The terrestrial vegetation, the oceans, human activities -main players of the global carbon cycle- exchange carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gases with the atmosphere, thereby influencing the climate through the greenhouse effect. The strength of the biospheric and oceanic CO2 exchanges strongly varies in space and time - from year to year, with season, from day to day, between day and night. This variability is, in turn, closely linked back to climatic influences. In order to understand the role of the carbon cycle in the climate system, we need to understand quantitatively how the carbon cycle processes on large spatial scales react to their climatic controls. As a prereqisite for such understanding, the temporal variability and spatial patterns of CO2 exchange need to be quantified.
The Jena CarboScope provides CO2 flux estimates based on various types of measurements (atmospheric CO2 mixing ratios, surface-ocean CO2 partial pressure). Jena CarboScope results can be downloaded for use in collaborative scientific projects or for general information. This web page collates several products, based on different observational data streams. Click on the product items above for more information and data download.