate change on ocean biogeochemical processes. • Past climate and environmental changes and their causes?

5. Goals of IGACInternational Global Atmospheric Chemistry • Fundamental understanding of the processes that determine atmospheric composition • Interactions of atmospheric chemistry with physical, biospheric and climatic processes • Impact of natural and anthropogenic forcing on the atmospheric chemistry

6. Until 1995 IGAC focus on international field projects.Now emphasis on integrating the findings.

7. Integration and Synthesis Team Tasks • What have we learned, esp. from IGAC projects? • Remaining questions of global atmo-bio chemistry • Best approaches to solve them I & S Team Products • Book on IGAC I&S in the Cambridge IGBP Series. Year 2000 • Journal Review Papers; Executive Summary • Symposium to build consensus on questions and solutions

8. I&S Team Approach • Review: (Webster) to go over with critical examination to discover excellencies or defects. (Oxford) a general survey or assessment of a subject or a thing. • Integrate: (Webster) to combine parts into a whole. (Oxford) to combine to form more complete, hamonious or coordinated entity. • Synthesis: (Webster) the action of putting together. The combining of often diverse ideas, forces, or factors into one coherent and consistent complex. (Oxford) the process or result of building up separate elements esp. ideas into a connected whole, esp. into a theory or a system. I&S Team is to review the existing information, integrate the results on various facets and synthesize it into a connected system (?)

9. Draft Questions for I&ST (Brasseur & Pszenny) • Global pattern of trace chemicals • Temporal pattern of global chemicals • Emission, [transport, reactions] and removal) rates; Uncertainty • Mechanisms of emissions & removal • Free radical chemistry known well enough? • Pathways of oxidation products • Multiphase processes Remaining unsolved atm. chemistry issues Priority research areas over the next n years

10. Comments on I&ST draft • Andrae: The level of questions is conventional, not integrative, like ‘How does the Amazon region function?’ or ‘What is the role of fire in the global environment? No interest in processes or pattern mapping per se. • Bresseur: (response) The full integration is to be done through IGBP [with WCRP, IHDP?]. IGAC focus on atm. Chemistry, e.g. what is the role of fires in air chemistry. • Heinzenberg: Too little focus on aerosols; need integrated regional/global datasets; need harmonization (reconciliation & closure); delivery of suitable data/info/knowledge to radiation and other global change ‘customers’ • Flossman: Need more emphasis on aerosols • Crutzen: Aerosols: The forefront of research in air chemistry • Duce: What is the relationship between Biosphere-Atm/ Oxidants/Aerosol and the Cross-cutting questions?

11. On IGAC Integration and SynthesisR.B. Husar rhusar@mecf.wustl.edu November 1998 • What has changed over the past decade? Immense quantity of new regional and global air chemistry data. We have moved from hypothesis-driven inquiry to observation/data driven approach • What have we learned? Tropospheric chemistry of oxidants and aerosols is caused by the activities over a small number of global regions. Each region has a unique set of drivers, spatial/chemical characteristics and unique TRENDS. • What are the outstanding questions? What is the causality loop in each region? (physical and climatic drivers, biogeochemical and human activities/emissions, transmission processes and effects • What should be the approach to solve them? • Identify the key ‘IGAC regions’ of the world that are actively influencing the global oxidants/aerosol pattern [ A geographic framework?] • Apply a standardized methodology for each region that includes the causal drivers for the emissions, transmission processes, concentrations and regional effects • Use the • Encourage ‘locally/regionally driven’ and multidisciplinary participation • Foster the exchange of data/info/knowledge across regions and disciplines through open, web-based communication, cooperation and coordination • data sharing, discussion and coordination