South African carbon observations: CO^sub 2^ measurements for land, atmosphere and ocean

Feig et al cite that carbon dioxide plays a central role in earth's atmospheric, ocean and terrestrial systems. About 40% of the total anthropogenic emissions since 1750 have remained in the atmosphere, with the balance being removed by the ocean and vegetation sinks. Increasing atmospheric CO2 concentrations have been well documented, as have widespread impacts on human and natural systems, such as warmer surface temperatures, ocean warming and decreasing pH, loss of ice mass over the cryosphere, increasing global mean sea level, and alterations in the global hydrological cycle. The impact of increased atmospheric concentrations of CO2 on the biosphere includes shifting species extent, seasonal activities, migration patterns and abundances, as well as changes in species interactions. It is necessary to maintain and expand the CO2 observation network across ocean, terrestrial and atmospheric platforms in Southern Africa, to link the observations and modelling platforms in order to establish an observation-based CO2 inventory for South Africa and to develop temporally relevant indicators of the state of the terrestrial, atmospheric and ocean carbon systems that are relevant and accessible to policymakers and the general public.