IMECC, Infrastructure for Measurements of the European Carbon Cycle

The IMECC project aims to build the infrastructure for a coordinated, calibrated and accessible dataset for characterizing the carbon balance of Europe .

The IMECC project aims to build the infrastructure for a coordinated, calibrated, integrated and accessible dataset for characterizing the function of the European terrestrial biosphere. Such an infrastructure is necessary since the critical measurements are spatially dispersed. Their interpretation, however, relies on precise knowledge of the spatial and temporal structures of measured quantities. Thus the measurements must be of the highest quality and precisely calibrated in order to be useful. They should also be well planned, that is subject to some coordinated and targeted experimental design and should be accessible to a wide range of researchers. IMECC will deliver these services to the range of measurements within various European projects. As an added benefit, the improved measurements will also be increasingly compatible with the range of global measurements. IMECC will not only provide these services for the life of the project but will aid the development of strategies and techniques to streamline this coordination into the future.

IMECC is based on 3 main activities namely:

- Networking Activities (NA): Designed to improve cohesion, comparability and access to European Carbon Cycle Measurements
- Transnational Access activities (TA): Designed to broaden and improve access to European Carbon Cycle measurement facilities
- Joint Research Activities (JRA): Designed to support new technologies for European Carbon Cycle measurements

Each main activity has several sub-divisions as shown in this diagram:

Participants:
30 partners in 11 countries. See IMECC Home Page.

Role:
Risø DTU participates in these activities:

- Network of algorithms and software for flux measurements (NA5)
- Terrestrial Carbon Data Centre (NA6) 
- Access to European ecosystem measurement laboratories (TA4)
- Real-time transmission and processing of ecosystem and flux data (JRA3). See on-line data from the ecosystem flux station at Sorø

Resources:
Financed by EU (FP6).

Duration:
2007-2011

Employees involved: 
Kim Pilegard, BIO (Project leader), Andreas Ibrom , BIO (NA5, NA6, TA4, JRA3), Ebba Delwik, VEA (TA4,JRA3).


Contact

Kim Pilegaard
Professor Emeritus
DTU Sustain
+45 40 25 68 39