Implementation Groups (IMPs)
The Implementation Groups (IMPs) of SOLAS are charged with producing detailed plans of how to achieve the goals of SOLAS and then aiding the implementation of these plans. The goals are outlined in the Science Plan and Implementation Strategy, and the more detailed Implementation Plans produced by each group will be published here as soon as they are completed.
There are three SOLAS IMPs, corresponding to the three science Foci, namely:
- IMP 1: Biogeochemical Interactions and Feedbacks Between Ocean and Atmosphere
- IMP 2: Exchange Processes at the Air-Sea Interface and the Role of Transport and Transformation in the Atmospheric and Oceanic Boundary Layers
- IMP 3: Air-Sea Flux of CO2 and Other Long-Lived Radiatively-Active Gases
The formal terms of reference of the group can be found here.
Membership
Thank you to all those who submitted nominations for membership of the group, and also to all the national representatives who submitted names of their nationals. Nominations for IMPs are now closed.
Considerations for membership include:
- Internationally recognised scientific achievements
- Enthusiasm and energy for SOLAS
- The balance of atmospheric and oceanic science in the relevant Focus
- The gender and nationality of the members also needs to be borne in mind, to ensure that the group is representative of the scientific community working in this area.
Implementation Group 1: Biogeochemical Interactions and Feedbacks Between Ocean and Atmosphere
Chairs: Professors Bill Miller (USA) and Mitsuo Uematsu (Japan)
Officer: Véronique Schoemann
Supported by: The Belgium Federal Science Policy Office
Membership: Philip Boyd (New Zealand), Anton Eisenhauer (Germany), Gerd Hoenninger (Canada), William Keene (USA), David Kieber (USA), Caroline Leck (Sweden), Patricia Matrai (USA), Gordon McFiggans (UK), Claire Reeves (UK), Eric Saltzman (USA), Atsushi Tsuda (Japan), Alain Vézina (Canada), Guoshun Zhuang (China Beijing).
This group meet 10-12 October 2004, prior to the SOLAS Science conference in Halifax. The Implementation Plan is currently being drafted.
Implementation Group 1 has the Task Team on Halogens in the Troposphere (HitT) as a subgroup, and strong links to the work of IMBER and GEOTRACES
Implementation Group 2: Exchange Processes at the Air-Sea Interface and the Role of Transport and Transformation in the Atmospheric and Oceanic Boundary Layers
Chair: Dr Wade McGilllis (USA)
Officer: Daniela Turk
Supported by: The Canadian Foundation for Climate and Atmospheric Sciences
Membership: Douglas Nilsson (Sweden), Keith Hunter (New Zealand), Philip Nightingale (UK), Rik Wanninkhof (USA), Frank Bradley (Australia), Al Plueddemann (USA), Wu-ting Tsai (Republic of China), Svein Vagle (Canada), Detlef Stammer (Germany), Wade McGillis (Chair, USA), Chris Fairall (USA), Bill Asher (USA), Véronique Garçon (France), Geert-Jan Roelofs (Holland).
This group held its first meeting 17-19th May in Montreal.The detailed implementation plan is currently being produced and will be available by October.
The group will work closely with the WCRP, particularly their Working Group on Surface Fluxes
Implementation Group 3: Air-Sea Flux of CO2 and Other Long-Lived Radiatively-Active Gases
Chair: Professor Truls Johannessen (NOR)
Membership: Britton Stephens (USA), Ulf Riebesell (Germany), Syed Wajih Naqvi (India), Corinne LeQuéré (Germany), Kitack Lee (Korea), Alex Kozyr (USA), Arne Koertzinger (Germany), Maria Hood (France), Laura Farías (Chile).
This group is supported by IOC and the Norwegian Research Council and will work closely with the International Ocean Carbon Co-ordination Project.
The first meeting took place 3-5th November 2003, in Bergen. A subgroup meet in Kiel, Germany in Dec 2003.
As much of the science of SOLAS Focus 3 overlaps with IMBER, a joint SOLAS/IMBER Carbon Group meeting was held in Colorado in Oct 2005. This group decided to subdivide into three working groups:
*WG1-Surface Ocean Systems:
Identified major problems that should be addressed:
10 year goal:
Understanding the long-term and decadal variability, trends and shifts, of the global air-sea CO2 flux (close coupling between observations synthesis, inverse models and BOGCM).
1 year goal:
1- Promote atmospheric CO2 accuracy on VOS and other platforms
2- Coastal issues (not yet included in synthesis products)
3- Accelerate the sensors development
4- Availability of pCO2 data: organising availability of present and future data in a single data center
Nicolas Metzl accepted to chair this working group for the first year.
*WG2-Interior Ocean:
The main first focus should be on Sustained Observations. Sampling of the established time-series should be continued and more should be added. The repeat hydrography lines should include more parameters.
10 year goal:
4-D observation of the ocean of key biogeochemical parameters (CO2 parameters, nutrients, O2,…) base on profiling floats and mooring.
1 year goal:
1- O2 sensor development should be a priority
2- Development of a strategy for ARGO type observations
3- Inventory of currently available platforms (work with IOCCP)
Niki Gruber accepted to chair this working group for the first year.
The Argo-Oxygen Program:
A white paper to promote the addition of oxygen sensors to the international Argo float program
Prepared by: Nicolas Gruber (chair), Scott C. Doney, Steven R. Emerson, Denis Gilbert, Taiyo Kobayashi, Arne Körtzinger, Gregory C. Johnson, Kenneth S. Johnson, Stephen C. Riser, and Osvaldo Ulloa
A white paper to promote the addition of oxygen sensors to the Argo float program has been released, and the authors are currently seeking comments from the wider community. Download the white paper from the IOCCP webpage http://www.ioccp.org (pdf, 2MB)
*WG3-Sensitivity: (future ocean)
Long term goal:
Get answers for the issues enumerated in the chapter 2.
1 year goal:
Get answer to the question: What is the effect of raising CO2 concentrations on phytoplankton activities? It is suggested to use mesocosm experiments.
Priorities are to:
1- identify who are doing or planning to do this kind of activities: establish a network
2- Hold a workshop to define protocol
3- define the important scientific issues to study
Kitack Lee accepted to lead this group for the first year.