New earth observation centres announced

17 October 2001

Two new centres, which will use satellites and models to help forecast earthquakes and the effects of carbon in climate change, were announced today by Lord Sainsbury, Science & Innovation Minister.

Said Lord Sainsbury, "I am delighted to announce that the Natural Environment Research Council is establishing two new Centres of Excellence, specialising in earth observation. The Centre for Terrestrial Carbon Dynamics brings together a variety of experts who will harness information from space to achieve greater understanding of the Earth's carbon cycle. The centre will make a powerful contribution to understanding global warming brought about by greenhouse gases. Secondly, the Centre for Observation & Modelling of Earthquakes & Tectonics will use new satellite techniques to measure and predict movements in the Earth's crust. It will provide an invaluable service to help prevent loss of life in disasters brought about by tectonic activity."

About £4m is being invested in these two Centres of Excellence. The carbon centre will be based at the University of Sheffield and the earthquake centre at the University of Oxford.

The Directors of the two new centres welcomed the announcement.

"Major earthquakes, like the one in India earlier this year, focus attention on the very high death tolls around cities and other densely populated areas in seismically active regions of the world. There is an urgent need to understand the physical changes in continents so that we are better able to assess the future risk of earthquakes in these areas," said Dr Barry Parsons, Director of the Centre for Observation & Modelling of Earthquakes & Tectonics (COMET).

Researchers at COMET will combine satellite radar images, measurements of earth movement from the GPS (Global Positioning System) satellites and physical models of earthquakes. Together they will provide comprehensive observations over long periods of time to determine the small rates of motion in the Earth's crust and to detect any possible patterns in the amount of strain upon the crust. The scientists will be searching for solutions to problems such as why a fault develops in the first place and what controls its growth.

Professor Shaun Quegan, Director of the Centre for Terrestrial Carbon Dynamics, is very pleased that efforts are being concentrated on the fundamental science underlying global warming brought about by greenhouse gases.

"The uncertainties in how terrestrial systems affect the overall carbon balance created many of the difficulties in accepting the Kyoto protocol," he said. "We know that vegetation can contribute to absorbing human carbon dioxide emissions. What we don't know is how, when or if vegetation and soil become sources of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere and actually enhance the greenhouse effect. This new centre will provide a fundamental attack on these uncertainties and will find ways to reduce them."

Professor Quegan and his colleagues are aiming to provide an understanding of the effects of changing land use, fire and the extent and quantity of vegetation on the global carbon balance. Trees and other plants are able to absorb more carbon dioxide in a warmer climate. Any significant reduction in plant numbers will have unwanted impacts. Forest fires, for example, contribute to an increase in carbon levels in the atmosphere by producing carbon dioxide while burning.

Using a combination of ecological models, advanced earth observation measurements and statistical techniques, the team expect to help inform the scientific debate on climate change and reduce some of the speculation relating to the Kyoto protocol.

Further information

Alice Bunn
NERC's Earth Observation Programme Manager
Tel: 020 7215 3767
Mob: 07813 920813

NERC Press Office
Natural Environment Research Council
Polaris House, North Star Avenue
Swindon, SN2 1EU
Tel: 01793 411561
Mob: 07917 557215

Notes

1. The Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) leads in providing independent research and training in the environmental sciences.

Press release: 13/01

New earth observation centres announced

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