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ICOS-BE Science conference: from science to impact

On 20 April 2023 the Royal Science Museum in Brussels and the Royal Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy hosted the forth ICOS Belgium science conference. The conference was visited by 61 researchers and stakeholders from a wide variety of institutes. Many of the represented institutes are active participants in our ICOS Belgium network, but we were also happy to welcome people from outside our ICOS national network especially as this conference focused on the evolution from data collection to impacting scientific development and policy making.

Researchers from ICOS sites presented their most recent results, thereby providing latest updates regarding data collection of atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations and flux measurements in terrestrial ecosystems and the North Sea. Also the different opportunities to use existing facilities at ICOS Belgium sites was emphasized. Presentations underlined that ICOS Belgium sites are hotspots for a wide range of research fields, including validation of different remote sensing techniques.

Colleagues from the ICOS network in the Netherlands presented their intensive and elaborate measuring campaigns in the city of Rotterdam and gave more insights on how they tackle science and climate communication. Speakers from two other research infrastructures, AnaEE and LifeWatch, gave an interesting insight on their ongoing activities in order to open discussion on possible future collaborations.

Valerie Trouet from the Belgian Climate Center elaborated on their future plans and goals in order to support climate researchers and optimize interactions between climate researchers, policy makers and industry. Maria Berdahl from the European Commission gave more insights on the structure and services of the Copernicus program.

Discover all presentations and posters on the conference website

We would like to thanks all presenters for their contributions and everyone attending for the interesting discussions. Finally we would like to thank RBINS for hosting and BIRA for the organization of this conference. See you again in 2025!

The Ecosystem Stations Dorinne and Yangambi receive ICOS label

After passing a rigorous quality assurance process, 10 new measurement stations have received the status of an ICOS labelled station. Station labelling is one of the key ways ICOS keeps the quality of its data high and ensures its usability in climate research. To receive the label of a standardised greenhouse gas measurement station, all ICOS stations have to pass a demanding standardisation and quality control programme. Data from labelled stations is regularly monitored to maintain the best possible quality.

Two of the ten measuring stations that received their ICOS label are (co-)operated by a Belgium research institute. The grassland station in Dorinne operated by Liège University is now labelled as a class 2 measuring site. The Yangambi station, operated by Ghent University and the Research Center of Yangambi, is now the first official associated ICOS site in the Congo Basin.

Congratulations to everyone who put in the hard work to make this possible!


Ecosystem station Dorinne

Ecosystem station Yangambi

Global Carbon Budget 2022

The Global Carbon Budget of 2022 reveals global carbon emissions remain at record levels and so far there is no sign of the much needed decrease that is essential to limit warming to 1.5 °C. The Global Carbon Budget estimates a total global CO2 emissions of 40.6 billion tonnes (GtCO2) in 2022. These CO2 emissions are mostly caused by the combustion of fossil fuels as these emissions are projected to rise 1.0% compared to 2021, reaching 36.6 GtCO2 – slightly above the 2019 pre-COVID-19 levels.

In addition to measuring global CO2 emissions, it is also crucial to estimate the potential of land and ocean sinks to absorb and store carbon under changing climate conditions. Researchers from VLIZ (the Flanders Marine Institute) have made an important contribution to quantifying ocean CO2 uptake. For this VLIZ uses the ICOS infrastructure that provides measurements of CO2 uptake in the Belgian coast. "The Global Carbon Budget shows that the ocean is one of our greatest allies in combating climate change," says Dr Peter Landschützer Research Director at VLIZ, "However, we are already detecting negative effects of a changing climate on the ocean. Increased uptake of CO2 is acidifying the ocean, and ocean heat waves due to climate change are already leaving their mark."

Want to know more about the Global Carbon Budget? Each year an international team of more than 100 scientist develop and publish a complete picture of the global carbon cycle and budget of the past year: this is called the Global Carbon Budget. The Carbon Budget provides an annual, peer-reviewed update that can be used to support the political debate and action .


Read the full article here: ESSD - Global Carbon Budget 2022 (copernicus.org)

Or download the article on the Global Carbon Budget website: https://globalcarbonbudget.org

This is also mentioned in the flemisch press: https://www.vrt.be/vrtnws/nl/2022/11/11/wereldwijde-co2-uitstoot-blijft-verder-stijgen-ondanks-overstr/

ICOS detects methane peaks after Nord Stream leak

©NILU Sabine Eckhart

Due to the damage to the Nord Stream gas lines in the Baltic Sea, an enormous amount of methane gas has been released into the atmosphere. Methane is one of the strongest greenhouse gases. In a period of 100 years, it warms the atmosphere about 30 times more than carbon dioxide. The leak is probably one of the largest methane leaks ever detected and is estimated to equal the size of a whole year's methane emissions for a city the size of Paris.

The methane emissions are confirmed by ICOS ground-based observations from several stations in Sweden, Norway, and Finland. Observation satellites were most probably not able to see the emission leaks, because the weather was cloudy. “These observations underline the benefits of a standardised, large network, enabling quick and reliable detection of unexpected greenhouse gas increases or decreases”, says Director General of ICOS, Werner Kutsch.

Read more:

13 - 15 September 2022 – The fifth ICOS Science Conference tracks the progress to carbon neutrality

From 13 to 15 September the fifth ICOS Science conference took place in Utrecht. The overarching theme of the conference was "Tracking progress to carbon neutrality”. With over 400 attendees this conference was the largest ICOS Conference so far. Also the ICOS Belgium team was well represented, with attendees from all partner institutions.

The conference was an ideal opportunity for master and PhD students and post-doc researchers to present the work they have been doing with ICOS data. But even more so, the conference was the perfect location for interesting discussions, discovering new measuring sites, meeting each other for the first time, or seeing each other again after a long time. A big congratulations for the head office, the organising committee and all presenters for making the fifth edition a success. Looking forward to seeing you again in 2024!

Do you want to know more about the topics discussed during the conference? Make sure to check the book of abstracts.

COP27 preparation meeting - Kinshasa (Democratic Republic of Congo)

In preparation of the COP27 (the annual United Nations Climate Conference taking place early November), environment ministers and high-ranking emissaries of fifty countries meet in Kinshasa. For two days, they will discuss critical climate issues. This to facilitate decision making during the actual COP meeting that will take place in Sharm-el-Sheikh early November. With the organisation of both the COP and pre-COP on the African Continent, officials hope to confront rich and polluting countries with their (historic) responsibilities and reinforce the demand for climate justice.

DRC also takes advantage of the pre-COP to present itself as a "solution country", as over 160 million hectares of its territory is covered with tropical rainforest. This Congo Basin is a "green lung" capable of absorbing carbon and contributing to the fight against climate change. To underline its importance, the Yangambi Biosphere Reserve, located in the heart of the Congo Basin and home of the ICOS tower, was the setting an international scientific conference organised in September 2022 by the government in context of the pre-COP. The conference focussed on the contributions of tropical forests to the fight against climate change. Scientists and officials met under the Flux tower highlighting the position of the DRC as the first lung of the planet and in the forefront of scientific research on climate change.

First volume of FLUXES, the European Greenhouse Gas Bulletin published

On 1 September the first volume of FLUXES, the European Greenhouse Gas Bulletin, was published. This new ICOS bulletin aims to highlight climate issues to an audience of policymakers, policy advisors and journalists. In the first volume, FLUXES focusses on the regional and year-over-year changes in carbon sinks over Europe.

In the bulletin a large team of ICOS researchers shows that our natural carbon sinks, such as our oceans and forest, are becoming more vulnerable due to effects of climate change. As a result of the increasing frequency of droughts, heat waves, forest fires, or floods, some natural carbon sinks can even turn into carbon sources. “We usually rely on natural sinks as our stable allies when it comes to absorbing the fossil fuel emissions,” says Dr Werner Kutsch, Director-General of ICOS. “Unfortunately, they are not! This directly threatens the course to maintain the 1.5°C goal”.

Also Belgian ICOS scientists contributed to the ICOS bulletin. “Our North Sea is doing its part to sequester carbon from the air, but it is clearly becoming more difficult to store CO2 during warm summers,” says Thanos Gkritzalis (VLIZ). Bert Gielen of the University of Antwerp, “Also on land we see that CO2 sequestration is highly dependent on the weather and management. As challenging as it may be, it is crucial that we use the current energy crisis to drastically reduce our fossil fuel emissions” concludes Gielen.

Take a look at the first volume of FLUXES

Some news items in the belgian press following this publication:

Research Vessel Belgica christened

On Saturday 25 June Princess Elisabeth christened the new oceanographic research vessel Belgica. With a length of 71 m and equipped with state-of-the-art technology, this new vessel is ready to play a key role in Belgian and European marine research. Setting off from Zeebrugge, the R.V. Belgica will go on campaigns in the North Sea, Mediterranean Sea, Black Sea, Northeast Atlantic Ocean, and will even be heading out for summer operations in arctic areas.

Research on board will focus on monitoring the state of marine waters and investigating water quality, marine life and the environmental impact of human activities. An ICOS ocean station (Class 2, Ocean Station) will also be installed on board to continuously monitor sea water and meteorological parameters.

We wish the RV Belgica and her crew a safe and productive voyage!

ICOS Belgium Consortium Meeting

On Thursday the 9th of June 2022 the ICOS Belgium Consortium Meeting was hosted by the Université Catholique de Louvain. During this annual meeting all members of the Belgian ICOS consortium meet each other to discuss recent events and plan possible future collaborations. More than ever, it was exciting to meet each other again in real life - for the first time in two years - and to welcome so many old and new faces.

During the meeting all ICOS stations gave an overview on recent station updates and future plans. First ideas for the ICOS BE Science Conference in 2023 were exchanged and current and future opportunities for collaboration of ICOS with private companies were discussed. In the afternoon we visited the ICOS site in Lonzée. The very first ICOS site devoted to production crops. Thank you to the team of UCLouvain for the warm welcome and hope to see you all again soon!

ICOS Wallonia funded for another five years

In October 2020 the Walloon government decided to continue the ICOS-WB infrastructure project for another five years (2021-2026). Phase 2 for the Walloon ICOS network started on 1 July 2021. The consortium consists of ULiège, coordinator of the network together with UCLouvain, ISSeP and CRAw with the Service Public de Wallonie (SPW) acting as the funding agency.

To celebrate the start of the new funding period a Kick-off meeting was held on 4 November 2021 with the follow-up committee.

Global Carbon Budget 2021: global carbon emissions rebound close to pre-Covid levels

The Global Carbon Project aims to develop a complete picture of the global carbon cycle, including both its biophysical and human dimensions together with the interactions and feedbacks between them. It is an international research project within the Future Earth research initiative on global sustainability, and a research partner of the World Climate Research Programme.

The 2021 report – the 16th annual Global Carbon Budget – finds that Global carbon emissions in 2021 are set to rebound close to pre-Covid levels. Fossil carbon emissions dropped by 5.4% in 2020 amid Covid lockdowns, but the new report projects an increase of 4.9% this year to 36.4 billion tonnes.

The research team – including the University of Exeter, the University of East Anglia (UEA), CICERO and Stanford University – say a further rise in emissions in 2022 cannot be ruled out if road transport and aviation return to pre-pandemic levels and coal use is stable.

The findings come as world leaders meet at COP26 in Glasgow to address the climate crisis and try to agree on a plan of action going forward.

"The rapid rebound in emissions as economies recover from the pandemic reinforces the need for immediate global action on climate change", said Professor Pierre Friedlingstein, of Exeter's Global Systems Institute, who led the study. "The rebound in global fossil CO2 emissions in 2021 reflects a return towards the pre-Covid fossil based economy. Investments in the green economy in post-Covid recovery plans of some countries have been insufficient so far, on their own, to avoid a substantial return close to pre-Covid emissions."

