Progress report for
Annual, public releases of the Surface Ocean CO2 Atlas (SOCAT)
Achievement at a glance
The Surface Ocean CO2 Atlas (SOCAT, www.socat.info) documents the increase in surface ocean CO2 (carbon dioxide), a critical measure as the oceans are taking up one quarter of the global CO2 emissions from human activity. SOCAT version 2019 (released on 18 June 2019) has 25.7 million quality-controlled surface ocean fCO2 (fugacity of CO2) observations from 1957 to 2019 for the global oceans and coastal seas. SOCAT enables quantification of the ocean carbon sink and ocean acidification, as well as evaluation of sensor data and ocean biogeochemical models. SOCAT represents a milestone in biogeochemical and climate research. SOCAT informs policy and high-profile climate negotiations. Maintenance and annual updates of the SOCAT product require sustained funding and community involvement.Challenges faced in implementation
SOCAT is at risk without sustained funding for collection and synthesis of high quality, in situ surface ocean CO2 measurements. A number of long-term, high-quality repeat surface ocean CO2 observational systems have ceased to operate in recent years for lack of funding.A high-level international agreement is required for enabling the routine collection of in situ surface ocean CO2 measurements in countries' EEZs (Exclusive Economic Zones), similar to weather observations, as the observations are desperately needed for quantification of oceanic CO2 uptake.
Beneficiaries
Beneficiaries include scientists in the fields of ocean biogeochemistry, the global carbon cycle and climate and the Global Carbon Budget, as well as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, international policy makers, and ultimately the general public.