The purpose of the Integrated Carbon Observation System (ICOS) European Research Infrastructure (RI) is to measure, provide, integrate and analyse data on greenhouse gas (GHG) observations and to distribute information to users’ communities.
4 years from 01/01/2016 to 31/12/2019
General aims
The purpose of the Integrated Carbon Observation System (ICOS) European Research Infrastructure (RI) is to measure, provide, integrate and analyse data on greenhouse gas (GHG) observations and to distribute information to users’ communities.
The ICOS RI consists of: i) a network of sites for atmosphere, ecosystem and ocean monitoring of GHG concentration and fluxes and related eco-biological and ancillary parameters; ii) the ICOS European Research Infrastructure Consortium (ERIC), including its Operational Units Head Office and Carbon Portal; iii) four ICOS Central Facilities including the Atmosphere (ATC), the Ecosystem (ETC) and the Ocean (OTC) Thematic Centres plus a Central Analytical Laboratory (CAL).
Italy participates in ICOS and is member of ICOS ERIC through the Ministry of Education, University and Research. The Italian contribution to ICOS includes a number of measurement stations in the three components (atmosphere, ecosystem and ocean) and the coordination of the Ecosystem Thematic Centre (ETC) together with the University of Tuscia in Viterbo and in collaboration with the University of Antwerp (Belgium) and the National Institute for Agricultural Research (France).
The ICOS ETC has the crucial role of coordinating the ecosystem network, the data processing and the development of new methods and protocols.
Moreover, within the ICOS RI, the Italian National Research Council (CNR) coordinates the Joint Research Unit (JRU) called ICOS Italy (ICOS IT) where all the Italian institutions participating to ICOS are partner and where the Foundation CMCC is commissioned to coordinate for Italy the ICOS ETC.
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