Prof Corinne Le Quéré, Royal Society Research Professor at UEA’s School of Environmental Sciences, contributed to this year’s analysis. She said: “It will take some time to see the full effect of the Covid related disruptions on global CO2 emissions. A lot of progress has been made in decarbonising global energy since the Paris Agreement was adopted in 2015, plus renewables is the only energy source that continued to grow during the pandemic. New investments and strong climate policy now need to support the green economy much more systematically and push fossil fuels out of the equation.”

The results and implications of the latest Global Carbon Budget will be discussed as part of a UN side event at COP26 entitled: "1.5°C: Where are we now, where are we headed, what are the risks?" A panel of experts speak about issues including climate projections and resilience, with an opening talk from Prof Friedlingstein. It will take place on 10 November from 11:30-12:45 GMT in Multimedia studio 3. The event will also be webcast live on the public UNFCCC website.

VLIZ as a data provider in SOCAT (thanks to its participation in ICOS) was a co-author of the report.

More data and figures are available here.

Webinar series: ICOS Cities Talks

The ICOS Cities project is designing new ways to observe greenhouse gas emissions in cities. Paris, Munich and Zürich are the first cities to test the measurement methodologies. As part of the project, ICOS Cities Talks is launched – a webinar series with experts discussing climate change and its measurement in urban environments.

Urban areas contribute to a large share of global and European fossil fuel emissions - cities are therefore at the heart of emission reduction efforts. The aim of ICOS Cities is to help cities execute their climate action goals by providing data on fossil fuel emissions from urban areas.

“The ICOS Cities project brings together over 100 top scientists from different fields of science. They represent 30 European Universities and research organisations. I am confident that together with this group of top scientists, we can bring forth new solutions to support cities in their climate actions and decisions,” says Werner Kutsch, the coordinator of the project and Director General at ICOS ERIC.

ICOS Cities Talks for everyone

Kicking off the project, a brand-new webinar series ‘ICOS Cities Talks’ will start on Wednesday the 3rd of November. The webinars gather experts from around the globe, giving a 30 minutes talk on greenhouse gas measurements and climate change in urban landscapes. The talk will be followed by a Q&A session and a discussion.

“The first talks will revolve around e.g. eddy covariance flux measurements, city climate budget as a tool to achieve ambitious climate goals and how to measure attitudes among citizens towards climate change. During the upcoming months, there will be plenty of other interesting topics that will be launched very soon,” says Claudio D’Onofrio, ICOS Cities Project Manager.

The webinars are free of charge and open for everyone. Especially students, researchers and other professionals are invited to join. More info and registration here.

ICOS at COP26

The 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference, also known as COP26 and as the Glasgow Conference, represents the world’s last best chance to limit global warming to 1.5°c, to turn the Paris commitments into action and to help build a sustainable future for all. ICOS is among the representatives of many international organisations supporting science to help understand and slow down climate change.

ICOS has promised to deliver scientific knowledge to support climate action and decision-making and to advance the fulfilment of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals concerning climate change.

Find ICOS at the following events:


Let’s start the ocean data revolution in the Nordics!
4th of November 2021, 14:00–15:00 UTC
Join us and start the Ocean Data Revolution and discuss cross-sectoral partnerships to reach the EU Green Deal & Paris Agreement commitments!

Terrestrial GHG flux observations as an essential climate variable
3rd of November 2021, 10:00-13:00 UTC
View our poster at the virtual poster session on “Interpreting Earth observations for implementing the Paris Agreement – developments, opportunities and challenges”.

Carbon neutral construction in Nordic cities
3rd of November 2021, 11:00-12:30 UTC
Follow the broadcast on "Carbon neutral construction in Nordic cities: Networks for co-creation and impact — Showcase of best practices, identifying gaps, and moving forward".

Read more info here.

Vielsalm ICOS station: 25 years of greenhouse gas measurements

UCLouvain and ULiège are celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Vielsalm measurement station. Founded in 1996, it is one of the oldest greenhouse gas exchange measurement stations in Europe.

"For a quarter of a century, this station has been providing scientists and decision-makers with very high-precision data", emphasises Caroline Vincke, professor at the Faculty of Bioengineering of the UCLouvain and head of the Vielsalm station since 2014.

Thanks to a 50-metre high flux tower, the station measures every 30 minutes the exchange of CO2 and water vapour between the atmosphere and the forest ecosystem composed of beech, Douglas fir and spruce trees. Other data collected in the air, soil and vegetation help to understand what influences these fluxes.

Over the past 25 years, numerous research projects have been conducted thanks to the measurements carried out at Vielsalm. In particular concerning the carbon sequestration of the forest and its resilience to climatic events or biotic attacks.

The UCLouvain and ULiège have thus demonstrated that this forest ecosystem behaves like a fairly stable carbon sink, with the beech trees absorbing an average of 411gC/m2/year and the Douglas fir trees absorbing 813gC/m2/year. "In other words, says Caroline Vincke, one hectare of this forest offsets the CO2 emissions of a conventional car driven 116 000 kilometres."

In the autumn of 2020, Vielsalm was awarded the prestigious ICOS ecosystem label. To celebrate this milestone and the 25th anniversary of the, a ceremony was held on Wednesday 27 October 2021 with Walloon minister of economy, research and innovation and agriculture Willy Borsus.

First comprehensive article describing ICOS published

An article describing the purpose and operation of the ICOS Research Infrastructure has been published in the Bulletin of American Meteorological Society (BAMS). The article raises a number of particularly important scientific questions in the field. While we know that half of the carbon emissions released to the atmosphere by fossil fuel usage are re-captured by the ocean and land ecosystems, we still lack knowledge when it comes to the exact size, nature and stabilities of these carbon sinks and how these will be affected by climate change. How these sinks operate in detail, and if they indeed continue to work is vital information for societies, that must decide on pathways to climate neutrality.

Due to the growing urgency of climate change, many of these questions relate to policy frameworks such as the Paris Agreement or to the UN Sustainable Development goals.

“The best way to know the current status of the Earth is to measure it continuously and for decades to be able to see changes in the nature. We also need to provide that information fast enough to support decision making,” says Jouni Heiskanen, first author of the article.

Read more here.

Hungary to be 14th country to join ICOS Research Infrastructure

After Hungary's accession to ICOS on 1st of January 2022, several Hungarian atmosphere and ecosystem observation stations will be gradually integrated into the ICOS network. The first station entering the network will be an existing atmosphere station in the village of Hegyhátsál in Vas County in western Hungary, operated by the Institute for Nuclear Research.

The addition of Hungary to the map provides scientists with a possibility to compare greenhouse gas measurements from an area reaching all the way from Atlantic Ocean to Hungary, and from Canary Islands to Finnish Lapland.

Read more here.

Research Vessel Simon Stevin labelled!

Among the recently certified 12 ICOS greenhouse gas measurement stations is the Belgian Ocean station Simon Stevin. This 36-metre-long Ship of Opportunity measures the partial pressure of carbon dioxide (pCO2), dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) and other parameters in the ocean during its journey from the Belgian coast to the North Sea and the Eastern part of the English Channel, and back. The area where Simon Stevin sails is interesting for measurements because it is situated close to highly urbanised land and to the Scheldt River, where freshwater from the river mixes with salt water from the North Sea.

Having ICOS measurement equipment on board, the ship can evaluate, for example, how much carbon dioxide the sea has taken up. The oceans absorb approximately 25% of the human generated carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Increased amount of carbon dioxide in the North Sea would make the sea more acid and affect e.g its distinctive marine life.

A quote by Thanos Gkritzalis about the significance of Simon Stevin getting labelled/the work that has been done over the years etc:

“High quality and long term observations of CO2 and carbon parameters are crucial for understanding how marine environments behave and evolve. Having the RV Simon Stevin as an ICOS station operating in the Southern Bight of the North Sea the Belgian Coast and nearby Scheldt estuary will provide the necessary data and infrastructure to marine researchers and policy makers to understand this environment and ecosystem better. VLIZ is proud of being part of such a landmark infrastructure as ICOS”

Vacancy: (Bio)-Engineer in charge of the technical implementation, monitoring and data management of environmental measurement chains for ICOS-Belgium

The BioDynE (Biosystems Dynamics and Exchanges) axis at the Faculty of Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech (University of Liège, Belgium) is hiring an engineer to set up and monitor its experiments in the framework of the ICOS (Integrated Carbon Observation System, https://www.icos-ri.eu/, http://www.icos-belgium.be/) project.

He/she will work within the ICOS-Wallonia-Brussels team, a dynamic team of two (bio)-engineers and two technicians that seeks to understand the functioning of agronomic and forest ecosystems to meet tomorrow's environmental challenges (reduction of the greenhouse effect, feeding the population, ...). The team is integrated in the BioDynE research axis which provides a stimulating work environment in a university setting, including multiple collaborations with researchers and technicians.

The call will close on November 1st 2021.

Download full vacancy here.

Virtual #ICOScapes Photo Exhibition - Raising awareness on climate change through photographs

The #ICOScapes Photo Exhibition is now available for you to enjoy from the comfort of your couch!

The photographs and videos of the virtual #ICOScapes exhibition highlight unique environments across Europe, where scientists work at ICOS greenhouse gas measurement stations. Observing the level of greenhouse gases is essential for predicting climate change and mitigating its consequences. Data from observations are used both for research and for international policy making.

The photos and videos in the virtual exhibition are taken by the famous nature and wildlife photographer Konsta Punkka during his visits to 12 ICOS greenhouse gas measurement sites in Europe between 2017–2018. From the hundreds of photographs, 24 pictures were selected for the exhibition. For Belgium ocean station RV Simon Stevin was photographed.

The virtual exhibition is open from April 26 2021 to April 26 2022 at www.icos-cp.eu/icoscapes.

You can follow and discuss the #ICOScapes campaign on Instagram, Youtube and Twitter with hashtag #ICOScapes.

Belgian Focal Point Ivan Janssens ranked 135th in Reuters list world’s top climate scientists

Belgian Focal Point Ivan Janssens was ranked 135th in the Reuters list of the world’s top climate scientists. The list ranks 1000 climate academics according to how influential they are. Ivan Janssens is the highest ranking Belgian scientist.

The ranking is based on how many research papers he has published on topics related to climate change, how often those papers are cited by other scientists in similar fields of study and how often those papers are referenced in the lay press, social media, policy papers and other outlets.

Consult the full list here

Labeling process for ICOS atmospheric stations published

High precision and accuracy are mandatory for the measurements of GHG's and their use in atmospheric inversion models. The atmospheric measurement stations joining ICOS are therefore required to undergo a rigorous assessment before they are officially labeled. The labeling process for the ICOS atmospheric network was published by Camille et al. (https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-89-2021) in Atmospheric Measurement Techniques in January 2021. The paper outlines in depth the labeling steps, the quality control process for the GHG's and meteorological measurements to attain the expected high quality level of ICOS that was applied to the 23 stations labelled between November 2017 and November 2019, including the RUN station operated by BIRA on Reunion Island in the Indian Ocean. Furthermore, it describes the calibration cycle detailing the measurement types and frequency, and the verification methodology to detect problems. The paper gives recommendations for the optimal choice of calibration sequence, important lessons learned from the labeling process and several key results, that are useful for other atmospheric stations and future stations planning to join ICOS.

Brasschaat and Vielsalm ecosystem stations labelled

The ecosystem stations of Brasschaat and Vielsalm were officially labelled at the 12th ICOS General Assembly (17-18 November 2020, online). Now seven out of eleven Belgian stations have passed the rigorous ICOS quality assurance process for standardised data production and are now ICOS certified. This new milestone also makes Belgium one of the best performing countries in the research infrastructure.

A big cheers to everyone who put in the hard work to make this possible!

