SAEON Core Science Framework

Key constituents of the earth system include the hydrological cycle, energy balance and nutrient cycles (e.g. carbon and nitrogen cycles) which are interlinked through physical, biogeochemical and biological interactions. Both natural and human drivers influence these processes. Simulation models are generally required to explore these processes, global change scenarios and their impacts at scales relevant to policy-makers. However, a major obstacle currently limiting societal response to global change is the fact that the resolution of current models is too coarse, with high levels of uncertainty for local application frustrating policy development. This is in part due to lack of appropriate data, at the appropriate resolution, to train and parameterise the models, combined with incomplete knowledge of the processes and process level relationships among these systems.

SAEON is mandated to develop and sustain a dynamic long-term observation and research network aimed at detecting and understanding global change and its related impacts on our environment.  Observation activities are guided by the SAEON Core Science Framework. Long-term observation on strategically selected process parameters, drivers and response variables is required to distinguish directional human induced change from natural variation. This is achieved through in situ environmental monitoring and equipment arrays designed to facilitate multi-disciplinary and multi-institutional research, science advancement and student development in global change and related science disciplines. These observation platforms provide site-specific, high resolution data needed to downscale models, and extract products that are more relevant to national and local scale policy decisions.

eNewsletter links:

• Action on the hill: Working towards the Cathedral Peak research catchments as a sentinel site for SAEON

• Mass movement, climate change and water delivery: Implications for monitoring programmes