ICOS Switzerland
Measuring station in Davos officially labelled
![https://www.empa.ch/documents/56164/11186987/Stopperbild+ICOS+Davos.jpg/62ed0ec0-8f4e-40be-872e-1ae5f2673908?t=1574678977000&doAsUserId=mLYofz1ofIc4z2qdMCjTcg%253D%253D%3FuserDisplayName%3Dhmf](https://www.empa.ch/documents/56164/11186987/Stopperbild+ICOS+Davos.jpg/62ed0ec0-8f4e-40be-872e-1ae5f2673908?t=1574678977000&doAsUserId=mLYofz1ofIc4z2qdMCjTcg%253D%253D%3FuserDisplayName%3Dhmf)
Unique measuring stations in Switzerland
Since the beginning in 2008, Switzerland has been involved in ICOS with two measuring stations: the atmosphere station Jungfraujoch, which was officially labelled in May 2018, and the ecosystem station Davos, which was now labelled on 21 November 2019. Both stations are unique in terms of their geographical location, station history and integration into national and international research. As Class 1 stations, they also meet the quality requirements of the highest category.
“Greenhouse gases do not stop at borders,” emphasises Nina Buchmann, Professor of Grassland Sciences at ETH Zurich and Head of ICOS Switzerland. “Therefore, it is important for our research to collaborate internationally and to collect reliable and comparable data.”
Strict quality requirements also for the Davos site
To have Davos recognised as an official ecosystem measuring station, measurement methods, installations and data collection had to be adapted to the strict quality criteria of ICOS. “This transition to implement the new guidelines took a total of six years and could only be achieved thanks to the close collaboration of all involved institutions,” reports Dr. Susanne Burri, Coordinator of ICOS Switzerland.
The Davos station is of particular value to ICOS because it is the only Class 1 subalpine forest station within the ICOS network. Since 1997, the CO2 and H2O exchange has been continuously measured in Davos, which represents one of the longest series of measurements for forests globally. Already since the 1980ies, WSL has been conducting research at this site.
About ICOS Switzerland
ICOS Switzerland consists of the partners ETH Zurich, Empa, WSL, University of Bern, University of Basel and MeteoSwiss, and has been funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) and internal funds since 2013. All ICOS data and data products such as maps and international comparisons are openly accessible from the ICOS “Carbon Portal” and, therefore, are not only available to the scientific community, but also to politicians, administrations and the public.
Integrated Carbon Observation System Research Infrastructure ICOS
Prof. Dr. Nina Buchmann
ETH Zurich, Department of Environmental Systems Science
Phone +41 44 632 39 59
Dr. Susanne Burri
Coordinator ICOS Switzerland
Dr. Lukas Emmenegger
Empa, Air Pollution / Environmental Technology
Phone +41 58 765 46 99
lukas.emmenegger@empa.ch
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