CRYOSTAT: Cryospheric studies of atmospheric trends in stratospherically and radiatively important gases

• Research unit: EU RFP
• Project number: 01.0235

Key words (English)

Environmental Protection; Forecasting; Meteorology; Resources of the Sea; Fisheries

Alternative project number (English)

EU project number: EVK2-2001-00116

Research programs (English)

EU-programme: 5. Frame Research Programme - 1.4a.2 Global change, climate and biodiversity

Short description (English)

See abstract

Abstract (English)

CRYOSTAT will undertake the first combined measurements of 'greenhouse', ozone-depleting, and other gases in contiguous firn-ice profiles, spanning 200 years or more, in both hemispheres. Using linked firn transport and atmospheric chemistry models; histories of global meridianal and vertical distributions (troposphere and stratosphere) of the gases will be reconstructed. Sources and sinks, both natural and anthropogenic, will be identified and quantified using novel isotope analyses and trace gas modelling. The trends will be further used to determine changes from pre-industry to present in
(a) radiative forcing from greenhouse gases,
(b) stratospheric ozone, temperature and chemistry, and
(c) tropospheric ozone and photochemical state. Vital improvements in cryospheric and atmospheric modelling capabilities will result.
CRYOSTAT will thereby contribute to the scientific underpinning of the Kyoto and Montreal Protocols.

References in databases (English)

Swiss Database: Euro-DB of the
State Secretariat for Education and Research
Hallwylstrasse 4
CH-3003 Berne, Switzerland
Tel. [phone]
Swiss Project-Number: 01.0235