Core Project Offices SEATTLE, WASHINGTON TAIPEI, TAIWAN BOLOGNA, ITALY IGAC Science Plan & Implementation Strategy (English & Chinese)

				About Us The International Global Atmospheric Chemistry (IGAC) Project, under joint sponsorship of the Commission on Atmospheric Chemistry and Global Pollution (CACGP) of the International Association of Meteorology and Atmospheric Sciences (IAMAS )and the International Geosphere- Biosphere Programme (IGBP), was created in the late 1980s to address growing international concerns over rapid changes observed in Earth's atmosphere. The past decade of international research, much of which was initiated and coordinated within IGAC, has greatly increased our understanding of the chemical composition of the troposphere, the fluxes of chemical species into and out of the troposphere, and the processes controlling the transport and transformation of chemical species within the troposphere. The question is still frequently raised as to how much of the change is natural variability and how much is directly or indirectly caused by man. A variety of approaches are needed to quantify as accurately as possible the natural variability. Paleo and well as current comprehensive data sets are crucial. Through a large number of projects and activities, IGAC has created a worldwide community of scientists, enhancing international cooperation towards understanding the role of atmospheric chemistry in the entire Earth System. After a decade of international research, IGAC is now reexamining the atmospheric chemistry issues facing society and the challenges of studying and managing an integrated Earth System. As IGBP itself moves towards a new structure and a second decade of research, IGAC is undergoing a similar transition. International coordination and collaboration are essential to address the atmospheric chemistry issues facing society. The required research efforts encompass three fundamental objectives that IGAC will pursue in its second phase: To accurately determine global distributions of both short and long lived chemical species in the atmosphere and to document their changing concentrations over time. To provide a fundamental understanding of the processes that control the distributions of chemical species in the atmosphere and their impact on global change and air quality. To improve our ability to predict the chemical composition of the atmosphere over the coming decades by integrating our understanding of atmospheric processes with the response and feedbacks of the Earth System. A Core Project of the International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme (IGBP) In Cooperation with IAMAS Commission on Atmospheric Chemistry and Global Pollution Web page maintained by the Seattle IGAC office, which is located in NOAA PMEL's Atmospheric Chemistry Program (NOAA-PMEL). Disclaimer Privacy Policy Accessibility Statement