The Kingdom of Spain joins ICOS

Spain became the 13th country to join the ICOS research infrastructure. Starting from 1 January 2021 eight measurement stations will gradually join the network: two ocean stations measuring in the adjacent sea areas, two ecosystem stations and four atmospheric towers.

The new stations will extend the standardised ICOS measurement network to the Spanish mainland, to the Canary Islands and to the Mediterranean Sea: areas that are strategically important and increase the geographical spread of the network.

Like all ICOS data, also the Spanish data will be openly available on the ICOS Carbon Portal, free of charge for anyone to use.

Read the press release here.

Welcome Spain!

ICOS drought study in the press

De Standaard newspaper published two excellent longreads on ICOS and the 2018 extreme Summer drought study as part of a series about the impact of climate change on nature in Europe. The series is called ‘Het droge noorden’.

The article features interviews with PI’s Caroline Vincke (Vielsalm) and Marilyn Roland (Brasschaat).

Congratulations to everyone who made this possible!

Click here to read the article on CO2 compensation by trees and here to read the article on forests acting as potential CO2 sources rather than sinks (both in Flemish).

University of Ghent builds the first fluxtower in Congo basin

The University of Ghent has built the very first eddy fluxtower in tropical Africa. The CongoFlux tower, as it is called, has successfully started measuring beginning of October 2020 and is proposed as an ICOS ecosystem associated site. The tower is 55m high and powered by solar panels.

As the only fluxtower located in this part of the world, CongoFlux holds a huge added value for the ICOS monitoring network but also for the understanding of the carbon cycle at a global level. Tropical forests are a crucial ecosystem for global CO2 capture and exchange and are estimated to be responsible for ca. 10% of the annual fossil fuel-derived CO2 removal. However field-based data for CO2 uptake and GHG exchange for Congo basin forests, the second largest area of tropical forest worldwide, are lacking. As the very first flux tower for tropical forests in central Africa, CongoFlux will fill this knowledge gap.

The installation in the UNESCO Biosphere reserve of Yangambi, Democratic Republic of Congo was a a joint effort by the UGhent team lead by prof. Pascal Boeckx (ISOFYS) and local partners of the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), the Regional Postgraduate School for Integrated Planning and Management of Tropical Forests (ERAIFT), the National Institute of agronomic studies and research (INERA) and the company R&SD.

Construction of the tower was funded via DGD Belgium through the 10th EU Development Fund as part of the Yangambi Pôle Scientifique (YPS) project which intends to make Yangambi a scientific hub for the benefit of the populations and biodiversity of the DRC.

CongoFlux is part of the Flemish FWO IRI funding request where UGhent is added as new partner to the ICOS Belgium Consortium.

A big congratulations to our new colleagues at UGhent for this huge achievement!

UN report ‘United in Science’ cites ICOS COVID-19 study

The UN Report “United in Science” is a multi-organization high-level compilation of the latest climate science information developed by the UNFCCC and WMO. The key messages were presented 9 September 2020 in a press conference by António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations and Petteri Taalas, Secretary-General of the World Meteorological Organization.

The report cited a recent study by ICOS on urban CO2 emissions during the COVID-19 lockdown initiated by Dario Papale from the Ecosystem Thematic Centre, writing:

“An example of the significant changes that can be measured within cities (such as proposed in the WMO Integrated Global Greenhouse Gas Information System, ig3is.wmo.int) is shown in the Integrated Carbon Observation System (ICOS) 2020 where reductions in emissions of up to 75% were measured in the city centres of Basel, Florence, Helsinki, Heraklion, London and Pesaro, using eddy covariance techniques that directly measure vertical exchange fluxes within a circumference several kilometres from the measurement point.“ (page 6)

This is a great example of ICOS knowledge going to the highest climate policy level.
Big thank you to everyone who was involved!

Read the report here

Drought in Europe decreases carbon uptake and crop yields

An ICOS synthesis study of the 2018 severe Summer drought shows how vegetation in Europe responds to extreme dry conditions, i.e. how the exchange of carbon between the vegetation and atmosphere is affected. The 17 individual studies cover areas from Spain to Sweden and Finland, and from the Czech Republic through Germany, France and Belgium to the Netherlands and the UK. The drought studies provide crucial knowledge when trying to minimise the negative effects of climate change.

The 17 papers were published in a special theme issue of Philosophical Transactions B: ‘Impacts of the 2018 severe drought and heatwave in Europe: from site to continental scale’.

One paper covering 56 sites showed that carbon sinks decreased in general by 18%. The results are significant since such extreme droughts will likely happen much more frequently in the future.

The study was a joint research effort of over 200 top scientists made possible thanks to the existing infrastructure and data of ICOS.

“These drought studies demonstrate that the ICOS community is able to collaborate across disciplines, integrate various data streams and bring forth new knowledge to solve the challenges climate change sets all of us”, says Werner Kutsch, Director General of ICOS.

You can find the links to all 17 papers via https://www.icos-cp.eu/event/975 or in the press release.

ICOS study shows clear reduction in urban CO2 emissions as a result of Covid-19 lockdown

Figure 1. Average daily emissions from February 5th to May 6th 2020 (red area) and average of the previous years during the same period (grey area). The dark-orange horizontal bars cover the periods of official lockdowns while the light-orange bars indicate periods of partial lockdown or general restrictions (e.g. schools closed, personal contact reductions, mobility constraints).

Integrated Carbon Observation System, ICOS, is the first to release results of a scientific study that shows a large reduction in carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in seven European cities during the lockdown caused by the Covid-19 virus. The study is conducted by ICOS ecosystem scientists together with colleagues around Europe.

The Covid-19 related restrictions have forced many of us to stay at home. This has strongly reduced road traffic and economic activities particularly in cities and urban areas where majority of the people live. Consequently, this has also cut down human-induced carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions to the atmosphere.

Although this reduction is not strong enough to be globally visible in the atmosphere (e.g. see ICOS news), at local scale the changes in emissions can be observed.

Carbon dioxide emissions reduced even by 75 percent

The study, which is currently being prepared for peer-review, shows that lockdown has so far reduced carbon dioxide emissions at all cities participating the study. “The reductions range from 8% in a highly vegetated urban area of Berlin, Germany, to 75% in the city centre of Heraklion inGreece, “says Professor Dario Papale, Director of the ICOS Ecosystem Thematic Centre.

The European cities included in the study are Basel in Switzerland, Berlin in Germany, Florence and Pesaro in Italy, Helsinki in Finland, Heraklion in Greece and London in the UK. The size of reduction varied due to the characteristics of the sampled areas and the stringency of the lockdown restrictions in place. In all cities, there was a clear temporal connection with the restrictions and the emission reduction.

For the local observations, the scientists globally use a technique called eddy covariance, in which the exchange of carbon dioxide between the atmosphere and a particular ecosystem is being measured by equipment installed in towers topping over the area and its vegetation. This allows to see the changes in nearly real-time.

Traffic, vegetation as well as economic and domestic activities affect the reduction

The tower in Heraklion observed the largest reduction, since it is in an area characterized by dense commercial activities and intense road traffic, both of which were completely stopped during the lockdown. In Pesaro, the almost full stop of all traffic reduced the CO2 emissions up to one third of the normal amount. In other cities, such as in Florence, in Basel and in Helsinki, the emissions are a combination of reduced traffic and economic activities, while increased domestic heating and human metabolism partly counterbalance the reduction. In the Basel-B location, however, the traffic is twofold in respect to the Basel-K and for this reason the reduction is larger.

Traffic and the commercial sector cause also a large part of London’s emissions – but London differs from Helsinki and Florence due to is residential contribution: normally, the weekday population in daytime central London can increase 10-fold due to the influx of commuters. This was decreased strongly with lockdown.

In Berlin, the moderate reduction in traffic has been counterbalanced by domestic emissions and the presence of vegetation, leading to relatively small fluxes.

Clear connection to restriction orders visible

The connection of lockdown-measures to the emissions and the connected timing can be clearly seen from the figure above.

“In some cases (Florence, London and Heraklion) emissions began decreasing even some time before the official lockdown was implemented, when people responded to recommendations to reduce travel and work from home as much as possible”, Dario Papale points out.

Dario Papale says that “This is a great example of collaboration among scientists in different countries, which is supported by local authorities who allow us to collect these important measurements. Flux measurements will be very important for monitoring the emission patterns in the coming weeks and months, when private cars will possibly be preferred to public transports to avoid crowds. This might cause a fast growth of emissions that may even exceed those of the pre-lockdown period.”

The scientists aim to make further studies based on the data generated from these city towers. While this early analysis paves the way for more in-depth studies, it already shows the importance of having observation towers also in the urban areas. This significance of cities will also grow in the future: already today, some 55% of world’s population live in cities, and according to United Nations, the percentage will grow considerably over the coming decades.

Read the full Article here

In the press

ICOS study on Covid-19 lockdown effects in the atmosphere

ICOS has written an article that discusses the effects of the Covid-19 shutdown. The study – based on ICOS data of course – shows these signs are currently almost impossible to see in the atmosphere – but they are there. The authors use an analogue of a swimming pool to explain in simple terms how the continuously increasing human emissions get mixed with the already existing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, and of what magnitude is the effect of the Covid-19 shutdown.

In the article, ICOS invites everybody to join the race of finding the signal, this thinnest of the thin hair in the atmospheric swimming pool. To read the article and join the search for the signal, go to www.icos-cp.eu/event/917.

The article is also available in Dutch, French and German.

Enjoy reading and feel free to spread the word!

JC191 expedition with Hannelore Theetaert

On 19 January 2020 Hannelore Theetaert, chemistry lab technician of VLIZ, joined the JC191 expedition on board the RRS James Cook. Over the course of 42 days Hannelore together with a group of 17 scientists and 4 technicians of 8 different nationalities and 10 participating institutions (led by the National Oceanography Centre, Southampton, UK) will be collecting continuous data and discrete water samples at 145 stations over a 4000 miles stretch of the Atlantic Ocean.

The aim of the JC191 expedition that started in Fort Lauderdale (Florida, USA) and will end in Tenerife (Spain) is to monitor the ocean health and to better understand how the ocean is responding to climate change.

Hannelore wrote a blog post about her on board experiences. You can read it and more on the expedition here.

Hannelore is pictured here on board of the RV Simon Stevin from VLIZ.

ICOS Belgium Science Conference report

The second edition of the ICOS Belgium Science Conference was visited by 65 researchers and stakeholders from a wide array of institutes both belonging to the ICOS Belgium network and from outside ICOS. Even as ICOS is establishing itself as a global benchmark research infrastructure (RI) for greenhouse gas monitoring, continuous demands for new and specific data products and challenges await. How ICOS can and should collaborate, support or interact with other RI’s and research domains in the face of these challenges was the main question of the conference.

Speakers from ACTRIS, Copernicus, AnaEE and data platforms such as Terrascope presented their existing collaborations with ICOS, new possible applications for the ICOS data and future avenues for interacting. It is clear that synergies between the RI’s are possible and new ways of working together will have to be forged in order to tackle ever emerging challenges.

The greenhouse gas monitoring activities of ICOS are without doubt of global and public importance. Inversely can the general public play a role in helping with or improving the ICOS activities? Citizen science project Knappe K(n)oppen presented an example of how projects can engage and share their knowledge with high schools while the schools in turn can help a project by collecting large amounts of data.

The technical challenges and large number of research groups working in ICOS and ICOS related topics present private companies with new technological development opportunities and innovations and vice versa. Tech company ABB presented a new method for urban greenhouse gas monitoring that was tested in collaboration with the University of Utah. The conference demonstrated that ICOS isn’t just a greenhouse gas monitoring network but also a facilitator and partner for tackling broader scientific and societal problems related to climate change.

