Onderzoeksproject EF/211/ICOS-BE (Onderzoeksactie EF)
The ICOS-BE project gathers several Belgian ICOS actors including both FSI (BIRA-IASB and RBINS) involved in the European ICOS Research Infrastructure (RI). All partners together represent the three ICOS components: atmosphere, ocean and ecosystem, and are already contributing to the ICOS RI. The coordinator is also a major player in the targeted integration of the Total Carbon Observing Network (TCCON) in ICOS.
The implementation of the project will result in:
- Extended ICOS-compliant and TCCON data sets of greenhouse gas (GHG) near-surface concentrations and total column abundances, resp., at the ICOS class 2 atmospheric station of the Ile de La Réunion;
- Improved Autonomous Underway Measurement System (AUMS) fully operational onboard the new Research Vessel (RV) Belgica, complemented with additional ocean data;
- The RV Belgica labelled as an oceanic class 2 station;
- Innovative collocated GHG atmospheric concentration and GHG flux measurements, during a test campaign at a Belgian ecosystem site, and later at the Congoflux tower ecosystem site in Congo, with the perspective of long-term operations;
- The start of collaborative interdisciplinary work between the ICOS atmospheric and ecosystem communities in Belgium, and the perspective of also implementing atmospheric GHG measurements onboard the RV Belgica;
- Transmission of knowledge to the younger generation and to Congolese scientists, through training of young technicians and a (preferably African) PhD student in ICOS operations;
- Dissemination and valorisation of all gathered datasets via the Carbon Portal, Belgian Marine Data Centre and international datacenters, and communication of project results to the research community and stakeholders.
