The Legacy of in situ Iron Enrichment: Data Compilation and Modeling

Compilation of a database for open access (via the Internet) of the following experiments:

• the 1999-2001 era (IronEx-1, IronEx-2, SOIREE, EisenEx, SEEDS-1), plus 1992 S.O. JGOFS;
• the 2002 experiments (SOFeX-North, SOFeX-South, SERIES); and
• the 2004 experiments (Eifex, SEEDS-2, SAGE, FeeP), plus natural fertilizations CROZEX, KEOPS

This effort will include a commonly agreed data policy for users to best acknowledge the original data producers (e.g., by offering co-authorship and perhaps assignment of digital object identifiers for individual data sets). A practical description of methods used, calibration etc. (so-called metadata) will also be included. In essence, the WG members are committed to send their data files to the common data centre, and encourage their colleagues in any given experiment to do the same. Finally, an official data publication or publication(s) will be placed in a suitable venue, for example, in the special issue on the SCOR WG (see item 4. below) and in Eos (Transactions Am. Geophys. Union). In 2006-2007 efforts are already underway for compilation and rescue of the EisenEx dataset, also there is very good progress for SEEDS-2, SERIES, CROZEX and KEOPS. However, the statement in the original proposal that no meeting would be necessary to achieve the first term of reference was overly optimistic. It appears that a face-to-face meeting sponsored by SCOR or some other internationally recognized organization is necessary to work out the details of bringing together the data sets in a way that will make it possible to achieve the other terms of reference.