The ocean plays a crucial role in the global carbon cycle. Long-term, sustained in situ ocean observations are essential for understanding its role, improving resilience and supporting key climate policies. To meet this challenge, the GEORGE project, coordinated by ICOS, is advancing the technological readiness of European ocean observing infrastructures (EMSO, ICOS, Euro-Argo) by developing new technologies and demonstrating an integrated, state-of-the-art multi-platform system for monitoring the ocean carbon system.
Central to this mission is Work Package 4 (WP4), which focuses on improving data integration, harmonising observation methods, and ensuring high-quality data across multiple ocean observing platforms. This work contributes to enabling accurate, long-term monitoring of CO2 dynamics in the ocean.
Two recently published project deliverables, D4.1 Interim report on how central data service will benefit all RI's and Adaptive Sampling and D4.3 Interim report on pathways towards improved quality of pCO2 data from different platforms demonstrate substantial progress in meeting these objectives.
ICOS expertise used to improved validation and calibration methods
As the sensor and sampler technologies developed in GEORGE are highly innovative, validating the data they produce is crucial. ICOS plays a key role in providing data expertise, testing facilities and reference data for measurement validation. In a recent deployment, measurements from Euro-Argo and ICOS were compared, yielding promising results.
Surface ocean pCO2 data from ICOS Ships of Opportunity (SOOP) stations were used to validate emerging sensor technologies integrated on Euro-Argo floats. The first deployments took place in the Baltic Sea’s Bornholm Basin in 2024, with initial findings showing strong alignment between surface measurements by ICOS and subsurface measurements by Euro-Argo. This work forms part of a broader effort to enhance the calibration of instruments used in ocean carbon measurements.
“Within Europe we are lacking an established calibration facility for instruments that are monitoring the marine carbon system. In GEORGE, we will develop a prototype of a calibration rig in strong collaboration with the three RIs and associated stations. While focusing on the calibration of carbon variables, options for a future extension towards other variables of interest will be evaluated. The design will be based on technology and methodologies that are acknowledged by the community”, says Dr Tobias Steinhoff Principal Investigator of the DE-SOOP-Atlantic Sail ICOS Ocean station and co-lead of the GEORGE WP4.
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