A surface ocean CO reference network, SOCONET and associated marine boundary layer CO measurements

The Surface Ocean CO NETwork (SOCONET) and atmospheric Marine Boundary Layer (MBL) CO measurements from ships and buoys focus on the operational aspects of measurements of CO in both the ocean surface and atmospheric MBLs. The goal is to provide accurate pCO data to within 2 micro atmosphere (μatm) for surface ocean and 0.2 parts per million (ppm) for MBL measurements following rigorous best practices, calibration and intercomparison procedures. Platforms and data will be tracked in near real-time and final quality-controlled data will be provided to the community within a year. The network, involving partners worldwide, will aid in production of important products such as maps of monthly resolved surface ocean CO and air-sea CO flux measurements. These products and other derivatives using surface ocean and MBL CO data, such as surface ocean pH maps and MBL CO maps, will be of high value for policy assessments and socio-economic decisions regarding the role of the ocean in sequestering anthropogenic CO and how this uptake is impacting ocean health by ocean acidification. SOCONET has an open ocean emphasis but will work with regional (coastal) networks. It will liaise with intergovernmental science organizations such as Global Atmosphere Watch (GAW), and the joint committee for and ocean and marine meteorology (JCOMM). Here we describe the details of this emerging network and its proposed operations and practices.