9521976 Dickson The goal of this project is to provide a mechanism for the quality control of oceanic carbon dioxide measurements that are made as part of a number of international global efforts in which U.S. scientists participate. Chief among these programs is the Joint Global Ocean Flux Study, which has as one of its primary objectives the understanding of the directions and magnitudes of carbon dioxide transfer between the Earth's oceans and atmosphere. The certified laboratories involved in critical measurements of the global carbon dioxide system will produce high-quality results even though they employ different kinds of analytical instrumentation and analytical methodologies. This standardization procedure is critical for developing an accurate understanding of the current state of the global carbon cycle, particularly as it impacts global warming and climate change, and for providing a time-independent basis for monitoring changes in the global carbon cycle in the future. ***
