The Surface Ocean Lower Atmosphere Study (SOLAS) is a global and multidisciplinary research project dedicated to understanding the key biogeochemical-physical interactions and feedbacks between the

ocean The ocean (also the sea or the world ocean) is the body of salt water that covers approximately 70.8% of the surface of Earth and contains 97% of Earth's water. An ocean can also refer to any of the large bodies of water into which the wo ...

and the

atmosphere An atmosphere () is a layer of gas or layers of gases that envelop a planet, and is held in place by the gravity of the planetary body. A planet retains an atmosphere when the gravity is great and the temperature of the atmosphere is low. A s ...

. Further, SOLAS seeks to link ocean-atmosphere interactions with climate and people. Achievements of these goals are essential in order to understand and quantify the role that ocean-atmosphere interactions play in the regulation of climate and global change. SOLAS was first initiated with an Open Science Conference in 2000 and was formally launched in 2004. Since then, the SOLAS community has grown into a worldwide network with 1075 members and 30 national networks around the world. Development and implementation of the SOLAS science plan is guided by a scientific steering committee (SSC) composed of international experts covering a broad spectrum of disciplines, including atmospheric chemistry, oceanography, marine biology, and legal sciences. SOLAS science is currently organised around five core research themes, namely: 1) Greenhouse gases and the oceans; 2) Air-sea interface and fluxes of mass and energy; 3) Atmospheric deposition and ocean biogeochemistry; 4) Interconnections between

aerosol An aerosol is a suspension (chemistry), suspension of fine solid particles or liquid Drop (liquid), droplets in air or another gas. Aerosols can be natural or Human impact on the environment, anthropogenic. Examples of natural aerosols are fog o ...

cloud In meteorology, a cloud is an aerosol consisting of a visible mass of miniature liquid droplets, frozen crystals, or other particles suspended in the atmosphere of a planetary body or similar space. Water or various other chemicals may co ...

s, and marine ecosystems; and 5) Ocean biogeochemical control on atmospheric chemistry. The five SOLAS core research themes are complemented by cross-cutting themes on key environments (such as upwelling systems, polar oceans, and the

Indian Ocean The Indian Ocean is the third-largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, covering or ~19.8% of the water on Earth's surface. It is bounded by Asia to the north, Africa to the west and Australia to the east. To the south it is bounded by th ...

), as well as on evaluating the environmental efficacy and impacts of climate intervention proposals, policy decisions, and societal developments. Since 2000, SOLAS has organised seven international Open Science Conferences and seven Summer Schools tailored to students and early career earth scientists. In addition, to these large-scale events, SOLAS also organises meetings, workshops, and conference sessions related to SOLAS science. The SOLAS project is coordinated by an International Project Office (IPO), which is currently hosted by

GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel The GEOMAR - Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel (GEOMAR), former ''Leibniz Institute of Marine Sciences'' (German: ''Leibniz-Institut für Meereswissenschaften'', IFM-GEOMAR), is a research institute in Kiel, Germany. It was formed in 2004 ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

, in association to the research unit chemical oceanography, with a nodal office hosted by the State Key Laboratory of marine Environmental Science at

Xiamen University Xiamen University (; Southern Min: ''Ē-mn̂g-toā-o̍h''), colloquially known as Xia Da (; Southern Min: ''Hā-tāi''), is a national public research university in Xiamen, Fujian, China. Founded in 1921 by Tan Kah Kee, a Chinese patriotic exp ...

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

. The SOLAS IPO works in close cooperation with the SOLAS SSC chair to provide international science coordination and strengthen capacity building within the SOLAS science community. SOLAS is sponsored by

Future Earth Future Earth is an international research program which aims to build knowledge about the environmental and human aspects of Global change, and to find solutions for sustainable development. It aims to increase the impact of scientific research on ...

, the International Commission on Atmospheric Chemistry and Global Pollution (iCACGP), Scientific Committee on Oceanic Research (SCOR), and

World Climate Research Programme The World Climate Research Programme (WCRP) is an international programme that helps to coordinate global climate research. The WCRP was established in 1980, under the joint sponsorship of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the Inter ...

(WCRP).

References

External links

*{{official, https://www.solas-int.org/ Climatological research