Find all the presentations on the conference website.

This was a special edition of the science conference because it was the last performance of prof.dr. Reinhart Ceulemans as the Belgian Focal Point. Reinhart Ceulemans gave a keynote speech where he reflected on his lifelong research on short-rotation forestry for bio-energy. Reinhart Ceulemans handed the torch over to prof.dr. Ivan Janssens who was appointed as his successor. We thank Reinhart for his dedication, pioneering role and relentless efforts to build ICOS RI and make ICOS Belgium the flagship network that it is today and welcome Ivan into his new function. Best of luck to the both of you!

View the conference pictures here.

New Focal Point for ICOS Belgium

Prof. Dr. Ivan Janssens has been appointed as the new Belgian National Focal Point of ICOS, to succeed Prof. Dr. Reinhart Ceulemans upon his retirement. Ivan started at the position on the 1 October 2019.

Ivan has been an active member of the ICOS community since the preparatory phase, and has been the PI of the Brasschaat ecosystem station. Ivan is a leading expert in ecosystem functioning and studies the effects of global climate changes on ecosystems. He is professor at the Plants and Ecosystems research group and leads the Global Change Ecology Centre of Excellence at the University of Antwerp.

"I have to fill the gigantic footsteps that Reinhart left behind, but will do my best. I have the luxury to step in at the time that the Belgian infrastructure is really kicking off, I promise to actively contribute to maximise the impact of ICOS," tells Ivan.

Warmest thanks to Reinhart for his long commitment to ICOS, and congratulations to Ivan for the new position.

2019 ICOS Belgium Science Conference: call for abstracts

The 2019 ICOS Belgium Science Conference will take place on Thursday 3 October 2019 at Hof van Liere in Antwerp. The second edition of the conference focuses on the vast possibilities of greenhouse gas measurements within and beyond the monitoring networks of ICOS with a focus on research and collaborations in Belgium. Participants can register and/or submit an abstract via the registration page for one of the three themes of the conference:

  • Standardized and approved: new insights from an integrated approach to greenhouse gas monitoring
  • Peeping over the fence: can ICOS data support other research fields and infrastructures and vice versa
  • Bridging the gap: applying ICOS data into policy and societal solutions

The abstract submission deadline is 18 August 2019. Visit the website for more information and to register.

The 2019 ICOS Belgium Science Conference is organized by the University of Antwerp, the Royal Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy and the University of Liege.

ICOS Head Office is looking for a Head of Operations

The ICOS Head Office in Helsinki, Finland has an open job position for a Head of Operations. She or he will be heading the Operations Unit, leading a team of 5 persons. The position is full-time and permanent.

The application deadline is 5 May 2019

Click here for more information and to apply for the job

Belgian scientists hand out an Open Letter for a better climate policy

More than 3400 Belgian scientists have signed an Open Letter for a braver and more ambitious climate policy. The Open Letter was written by the Global Change Ecology Centre of University of Antwerp, one of the partner universities of ICOS. The Open Letter was initiated by Dr Sara Vicca and Prof Dr Ivan Janssens, the Head of the ICOS Brasschaat ecosystem station. Vicca and Janssens wanted to react to the overwhelming success of two events which took place in the end of January - the school strikes by Youth for Climate that mobilised more than 35 000 secondary school students, and the Climate March which brought more than 70 000 people to Brussels making it the largest ever march in Belgium.

The Open Letter summarises the main facts about climate change in seven clear statements. The thousands of academics that support the letter are a proof of the broad scientific consensus on both the drivers of climate change and the action required to limit the rise in temperatures below the 1.5 °C target.

Read the Open Letter here

ICOS ecosystem protocols published in International Agrophysics

Thirteen protocols on greenhouse gas flux and ancillary measurements at terrestrial ecosystems have been published in a dedicated issue of the open-access journal International Agrophysics. These protocols describe the current agreed methodology for assessing the greenhouse gas exchange in the terrestrial ecosystem types that are most relevant for Europe.

The protocols are published in the format of scientific articles explaining the purpose and scientific background of the measurements and justifying the choice of the method. They include a general introduction on ICOS, in particular of its ecosystem domain.

The Ecosystem Thematic Centre (ETC) took the lead in writing four of the thirteen documents, with the ETC UAntwerp team lead authoring the protocols on soil-meteorological measurements and ancillary measurements (lead authors Dr. Maarten Op de Beeck and Dr. Bert Gielen). Numerous other researchers from ICOS Belgium contributed to the development of the protocols as well.

For the practical implementation of the protocols, complementary step-by-step instruction documents were developed by the ETC, which can be found on the ETC website.

Many thanks to the ecosystem community for this huge achievement!

Find the protocols here.

VLIZ buoy is one of fifteen new labelled ICOS stations

Fifteen new greenhouse gas measurement stations have been certified for standardised ICOS greenhouse gas data production. One of them is the Thornton Buoy located near the artificial reefs at the C-power wind farm in the Belgian part of the North Sea.

The data collected at these new stations will help to reveal the carbon emissions and sinks in Europe. ICOS data is essential to predict climate change and to mitigate its consequences in line with the United Nations agreements currently being negotiated at the COP24 climate top in Katowice, Poland.

"The greenhouse gas information gathered from all over Europe is essential for national governments to improve their mitigation activities, and also for inter-governmental organisations to make informed decisions, when they seek ways to fulfil the requirements set by international agreements" says Dr. Werner Kutsch, ICOS Director General.

Read the press release (in Dutch) here.

7 - 12 April 2019: The European Geoscience Union (EGU) General Assembly - Vienna (Austria)

The European Geoscience Union (EGU) General Assembly 2019 is taking place in Vienna (Austria) on 7–12 April 2019. EGU 2019 will bring together geoscientists from all over the world to one meeting covering all disciplines of the Earth, planetary, and space sciences. The deadline for abstract submission is 10 January 2019, 13:00 CET.

All information can be found here: https://www.egu2019.eu/.

ICOS @ Dag van de Wetenschappen 2018

This year’s Dag van de Wetenschap event at VLIZ, Oostende attracted approximately 1000 visitors. At the ICOS stand children could participate in three CO2 experiments. As can be seen from the photo the kids were very happy to make their own CO2.

In Maasmechelen UAntwerp collaborated with UHasselt to promote the nearby ICOS ecosystem station and the AnaEE Ecotron. More than 100 visitors joined the guided walk around the Ecotron infrastructure. The walk ended in the Field Research Centre of UHasselt where a team of ICOS volunteers used experiments to demonstrate the greenhouse gas effects and its consequences.

Greenlight for replacement of Belgian research vessel Belgica

The Belgian Government is investing 53,7 million EUR in a new Belgian research vessel for multidisciplinary oceanic research. The nameless ship will take the place of the 34 years old RV Belgica, which is the ICOS ocean observation platform run by the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (RBINS). The ship will be larger and will have double the laboratory space of the Belgica. It will also have a silent motor needed for fishery research. The ship will be built in Spain and is planned to be sea proof by October 2020.

The government has launched a competition for secondary schools to choose the new ship’s name. Classes can enter the competition via www.belspo.be/NewRV.

In the news:

25 November 2018: Dag van de Wetenschap - ECOTRON en ICOS: teletijdmachines voor klimaatonderzoek

Wat zijn broeikasgassen? Hoe komt het dat het klimaat verandert? Wat betekent klimaatverandering voor onze natuur? Hoe onderzoek je de effecten van klimaatverandering?
Ontdek samen met wetenschappers van de Universiteit Hasselt en Universiteit Antwerpen de antwoorden op deze vragen!

Tijdens een begeleide wandeling met een Ranger van het Nationaal Park maak je kennis met de Ecotron UHasselt De Ecotron bestaat uit 14 hoogtechnologische kamers, waarmee wetenschappers in staat zijn om het klimaat van de toekomst na te bootsen. Op deze manier kan men de effecten van klimaatverandering op het ecosysteem heide bestuderen. Dit onderzoek is gebaseerd op metingen van het Integrated Carbon Observation System (ICOS) van UAntwerpen en is uniek in de wereld!

Aansluitend tonen wetenschappers van UAntwerpen en UHasselt je aan de hand van proefjes in het Field Research Centre wat ze meten en op welke manier ze dit doen. Je kan er zelf het broeikaseffect nabootsen, de oceaanverzuring waarnemen, de diversiteit aan bodemdieren van de heide ontdekken….

De Ecotron UHasselt kun je enkel bezoeken onder begeleiding en mits registratie. Maximaal 25 personen per rondleiding. De begeleide wandelingen starten om 13u00, 14u00, 15u00 en 16u00 in het Field Research Centre en duren ongeveer 1,5 uur.

Inschrijven kan vanaf 7 november 2018

Locatie:
Connecterra
Hoofdtoegangspoort Nationaal Park Hoge Kempen
Zetellaan 54
3630 Maasmechelen (Eisden)

Meer informatie en inschrijving vind je hier: www.dagvandewetenschap.be



ICOScapes Photo Exhibition Opened

On 11 September 2018 the ICOScapes Photo Exhibition was opened at the third ICOS Science Conference in Prague, Czech Republic. The 24 photo’s visualizing greenhouse gas measurements and research activities at 12 ICOS stations were taken by nature photographer Konsta Punkka (@kpunkka).

The exhibition will be traveling across Europe in 2018–2019. In Belgium the research vessel Simon Stevin from VLIZ was photographed. Watch this video to learn more about the Simon Stevin.

All the photos of the ICOScapes campaign can be viewed at @icosri.

First ICOS Progress Report

ICOS has published its first Progress Report. Covering the period 2015 - 2017 it shows how ICOS has evolved from various European research projects into a solid international research infrastructure. Click here to read the full report.

ICOS video from Simon Stevin & VLIZ Thorton Buoy

Watch the new video presenting the Simon Stevin and Thorton Buoy Ocean Stations.

Proefkot

Proefkot is an afterschool science academy for children aged 11 – 13 years old organized by the University of Antwerp. A group of children from different schools and backgrounds are invited during six afternoons to follow workshops on different science and technology subjects at the university. ICOS Belgium organized two workshops about climate change on 28 March and 2 May 2018.

For more information on future editions of Proefkot visit https://www.uantwerpen.be/nl/onderzoek-en-innovatie/wetenschap-voor-iedereen/kinderen/proefkot

ICOS Belgium Consortium Meeting

The fourth edition of the ICOS Belgium Consortium Meeting was held on Friday 1 June 2018 in Vielsalm. Host of the meeting was the Université Catholique de Louvain. The agenda consisted of a.o. an introduction of the new ecosystem station of Dorinne, an update of all the stations in the national network, the state of progress of the station labelling process, the launch of the renewed ICOS BE website, the planning of the upcoming ICOS BE Science Conference in 2019 etc.

The annual meetings are the one moment where the whole Belgian ICOS consortium comes together to discuss the planning and progress of the network, to exchange ideas and keep each other updated and to plan joint initiatives and collaborations. We therefore thank all of the participants for a constructive meeting and look forward to next year’s edition which will be hosted in Antwerp. See you there!

Information panel at Vielsalm

An information panel was put up at the Vielsalm ecosystem station to inform passers-by of the ongoing research activities. Stop by when you're in the neighbourhood.

Lonzée ecosystem station inaugurated

The Lonzée ecosystem station, was among the first 7 stations, out of an expected 140 stations all over Europe, to have successfully completed the ICOS labeling process and to have received the official ICOS label in November 2017. The label guarantees that the ecosystem station meets the high level of standardization and measurement quality set by ICOS.

To celebrate this certification, an inauguration event was organized at the station site on Thursday 29 March 2018. The event took place in the eminent presence of Walloon Minister of Energy and climate Mr. Jean-Luc Crucke, the academic authorities of ULiege, Mr. Van Eyck farmer-owner of the land and several representatives of the ICOS RI network.

