Data assimilation to quantify regional and continental carbon sequestration

The objective of this proposal is to improve prediction of terrestrial carbon sequestration at ecosystem and regional/continental scales with data assimilation techniques to estimate and constrain the three sets of parameters from AmeriFlux, soil carbon, and isotope data. We recognize that individual data sets from AmeriFlux, soil carbon, and isotope measurements each provide partial information on terrestrial carbon cycling and thus constrain subsets of the model parameters. It is essential to synthesize and assimilate data from different sources to effectively constrain carbon modeling. We are (1) developing a common platform for data assimilation in terrestrial carbon research; (2) conducting inverse analysis at AmeriFlux sites to quantify temporal variations of photosynthesis and respiration parameters; and (3) analyzing regional and continental carbon sequestration using data from FACE, AmeriFlux, soil carbon, and isotope measurements.