SMP Objective and specific
goals
The central objective of the U.S. JGOFS
Synthesis and Modeling Project (SMP) is to synthesize knowledge gained from U.S. JGOFS and
related studies into a set of models
that reflect our current understanding of
the ocean carbon cycle and its associated uncertainties. Emphasis will be given to processes that control partitioning of carbon
among oceanic reservoirs and the implications of this partitioning for exchange between the ocean and
atmosphere. To this end, the following specific SMP goals were adopted.
üTo synthesize our knowledge of
inorganic and organic carbon fluxes and inventories, both natural and anthropogenic.
üTo identify and quantify the principal
processes that control the partitioning of carbon among oceanic reservoirs and between the
ocean and atmosphere on local and regional scales, with a view towards synthesis and prediction
on a global scale.
üTo
determine the mechanisms responsible for spatial and temporal variability in
biogeochemical processes that control
partitioning of carbon among oceanic reservoirs and between the ocean and atmosphere.
üTo
assess and implement strategies for scaling data and models to seasonal,
annual, and interannual time scales and
to regional and global spatial scales.
üTo
improve our ability to monitor and predict the role of oceanic processes in
determining current and future partitionings
of carbon between the ocean and atmosphere, and to evaluate uncertainties and identify gaps in our knowledge of these
processes.
SMP Workshop Durham, NH 1996