Press releases concerning this event:

ICOS @ Children’s University

ICOS participated in the Children’s University organized on Sunday 18 March 2018 by the University of Antwerp. In this yearly event children of all ages participate in various scientific workshops and lectures given by researchers of the UAntwerp. More than 1500 children participated in this year’s edition. See here for a report in Dutch.

Lonzée ecosystem station to be the first to receive the ICOS label

The Lonzée ecosystem station, located in the middle of a large rotating crop (wheat/sugar beet/potatoes) near Gembloux, typical of the agricultural activity on the fertile lands of the Hesbaye plateau was established by the University of Liège already in 2004.

After five years of preparation (since the start of ICOS in Belgium), the Lonzée station will be among the first 7 stations, out of an expected total of around 140 all over Europe, to have been recognized as having the level of standardization and measurement quality in line with the very high requirements imposed by ICOS.

To celebrate this certification, an inauguration event is organized on the station site on Thursday 29 March 2018. The event will take place in the presence of Walloon Minister Crucke in charge of climate (in consultation with Walloon Minister Jeholet in charge of research), representatives of the ICOS RI network, the academic authorities of ULiege, Mr. Van Eyck farmer owner of the land and Mrs. Claire Chenu, a French professor-researcher known for her work on ecosystem soil services.

Abstract submission to ICOS Science Conference opens today!

The third ICOS Science Conference will take place in Prague, Czech Republic, from 11 until 13 September 2018. The abstract submission is open as of today. Find more information here or download the invitation.

ICOS educational workshop on tour in Flemish schools - Registrations open!

Ekoli vzw is an organisation specialised in developing science workshops for children (http://www.ekoli.be/eng/). Together with the University of Antwerp they have developed a workshop (in Dutch) about climate change and climate research under the framework of ICOS. The workshop is aimed at children aged 11 to 14 years old. The try-out of the workshop took place last November during the Flemish Day of Science. This Spring the workshop called ‘Experimenteer mee met CO2’ (or in English ‘Let’s experiment with CO2!’) will be touring around Flemish high schools to educate young teenagers on climate change issues and to promote the work of ICOS. The 2,5 hour workshop is completely free of charge and the experiments designed so that they can easily be replicated in the class or at home with a minimum of material.

We are still looking for schools to visit in the period of 24 May until 31 May 2018.

If you would like to invite us to your school or if you wish to have more information please contact ThiMinhTu.Nguyen@uantwerpen.be.



PI of ICOS site awarded with the Highly Cited Researchers Award

The Clarivate Highly Cited Researchers Award celebrates the top 1% of most-cited researchers in their respective field over a recent 11-year period (2005-2015). In the 2017 list 4 Belgians have been awarded. One of which is Prof. Ivan Janssens of the Plants and Ecosystems Research Centre of Excellence (University of Antwerp) and PI for the Brasschaat ecosystem station. Prof. Janssens made it to the list three times in total. You can find his researcherID here.

See the complete 2017 list here.

Decree on the participation of Flanders in international research infrastructures sets framework for new calls in 2018

In November 2017 the Flemish government has published a decree on the participation of Flanders in international research infrastructures (RI’s). The decree provides a structural framework that groups, streamlines and updates the different instruments (ESFRI being one of them) used in the past by the Flemish government to support the participation of Flemish researchers in international RI’s. Within this new framework calls will be launched for the selection of Flemish researchers to participate in international RI’s and to receive single or structural financial support in doing so. ICOS Flanders is getting ready for the first call in spring 2018 as this will provide a framework for long term and secure funding. Exciting times lay ahead of us…

You can read the decree here.

ICOS mentioned in the Policy Note of Federal Minister of Science

In the Policy Note of Federal Minister of Science Zuhal Demir ICOS was mentioned as an example of international collaboration and of specialised research infrastructures. In the same note the investment into a new research vessel that will replace RV Belgica (Belgian's third ocean observation station) was also mentioned.

Day of Science: more than 120 visitors!

The Day of Science brought more than 120 visitors to the ecosystem station of Brasschaat!



Guided tours around the flux tower were given by scientist of ICOS and INBO.

The participants tested their knowledge and skills in the climate change experiments.

Young and old learned about the forest ecosystem during a guided walk with the ranger through the surrounding forest.

The event was picked up in the local press (Gazet van Antwerpen, 27 November 2017)

ICOS Belgium Science Conference - 75 participants!

Many thanks to all the 75 participants of the very first ICOS Belgium Science Conference on 20 October 2017 in Gembloux! See you back in two years for the second edition (date and place to be announced). The presentations can now be found here:

  • Keynote speech Long term carbon and greenhouse gas exchange estimates with eddy covariance : achievements, pitfalls and questions - prof. Marc Aubinet: download
  • Unravelling the temporal variation in a 16-year net ecosystem exchange time series of a Belgian mixed forest - Joanna Horemans: download
  • Measurement of greenhouse gases and other climate relevant species using in-situ and FTIR remote sensing at La Réunion Island - Minqian Zhou: download
  • Continuous methane concentration and stable isotope measurements in the Scheldt estuary - Caroline Jacques: download
  • Comparison of aboveground biomass production efficiency for a grassland and a forest with similar edaphic and climatic conditions - Bernard Longdoz: download
  • Rotational and continuous grazing does not affect the total net ecosystem exchange of a pasture grazed by cattle but modifies CO2 exchange dynamics - Louis Gourlez de la Motte: download
  • Using tree-ring sampling to quantify historical stem growth and reconstruct aboveground biomass at flux-tower sites - Jasper Bloemen: download
  • Oxygenated Compounds in the Tropical Atmosphere of the ICOS site of La Réunion in the Indian ocean - Jenny Stravakou: download
  • Mimicking nature: using ICOS data to control the climatic conditions inside the Ecotron Hasselt University - Jan Clerinx: download
  • Valuation of the impacts of climate change on dry heathland climate regulation - Francois Rineau: download

26 November 2017: Open house at the Brasschaat Flux Tower for the Day of Science

Have you ever wondered what it is that climate researchers do all day? Or wondered what a flux tower looks like up close? What is a flux tower anyway? On Sunday 26 November 2017 you can come and discover the answer to these questions and more right at the flux tower of Brasschaat! Join a guided tour around the tower and learn about greenhouse gas monitoring from a climate researcher. Or take part in our greenhouse gas experiments and discover how trees can help in the fight against climate change. Or take a walk with the ranger and learn about the forest ecosystem and why we should protect it. More information (in Dutch) or download the poster

Program ICOS Belgium Science Conference

The ICOS Belgium Science Conference program is ready. Click to download. You can still register for the conference. Registration deadline is 12 October 2017.

New registration deadlines ICOS Belgium Science Conference

New deadlines for registration and abstract submission to the ICOS Belgium Science Conference: abstract submission is now possible until Friday 22 September 2017, while registrations will be open until 12 October 2017. Click on the links below to learn more and to register for the conference.

More information...

Registration...

New infomation panels Lochristi

Two new information panels were put up at the ecosystem monitoring station of Lochristi. The panels were designed to inform passers by of the ongoing research at the station. Go have a look when you’re in the neighbourhood!

ICOS ERIC is looking for a Head of Unit - Communications

ICOS (Integrated Carbon Observation System) is the European Research Infrastructure (RI) providing high-precision data on greenhouse gases. Our aim is to provide knowledge through observations. We are serving Earth System Science as well as societies and political decision makers. Our data comprise atmospheric concentrations, emissions and sinks of greenhouse gases, biogeochemical cycles in terrestrial ecosystems, oceans and atmosphere and related research. ICOS is a landmark of the European Strategic Forum on Research Infrastructures (ESFRI) and aiming to become an important part of the global observation system on climate and greenhouse gases.

ICOS is coordinated by a European Research Infrastructure Consortium (ICOS ERIC) with statutory seat in Finland. The Head Office (HO) of ICOS ERIC, located in Helsinki, supports the central aims of ICOS ERIC to coordinate, develop, monitor and integrate the activities of ICOS RI by facilitating the work of the Director General (DG), the Research Infrastructure Committee and the General Assembly. The HO is led by the Director General. The HO is organized in four Units for ‘Administration’, ‘Operations’ and ‘Communication’ as well as direct support for the DG.

The Communication Unit organizes the general ICOS outreach activities and public relations on the basis of the scientific material provided by the different parts of the RI and sets up short and mid-term priorities in this field. It summarizes the results and publications and communicates them to a broader public. It also disseminates the achievements and results of externally funded projects.

ICOS ERIC is now looking for a Head of Unit – Communications who shall be responsible for the following tasks:

  • Prepares and puts into action appropriate communication and outreach strategy for ICOS RI and related projects in collaboration with the various bodies of the infrastructure
  • Supports the dissemination of results and products from ICOS and related projects
  • Manages the content of ICOS ERIC web site and social media channels
  • Prepares and distributes brochures, media kits, information sheets, and other promotional materials in collaboration with the other bodies of ICOS, particularly the Carbon Portal, Central Facilities and National Networks
  • Prepares, edits and disseminates ICOS quarterly Newsletter
  • Supervises ongoing photo campaigns and video productions
  • Supervises the day-to-day communication and outreach activities within ICOS ERIC
  • Coordinates ICOS Communications Network and related activities
  • Takes care of the ICOS brand and visual outlook
  • Organizes ICOS participation to exhibitions, conferences and other major events
  • Co-organizes the biannual ICOS Science Conference
  • Oversees ICOS press activities in Finland and internationally
  • Arranges ICOS presence in professional journals by promotion articles

Profile:

The successful candidate should have a university degree in Journalism, Media Management, Communication Management, or Pedagogics preferably with experience working with scientists on environmental monitoring or climate change research. Degrees in other subjects can be accepted as well with proven extended working experience in communication. Fluency in English is a mandatory requirement. In addition, she/he should have excellence in writing and editing outreach material. Skills in other European languages are beneficial. Experience on outreach activities and popularization of scientific results is essential. He/she should have outstanding social skills and capability to interact with the international science community. She/he should be able to follow a flexible approach to varying tasks, good organisational and administrative skills, ability to work under pressure, organising and prioritising tasks in order to meet tight and compelling deadlines, ability to work in a team, as well as autonomously and manage own workload. A successful candidate should also have a high degree of motivation and ability to work towards a common long-term goal.

The starting salary range will be 4800 – 5200 Euros but own ideas can be expressed. There is a four-month trial period. ICOS ERIC is an equal opportunity employer. This international position consists significant amount of travelling.

If you got interested, please send your CV and application (in English) with salary expectation via this link no later than 28.8.2017. For further information, please contact Tiina Koskelo, tiina.koskelo@hr4.fi or tel. +358 50 428 0842 best available on 16 August at 14.00-16.00 and 23 August at 08.00-10.00 local Helsinki time.

Further information about ICOS in general can be obtained from the ICOS RI website.

ICOS Belgium Science Conference

On Friday 20 October 2017 the University of Antwerp (UAntwerp) and the University of Liège (ULG) are organizing the first science conference dedicated to the Belgian ICOS research infrastructure. The ICOS Belgium Science Conference, as the event is called, will take place in Gembloux near the ecosystem monitoring station of Lonzée, an agricultural crop land site managed by ULG and the first European station to be completely standardized according to ICOS requirements.

A visit to the Lonzée station is foreseen in the program. The goal of the science conference is to showcase the ICOS facilities, be it the freely available long term data or the standardized monitoring stations and the broad range of possibilities in which these facilities can be put to use, to the Belgian science community interested in climate change research in ecosystems, the oceans and the atmosphere.

Contributions are welcomed from researchers, modellers and other stakeholders from within and outside the ICOS Belgium network. Submit your abstract before the deadline of 1 September 2017 here . Hope to welcome many of you there!

