Integrated Carbon Observation System Sweden (ICOS Sweden)

ICOS Sweden is Sweden’s contribution to the Integrated Carbon Observation System Research Infrastructure (ICOS RI).

The overall aim of ICOS is to produce and provide harmonised, calibrated information on atmospheric greenhouse gas (GHG) concentrations, exchanges and their drivers.

Quantitative assessments of GHG budget and drivers are essential for policy decisions regarding ecosystems and society who depend on these in a changing climate. ICOS RI provides standardised and open data from more than 140 measuring stations in 16 European countries. ICOS Sweden focuses on typical Swedish terrestrial and marine ecosystems.

The RI’s stations and data contribute to a better understanding of the GHG dynamics of Sweden and its neighbouring countries.

ICOS Sweden contributes with three Atmosphere stations, two Ocean stations and six Ecosystem stations (three forests and three mires). The Atmosphere stations continuously measure data on GHG concentration profiles in the atmosphere.

Ecosystem stations provide data on turbulent exchange of GHGs and energy, a wide range of meteorological parameters, and data on other ecosystem parameters. Ocean stations measure carbon dioxide and other gases from ocean surface waters and the near-surface atmosphere.

The ICOS Sweden RI is in place and most stations have been delivering data since 2014 and have passed the ICOS RI quality assurance test for the ICOS label. The RI has contributed to an increasing number of scientific activities since then.