ICOS Belgium Consortium Study Day - 5 May 2017 (Oostende)

This year’s ICOS Belgium Consortium Meeting was held on Friday 5 May in Oostende. Host of the meeting was Flemish Marine Institute (VLIZ). The meeting kicked off with an update of the ICOS Belgium activities together with the announcement of news and upcoming events, such as the ICOS Belgium Science Conference. This is the first Belgian science conference on the use of ICOS data and infrastructure. It will be organized on Friday 20 October 2017 in Gembloux by the University of Liege and the University of Antwerp.

The annual meeting also serves as the moment where important decisions are voted for by the Consortium members. On the agenda was the approval of the final version of the ICOS Belgium Consortium Mission Statement. This document defines the joint objectives of the ICOS Belgium Consortium and specifies the roles and responsibilities of the partners.

As usual the afternoon program is when interactions and discussions take place. This year suggestions were made to improve the communication within and outside of the Belgian ICOS network.

The day ended with a visit to the impressive Research Vessel Simon Stevin, one of the two ICOS ocean observation platforms operated by VLIZ. With three ocean observation platforms (two operated by VLIZ and one by RBINS), the Belgian fleet represents a considerable share of the total European fleet (18 in total).

We would like to give a big thanks to all the participants and to the host and organizers for a productive meeting. See you next year in Louvain-La-Neuve!

20 October 2017: ICOS Belgium Science Conference - Gembloux

The ICOS Belgium Science Conference will take place on 20 October 2017 in Gembloux, Belgium

You are cordially invited to register/submit your abstract here.
Participation is free of charge.

Registration/submission deadline: Friday 1 September 2017.

More information...

Video: Eddy Covariance Flux measurements explained comprehensibly

Ever wanted to explain Eddy Covariance Flux measurements to your friends and family? Our American colleagues from NEON (http://www.neonscience.org/) have made a fun and comprehensible animated movie explaining the method. You can check it here. Have fun watching!

21 - 25 August 2017: 10th International Carbon Dioxide Conference ICDC10 - Interlaken (Switzerland)

The 10th anniversary International Carbon Dioxide Conference will provide participants with an integrated, interdisciplinary view of the global carbon cycle and its perturbation by humans. Conference themes include the contemporary carbon cycle, its trends, variability and observations, the paleo perspective and planetary boundaries, biogeochemical processes and their feedbacks and linkages with ecosystems, climate and socio-economic processes, scenarios for the future and steps toward long-term Earth system stability, as well as carbon cycle research in support of the Paris agreement.

We invite contributions from natural and social scientists and from all disciplines addressing the global carbon cycle and its anthropogenic perturbation.

Deadline for abstract submission: 15 March 2017

More information and registration: www.icdc10.ch

14 - 16 March 2017: LI-COR Eddy Covariance Workshop (Dublin)

LI-COR Biosciences is providing an Eddy Covariance Training Workshop at the University College Dublin, Ireland on 14 - 16 March 2017. This training class is designed for those new to the Eddy Covariance method. A small contribution towards costs of €50 per person will be charged.

There is limited space for this class so please register early. Registrations will be handled on first come first serve basis. Travel, accommodations, and meals are the registrant's responsibility.

Eddy Covariance Training Course

Date: 14 - 16 March, 2017, 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
Registration deadline: March 1st, 2017
Location:
School of Geography
Newman Building
University College Dublin (UCD)
Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland

REGISTER HERE before March 1st, 2017.

Course Objectives:

  • Understand eddy covariance theory, experimental design, and applications.
  • Setup, operate and maintain a complete CO2/CH4/H2O eddy covariance system.
  • Process raw flux data using EddyPro/SmartFlux2, and FluxSuite monitoring server tool.

24 May - 2 June 2017: 4th ICOS Summer School on Challenges in GHG measurements and modelling (Hyytiälä, Finland)

The 4th ICOS Summer School (previously known as InGOS/TTorch Summer School) "Challenges in measurements of greenhouse gases and their interpretation" will be held in 2017 at Hyytiälä field station in Finland.

The school will be organized in four sections:

  • Ecosystem fluxes and measurements
  • Atmospheric composition and measurements (in-situ and remote sensing)
  • Modelling of the global climate, carbon cycle, atmospheric transport and chemistry
  • Data management and cloud ('big data') methods

The last two sections will each include a practical session.

Lecturers include: Christoph Gerbig, Martin Heimann, Maarten Krol, Wouter Peters, Anders Lindroth, Greet Maenhout and Timo Vesala.

You can apply by completing this form. The receipt of your application will be acknowledged by email. Candidates will be selected by a small committee and the results will be made known by 1 March 2017.

The application deadline is 1 February 2017.

Read the full announcement with more detailed information here.

23 November 2016: Ecotron Hasselt University officially opened

The Ecotron Hasselt University, at the Connecterra gate of National Park Hoge Kempen, is a state of the art infrastructure for top international climate and biodiversity research. Ecotrons are climate-controlled units for the measurement of complex ecological processes and dynamics. The Ecotron Hasselt University consists of 12 sophisticated semi-automated climate chambers, including 12 large lysimeters, that will allow controlled studies of specific ecosystem monolyths and thereby safeguarding the real-time and realistic sun light conditions (the domes are transparent for a large part of the daylight spectrum).

The construction was realized through the combined expertise of Hasselt University and the University of Antwerp's Research Centre of Excellence PLECO and the research group of SPHERE and was funded by the Flemish Government, Hasselt University and Limburg Sterk Merk (LSM). The daily operation of the ecotron will be managed by the Field Research Centre of Hasselt University. The Ecotron Hasselt University was inaugurated in the presence of rector Luc De Schepper and Flemish Minister Philippe Muyters (Work, Economy, Innovation and Sport).

In the News: Interview Site PI Brasschaat

Read the interview here (Dutch only).

27 November 2016: Science Day - Lochristi Open House

Guided tour of the largest bio-energy plantation of Belgium

Location: Bosstraat 31, 9080 Lochristi.

Further information in this invitation (only in Dutch).

Register for a tour here.

ICOS RI Newsletter Autumn 2016

Read the latest newsletter here.

20 years of flux measurements in Brasschaat

In 1996 the University of Antwerp together with the Research Institute for Nature and Forest (INBO) started measurements of CO2 and other greenhouse gas fluxes in a Scots pine forest located in Brasschaat in the north of Belgium. Back then the flux measurements were taken in the framework of the Euroflux network. Today the flux tower of Brasschaat is one of the oldest and longest running ecosystem sites in ICOS.

To celebrate the 20th birthday of flux measurements at the ecosystem site the University of Antwerp invited the press to Brasschaat on Tuesday 11 October 2016. The Flemish media was invited to document the site and to climb the 40m high tower that were both recently fully upgraded to ICOS norms. Prof. Ivan Janssens (University of Antwerp, Research Center of Excellence PLECO), once a PhD student at the site himself, revealed the results of the analysis of 20 years of data collected at the site and presented new insights in our understanding of the interaction between forests and the climate based on the long-term research conducted in Brasschaat.

Great interest was shown by the Flemish press. Both the public (VRT) and provincial (ATV) television stations featured the flux tower in their news. Prof. Janssens did an interview with the biggest Flemish radio station (Radio 2) and the main Flemish newspapers reported on the event. Moreover Karrewiet, the children's news program of VRT, sent a reporter, 11 year old Mathis, to climb the tower and interview Dr. Eric Struyf, one of the researchers at the University of Antwerp. An overview of all news items can be found in the links below.

The integration of Brasschaat into ICOS guarantees that the ecosystem and climate research conducted at this unique and valuable ecosystem site can be continued on the long-term. We look forward to another 20 years of continued and continuous flux measurements!

News Articles: Video's: Audio:

Second ICOS Belgium Consortium Study Day - 4 May 2016 (Gembloux)

The second ICOS Belgium Consortium Study Day was organized on Wednesday 4 May 2016 in Gembloux. 26 participants from nearly all Belgian partner institutions were present.

The meeting was held at the Agro-Bio Tech campus of the University of Liège (ULG) in Gembloux. Host of the meeting and coordinator of the Walloon ICOS network Marc Aubinet opened the meeting with a welcome speech. This was followed by an overview of the past and planned activities of ICOS Belgium and an update of the current status of the Belgian Network by Focal Point Reinhart Ceulemans (presentation).

The morning session of the Study Day began with presentations of the new and upgraded stations of the Belgian ICOS Network. Lieven Naudts of the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (RBINS) presented the research vessel Belgica (presentation). This is already the third ocean station in the Belgian network. While Mahesh Kumar Sha of the Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy (BIRA) presented the very first Belgian atmospheric station located on Ile de La Réunion in the Indian Ocean (presentation). The ecosystem station in Jalhay was recently upgraded and Monique Carnol of the University of Liège gave an overview of the improvements that were made (presentation). Lastly Marilyn Roland of the University of Antwerp introduced the newly constructed ecosystem station with an underground cabin in National Park De Hoge Kempen in Maasmechelen (presentation).

Next up was Bert Gielen (University of Antwerp, Ecosystem Thematic Centre), who described the ICOS station labelling process (presentation). The labelling process has recently been opened and is being tracked and evaluated by the ICOS Thematic Centres. It is the evaluation process that all station of ICOS must successfully undergo to become part of the European ICOS Research Infrastructure. The Principal Investigators (PI's) of the Belgian stations were invited to start the application for the labelling of their stations as soon as possible. Thi Minh Tu Nguyen (University of Antwerp, Focal Point) continued the morning session with explaining the ICOS ERIC - National Network Agreement (presentation). This agreement lays out the mutual tasks and responsibilities of ICOS ERIC and the stations of the Belgian network. The agreement is signed at the end of the labelling process. It was agreed among the partners of ICOS Belgium that each host institution will sign the agreement and that the agreement must be approved by the legal department of the host institutions first.

The afternoon session of the meeting was spent brooding on new ideas and brainstorming. Thi Minh Tu Nguyen, launched the idea of writing an ICOS Belgium Consortium Mission Statement (presentation). The Mission Statement should list the objectives of the ICOS Belgium Consortium and define the roles of the Focal Point and of the Consortium partners. It should be agreed and signed by all the partners of the Consortium. A first proposal was presented and the content was discussed. Based on this debate the text will be further developed. The day was concluded with a round table discussion where ideas for outreach activities and for disseminating the results of ICOS Belgium were proposed.

We would like to thank the University of Liège for hosting the ICOS Belgium Consortium Study Day and all of the partners for a very fruitful meeting. We hope to continue our constructive collaboration within ICOS Belgium and hope that with the help of the Mission Statement we may further strengthen our partnership in the future.

Observing the Horizon, presenting the plans of ICOS to implement the Paris Climate Agreement - Helsinki, 25 May 2016

On 25 May 2016 the ICOS Head Office organized a press event entitled "Observing the Horizon" in Helsinki where the plans of ICOS to implement the Paris Climate Agreement were presented. The main guest of the event was European Commission Director-General of the Directorate-General for Research and Innovation Robert-Jan Smits. The ambitions of ICOS to become the European pillar of the global in-situ carbon and greenhouse gas observations and to become a repository service for higher integrated knowledge were outlined. As Werner Kutsch, Director General of ICOS, put it

"ICOS was designed primarily to observe the natural background carbon fluxes. However, we recently started to dive into the measurement of anthropogenic carbon emissions as well, especially in the urban areas. Our aim is to implement the system later this year and to be scientifically and technologically ready ahead of the next UN COP22 meeting in Morocco."

Mr. Smits also emphasized the important role that ICOS, as environmental research infrastructure, has in the implementation of the COP21 agreement.

"ICOS has made impressive progress on the way to become fully operational since the Commission granted it the legal status of European Research Infrastructure six months ago. This is good news, since it will provide scientific data on carbon emissions and trends that should underpin the necessary mitigation activities against climate change."

ICOS is preparing itself strategically for the future observational demands that will come from the UNFCCC. In the same line close collaborations with international bodies such as WMO, UNEP, IPCC, GCOS, and GEO are anticipated and the cooperation with COPERNICUS and the European Environmental Agency (EEA) will be deepened and further explored.

At the moment there are more than 100 ICOS RI stations in 11 member and observer countries. The first GHG measurement stations in the ICOS European network are expected to be labelled and operational in summer 2016. Another challenge of ICOS lies in increasing its geographical coverage and the number of participating countries.

ICOS Science Conference 2016 Abstract Submissions Due 02 June 2016 - Extended until 9 June 2016

The ICOS Science Conference 2016 will take place in Helsinki, Finland from 27 until 29 September 2016. You can submit your abstract through the conference website: http://www.icos-sc2016.eu/call-for-abstracts

Researchers and scientists can submit abstracts within following themes:

  • Theme 1 - From local to global scales: Relevance of regions and hotspots on greenhouse gas cycles
  • Theme 2 - Long time series, experiments and modelling
  • Theme 3 - New development in observation techniques and new scientific questions
  • Theme 4 - After COP21: Challenges towards globally integrated observations and independent evaluation
  • Theme 5 - Communicating Climate

For early career scientists there will be an Early Career Workshop during the conference.

The deadline for abstract submission is 9 June 2016.

ICOS was top ranked in the 2015 EWI Year Report

In the 2015 year report of the Flemish Department for Economy, Science and Innovation (EWI) ICOS was mentioned as a top level international research infrastructure and an example ESFRI project. (link in Dutch only)

http://www.ewi-vlaanderen.be/jaarverslagen/2015/internationaal/internationale-onderzoeksinfrastructuren

Launch of the Belgian ICOS Network

The official launch of the Belgian ICOS network on Tuesday 22 March 2016 in National Park de Hoge Kempen in Maasmechelen was sadly overshadowed by the terrorist attacks in Brussels. The Belgian ICOS community however was not discouraged and researchers, university representatives and stakeholders came down to the event nevertheless. The ceremony was led by Belgian Focal Point Reinhart Ceulemans. ICOS Director General Werner Kutsch had come down from the ICOS Head Office in Helsinki to do the official opening of the ICOS Belgian network and the newest ecosystem station operated by the University of Antwerp in the NP de Hoge Kempen. In his speech he emphasized the importance of tackling greenhouse gases on a global scale.

'by facilitating long-term measurements of carbon and greenhouse gasses in Europe, ICOS will deliver the invaluable knowledge needed to take effective measures against climate change both on a European and a global scale' - Werner Kutsch, ICOS Director General.

Special thanks also to Ignace Schops, director of NP de Hoge Kempen, to give an account of the history of the national park that was celebrating its 10th birthday in the same week.

And last but not least a big thank you to all the partners in the Belgian ICOS network for making this ambitious project possible!

The event was covered in the press by:

And a small sound fragment on the flemisch radio:

22 March 2016: Launch of the Belgian ICOS Network!

With real pleasure we invite you to the official launch of the Belgian Integrated Carbon Observation System network on Tuesday 22 March 2016 at 11:00 in National Park de Hoge Kempen in Maasmechelen.

ICOS Director General Werner Kutsch will officially launch the Belgian ICOS network in the presence of the Belgian press, stakeholders and partners.

What's more Flemish Minister for Innovation Philippe Muyters will be present to inaugurate the newest ICOS ecosystem station in NP de Hoge Kempen.

This brand new station, built and operated by the University of Antwerp, is the sixth ecosystem station in the Belgian network that also includes three ocean stations and one atmospheric station. This makes Belgium one of the most extensive ICOS networks of Europe.

7 - 10 November 2016: North Sea Open Science Conference (Ostend)

In the news: Antwerp researchers measure "carbon flux" for European project

Read the article here.

On the Road to a Carbon-Free Belgium

The FEDERAL COUNCIL FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT BELGIUM has financed the production of a documentary entitled On the Road to a Carbon-Free Belgium in collaboration with Rumblefish and Zero Emissions Solutions. Extracts from this documentary were shown on the 7th and 8th of December 2015 as a side event at the COP21 in Paris.

This Belgian road movie sees presenter Jan Matthys going in search of local solutions to the global problem of climate change. It goes without saying that each step of this journey, from Ghent to Flobecq, Brussels, Houthalen, Liège and beyond, is undertaken using sustainable transport. He visits transition projects tackling areas such as food, energy, transport, construction, etc. which involve not only local authorities but also local people and organisations. Wind power, cycle routes, vegetable gardens, solar panels, local produce markets, roof insulation, waste-wood fired heating networks, and much more besides... There are a great many initiatives in our country and this report will, we hope, inspire the public and politicians alike to turn the COP Paris climate change resolutions into action.

De ronde van klimaatneutraal België | Sur les routes d’une Belgique sans carbone | TRAILER from Jan Mertens on Vimeo.

Watch the full movie here.

Federal Council for Sustainable Development Belgium website.

ICOS RI Autumn Newsletter

Hereby the latest edition of the ICOS RI newsletter, last in the 2015, which was very successful year for the ICOS RI community.

As always, the newsletter includes ICOS related news from the past three months as well as some of the upcoming events in 2016.

Download the Newsletter.

ICOS ERIC inauguration in the Belgian news!

Read about the ICOS ERIC inauguration in the Belgian news:

1 December 2015: ICOS participating in COP21

COS RI together with the Universities of Helsinki, Lund and Bergen is organizing a COP21 side event entitled 'Trust but Verify: Towards a Comprehensive Global Observation, Information, and Verification System' discussing the strong need for a comprehensive and well organized scientific observation system on carbon and greenhouse gases in order to support mitigation and adaptation efforts.

The event will be held at the COP21 Nordic Pavilion in Paris on Tuesday on 1 December 2015 at 12:15.

ICOS RI is also taking part in the European Commission COP21 side event 'Open EO Data, Knowledge and Services for a Climate Resilient Society - a Case for Africa' which will take place on Thursday, 3rd December at 18.30 in the COP21 EU Pavilion. ICOS Director General Werner Kutsch has been invited as one of the main panelist.

Download Program.

Rescue operation from ecosystem tower in Brasschaat

On Saturday November 28th, a spectacular rescue operation was performed by the specialized GRIMP team, together with the fire brigades of Brasschaat and Kontich. The GRIMP (RED) team is specialized in rescue and interventions at difficult locations. The ICOS ecosystem tower (BE-Bra) with its 40 meter height in the middle of the forest in Brasschaat definitely qualifies as a difficult location. Two brave victims were rescued from the highest platform of the tower. Luckily this was all a planned exercise and everything ended well!

Inauguration of ICOS ERIC

The European Commission has officially launched ICOS ERIC or the Integrated Carbon Observation System European Research Infrastructure Consortium. The inauguration ceremony was held in Brussels on Tuesday 24 November 2015. Director General for Research and Innovation of the European Commission Robert-Jan Smits handed out the official plate to Finnish Minister of Education and Culture Sanni Grahn-Laasonen and ICOS Director General Werner Kutsch.

Director General Robert-Jan Smits congratulated Finland and the other eight partner countries for the successful completion of almost a decade long process from being listed in the ESFRI Roadmap in 2006 to the establishment of the ICOS ERIC in 2015:

'By facilitating long term pan-European carbon and GHG observations ICOS ERIC can provide invaluable knowledge to support the European and global efforts of reaching safe climate change mitigation goals. In the view of the upcoming UN COP21 in Paris, this is a clear signal from the EU about its commitments to the climate targets.'

The Finnish Minister of Education and Culture Sanni Grahn-Laasonen in her speech at the inauguration ceremony in Brussels also emphasized the importance of the timing of the ICOS ERIC establishment in relation to the COP21 climate conference in Paris. Minister Grahn-Laasonen pointed out that Finland has world-class knowledge in atmospheric and climate research and added that she is very pleased that her country will be hosting ICOS ERIC.

ICOS Director General Werner Kutsch thanked the European Commission as well as Finland for their support during the preparatory phase and also added that ICOS ERIC is the result the integrated scientific community effort.

25 - 27 November 2015: ICOS ETC - PI meeting (Todi)

The ETC organized a meeting for the Principal Investigators (PI's) of the ICOS ecosystem sites from 25 until 27 November 2015. 75 PI's from 8 different member countries participated in a very fruitful and constructive meeting.

In the News: Opinion article "Van klimaatverandering naar een klimaat voor verandering"

Both in dutch:

ICOS ERIC established by European Commission

The European Commission has officially established the Integrated Carbon Observation System (ICOS ERIC), a new pan-European environmental research infrastructure which aims to provide long-term carbon and greenhouse gas observations across the Europe.

Download Press Release (English)
Download Press Release (Dutch)

Third ICOS ecosystem station in Flanders almost finished!

The University of Antwerp is proud to announce a big step in the completion of its third ecosystem station located at National Park de Hoge Kempen in Maasmechelen. Construction works for the partlybelowground cabin were finished on 20 November 2015. The cabin was designed to minimize disturbance of the surrounding landscape. The station covers the only heathland ecosystem within the ICOS network. Installation of the eddy covariance setup and other instruments is currently taking place, we hope to have the station up and running in the next few weeks.

ICOS ETC Training Session on Ancillary Data Collection: Presentations available

The presentations given at the training session are now available:

23 November 2015: UGent-top - Rente op natuurlijk kapitaal

The Faculty of Bioscience Engineering of the Ghent University (UGent) is hosting an UGent-top titled 'Rente op Natuurlijk Kapitaal' on the value and valuation of natural resources. Keynote speaker is Ignace Schops, driving force behind National Park de Hoge Kempen where the brand new Flemish ICOS ecosystem is currently being constructed.

More information here (in dutch).

Register here (in dutch).

Update Maasmechelen ICOS ecosystem site

An update on the construction works of the Maasmechelen ICOS ecosystem site. As you can see, work is moving along nicely.
The construction will be finished by the end of September 2015.

First ICOS ETC Training Session on Ancillary Data Collection

The ETC team at the University of Antwerp organized a hands-on training session from September 7th until September 9th 2015 on the collection of ancillary data at grassland, forest and cropland ecosystems according to the IOCS Ancillary Data Protocols. The training was hosted at the Agro Bio-Tech Campus of the University of Liège in Gembloux, Belgium in cooperation with the Unit of Biosystem Physics of prof. Marc Aubinet.

The training was aimed at the technical ICOS personnel responsible for conducting the ancillary data measurements at the ICOS ecosystem sites and at the people responsible for training the technical personnel.

On the first day of the training the background, methodology and sampling design of the Ancillary Data Protocols for grasslands, croplands and forests were explained. The theory was then demonstrated in the field during three site visits on the second day. The ecosystem site of Vielsalm, a mixed mature forest site and one of the longest running and most ICOS compliant forest sites was amongst others visited. The third and last day was dedicated to describing the preparation of data files and submission of the data to the ETC data portal.

Thanks to this initiative the ecosystem network also got the opportunity to interact and exchange experience and information.

Judging on the positive feedback received from the participants the training can be called a real success!

This was in many ways also thanks to the excellent collaboration between the Universities of Antwerp and Liège.

We would like to thank all 38 participants for a very fruitful and pleasant meeting!

ICOS RI newsletter

A new edition of the ICOS RI newsletter is ready, bringing you news from the ICOS community and announcing upcoming events.
We hope you'll find it to be an interesting read.

Download the Newsletter

14 - 16 September 2015: MSA meeting (Brno)

The last ICOS MSA meeting took place in Brno, Czech Republic from 14 to 16 September.

Download the Agenda

A new site in a unique ecosystem!

The construction works of the third ICOS ecosystem site of the University of Antwerp have started! The site will be constructed in National Park de Hoge Kempen in Maasmechelen. The National Park is especially known for its heather vegetation. This new ecosystem site will be the only heath ecosystem site within the ICOS Ecosystem Network. The construction will be finished by the end of September 2015.

ICOS Fleet

The University of Antwerp has recently purchased a van for transport of material to and from the ecosystem sites.

25 - 27 November 2015: ICOS ETC - PI meeting (Italy)

A meeting will be organized by the ETC in central Italy on November 25-27 2015 for the Principal Investigators (PI's) of the official ICOS ecosystem sites.

Topics that will be discussed are:

  • The modus operandi of the ICOS ecosystem network
  • How to initiate the ICOS measurements/data transfer protocols at your ecosystem site
  • The ICOS labeling procedure

Download Agenda.

7 - 9 September 2015: First ICOS ETC Training Session on Ancillary Data Collection (Gembloux)

We would like to welcome you to the first ICOS ETC Training Session on Ancillary Data Collection at Grassland, Forest and Cropland Ecosystems in Gembloux, Belgium from September 7th until September 9th.

The background, methodology and sampling design of the ICOS ancillary data protocols for grasslands, croplands and forests will be explained and demonstrated on site during this training.

Deadline for registration is Friday July 24th. You can register via this link: registration.

This event is organized by the ETC team at the University of Antwerp (http://www.icos-belgium.be/etc.html) together with the University of Liège, Unit of Biosystem Physics (http://www.gembloux.ulg.ac.be/physique-des-bio-systemes).


More information and preliminairy agenda: invitation

27 - 29 September 2016: 2nd ICOS RI Science Conference (Helsinki)

Mark your calendars: The 2nd ICOS RI Science Conference will be held in Helsinki, Finland on 27-29th September, 2016.

Pre-conference event is organized on 26th September 2016.

More details to follow soon.

17 - 18 August 2015: ICOS Sweden Anual Workshop (Visby)

Fresh water and marine water as sinks and sources for atmospheric greenhouse gases

ICOS Sweden is an infrastructure for research on greenhouse gases in northerly terrestrial and marine ecosystems. The 2015 workshop focuses on fresh water and marine water as sinks and sources for atmospheric greenhouse gases.

Sea and lake systems are essential components of the global carbon cycle and there is a need to further assess their roles as sinks/sources for atmospheric carbon in a changing climate. The links between physical and biogeochemical processes are complex, but important for a better system understanding.

Download information folder.

27 May 2015: Symposium on Heathland C Sequestration

27 th May, 2015 | Hasselt University
Agoralaan, Building D | auditorium H 5

Heathlands are very fragile ecosystems, that are vulnerable to both land-use change and human-made eutrophication. The two main ecosystem services they provide, tourism and C sequestration, are therefore as well under threat. These services are dependent on the pace of soil nutrient cycles, that are, directly or not, controlled by the activity of soil organisms. Very little is known on the biotic and abiotic factors that actually regulate this activity. It is therefore very difficult to predict if climate change will, or not, accelerate the decline of heathland's ecosystem services.

This symposium aims at discussing future research directions on this topic.

Speakers

  • Natalie Beenaerts, UHasselt
  • Nele Witters, UHasselt
  • Mark Smits, UHasselt
  • Francois Rineau, UHasselt
  • Frederik de Laender, UNamur
  • Richard Bardgett, Manchester University

Program

14:00 The construction of the ecotrons
14:15 Studying heathland ecosystems: their patrimonial value in Belgium
14:45 Heathland ecosystem services: an economical perspective
COFFEE BREAK
15:35 A major ecosystem service in heathlands: C sequestration
16:05 Soil organisms as drivers of C and nutrient cycles in heathland ecosystems
16:35 Linking organisms to ecosystem functions: modelling food webs
17:05 How are microbial communities affected by climate change? What could be the consequences on ecosystem functioning?
17:35 Wrap-up and conclusion
RECEPTION

ICOS Belgium Consortium Study Day (22 April 2015)

On Wednesday 22 April a study day was held in Antwerp for all the national consortium partners of ICOS Belgium. The University of Antwerp (national Focal Point) was hosting the event. The goal of the study day was to strengthen the relationship amongst partners and to further elaborate on future collaboration possibilities.

In the morning an update was given on the national atmosphere, ecosystem and ocean networks. Three new partners that recently joined the network were introduced: Institut Scientifique de Service Public (ISSEP), Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy (BIRA) and Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (RBINS-OD Nature). The Focal Point brought news from the ICOS Research Infrastructure (status of the signing of the ICOS ERIC, station labelling process) and presented the new national website. The University of Antwerp, as ETC hosting institute, gave an overview of past and planned ETC activities incl. development of a tool for processing LAI hemispherical pictures and production of training videos.

The afternoon was dedicated to a round table discussion on how to improve the communication streams and means for collaboration between partners. During the constructive discussion the need for sharing technical knowhow, expertise and even instruments was voiced. The discussion yielded a number of concrete ideas that could be materialized after signing of the ICOS ERIC contract: developing an instrument pool for sharing spare instruments and parts, offering ICOS related thesis topics and field work internships for students across partner institutes, organizing a yearly symposium focused on the results of measurements from all the Belgian ICOS stations. In the more distant future looking into research possibilities at the intersection of all three networks e.g. coastal towers.

Download Agenda

Rewatch the presentations:


2 - 12 June 2015: ICOS-NEON Greenhouse Gas Data Training Workshop (Observatoire de Haute-Provence, France)

This 10-day course will train early career scientists (including advanced PhD students, postdocs, and Junior Faculty) in the discovery and use of in-situ data to address emerging issues in carbon cycle science including atmospheric science, biogeochemistry and ecosystem science.
World-class scientists will provide hands-on instruction in the use of 'big data' from the ICOS and NEON observatories while discussing the frontier of carbon science and promoting the discovery of new research opportunities. Bert Gielen is member of the organizing committee.

More information: http://carbonws2015.sciencesconf.org/

ETC - Leaf Area Index expert meeting

On March 4 and 5th 2015, ETC-Antwerp organized an expert meeting on the processing of hemispherical pictures to derive Leaf Area Index for forest ecosystems. Experts from several European countries were present and discussed on a golden standard for hemispherical image processing. The meeting took place at Elzenveld and was chaired by dr. Bert Gielen and ir. Ken Bastiaensen.

23 November 2014: Science Day - Lochristi Open House

Guided tour of the largest bio-energy plantation of Belgium

Location: Bosstraat 31, 9080 Lochristi.

Further information in this invitation (only in Dutch).


23-25 September 2014: 1st ICOS International Science Conference

The 1st ICOS International Conference on Greenhouse Gases and Biogeochemical Cycles will be organised in Brussels on 23 to 26 September 2014. The topics will include: atmospheric GHG concentrations and anthropogenic sources; ICOS data and global biogeochemical modelling; biogeochemical cycles of forests, wetlands and agricultural ecosystems; ocean GHG observations and fluxes; regional integrations; focus on different GHG species and more.

The registration and abstract submission system for the ICOS Science Conference in September is now open. Welcome to register and submit an abstract here: http://www.icos-ri.eu/scienceconference

Abstract submission deadline: 26 June 2014

ETC-Belgium represented at AGU Fall Meeting in San Francisco from 9-13 December 2013

To increase the visibility of the ETC among the scientific community a presentation with the title: Integrated Carbon Observation System (ICOS) ecosystem network: current state and future perspectives by Gielen et al. was presented by dr. Bert Gielen from the ETC in Antwerp at the American Geophysical Union (AGU) Fall Meeting in San Francisco, USA on 9-13 December 2013 during a session dedicated to long-term observation networks.

Vacancy

Postdoctoral position in carbon budget assessment of grasslands
University of Liège - Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech
Gembloux (Liège), Belgium

We have an opening for a postdoctoral researcher to work at the University of Liège - Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech from 15 February 2014 to 31 December 2015.

The aim of the project is to study the impact of climate and management on the carbon balance of two grazed grassland.

The Dorinne Terrestrial Observatory started in 2010. The carbon balance of the reference parcel has been studied since 2010. The coming two years, a second adjacent parcel will be monitored in order to assess the impact of the management of the herd of cows and of the renewal of the grass. Both grasslands will be equipped with an eddy covariance system, coupled with a meteorological station. The produced and ingested biomass will also be measured.

The successful applicant will be in charge of installing, with the help of the technical staff, the eddy covariance system on the second grassland; of computing and analyzing the eddy covariance data of both systems; of studying the impact of management and climate on eddy covariance and biometric fluxes and on the carbon balance. The successful applicant will be responsible of both eddy covariance and biometric measurements. In parallel, CH4 fluxes will be measured but will not be covered by the successful applicant.

The successful applicant will work in a multidisciplinary team in Gembloux (Belgium).

The required qualifications are - PhD in ecology, environmental or agronomical science, or another relevant area - Experience using the eddy covariance technique - Publication record in the peer-reviewed literature - Ability to work in an interdisciplinary group.

The applications and inquiries should be send to katia.berghmans@ulg.ac.be and should include a CV, a statement of motivation and the names and email addresses of at least two references. The applications should be sent before 15 January.

Salary follows the standards of the University.

The ETC and NEON signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) last June. The MoU is a written agreement to consolidate the cooperation and interaction between both networks.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the ICOS - ETC (Integrated Carbon Observation System - Ecosystem Thematic Center) and NEON (National Ecological Observatory Network) last June.

The MoU establishes a framework for discussion and collaboration between the two long-term ecological monitoring networks. The signing parties agree to cooperate in broad areas such as scientific program coordination, general program management and data interoperability. More specifically this could include standardization of protocols and resulting measurements as well as sharing of codes and analytical tools for managing data products.

The main objectives are to build up and facilitate partnerships, to identify collaboration opportunities, to develop Implementing Agreements and to share data, information and updates on technology applications, information delivery and development.

Agreements such as this are necessary to help facilitate the use of data across monitoring networks.

The partners met at the final ICOS Annual Meeting of the ICOS Preparatory Phase Project (ICOS-PPP) in Biarritz from March 25 - 27 2013 to discuss the general and scientific outlines of the MoU. In May 2013 the legal aspects were agreed upon and the MoU was finalized and signed mid-June 2013.

National Geographic Channel

ICOS Ecosystem Thematic Center in Antwerp on National Geographic Channel with Behind the Science: renewable energy.

Trailer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SP0J1cKetQc

Full episode:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5DTEWvZ3kc

Flemish participation in ESFRI formally launched

On 7 May 2012 the Flemish participation in ESFRI was formally launched by Ingrid Lieten, Flemish Minister for Innovation, Government Investment, Media and Poverty Reduction. An investment of 3.5 million euro was promised to support the four Flemish ESFRI's:

  • European Social Survey (ESS; KU Leuven)
  • Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE; UA)
  • Integrated Carbon Observation System (ICOS; UA)
  • LIFEWATCH (VLIZ, INBO)

The Flemish media gathered at the foot of the 40m scaffolding tower of the Brasschaat Ecosystem Station of ICOS, where the official launch was held.

Photo: Media gathering Photo: Presentation ICOS

Photo: Tower Brasschaat

Youtube

Toon De Groote (Toon.DeGroote@uantwerpen.be), a PhD student of the POPFULL project made a time-lapse video of the second growing season of the short rotation coppice plantation of poplar at the Lochristi ES.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nj9P44QHxwM

ICOS in the news

http://www.gva.be/regio-antwerpen-noord/brasschaat/minister-lieten-bezoekt-meettoren-in-de-inslag.aspx

http://www.standaard.be/artikel/detail.aspx?artikelid=SL3PR9NK