Dear Flux Community,
We are excited to announce an initiative to launch the FLUXNET Data System – the next generation of global, open, and accessible FLUXNET data. The FLUXNET Data System, which is planned to be fully operational by December 2025, will be a continually updated, open-access resource maintained by the coalition of regional and global flux tower networks that brought you the FLUXNET2015 dataset. The core of the data system will be measurements from flux tower teams all over the globe. We already have data from 400 sites available via Regional Network data portals, but this initiative will solicit the submission of flux observations from hundreds of site teams who have not yet submitted data.
The launch of the FLUXNET Data System will provide the support necessary to greatly enhance the availability and representativeness of flux tower data, opening new frontiers in the study of earth’s ecosystems and their interactions with the climate system. The initiative will be executed by Regional Networks and the FLUXNET Coordination Project, in close coordination with the new FLUXNET-CH4 Version 2.0 initiative.
To broaden the impact of FLUXNET data, there will be a new annual journal article, featuring a synthesis of key land-atmosphere flux dynamics measured by flux towers. Personnel from the towers that openly share data by the submission deadline will be invited to nominate co-authors. We are actively working to craft a co-authorship plan (i.e.: number of coauthors per site), and will share details as soon as they are complete. We are also creating tools and mentoring networks to help tower teams prepare their data for submission.
The success of this initiative depends on contributions from the entire flux community. In addition to sharing data, there will be a range of other opportunities for involvement, including mentoring other scientists as they prepare their data for submission, joining a working group, and participating in community-organized workshops and programs that support effective end-use of the Data System. Please see the evolving FAQ for more details, as well as the variables required for data submission.
We ask that you take a few minutes to complete a short survey that will generate the feedback and information needed to organize the workflow moving forward.
[1] If you have already shared your tower data with a Regional Network or FLUXNET (including the FLUXNET-CH4 database), please take this survey. https://iu.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_cJ6iq1IPlbj3w5U
[2] If you manage a flux tower but have not yet shared data with a Regional Network or FLUXNET (even if the site is registered to a network but you didn’t share data), please take this survey. https://iu.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_ahkJmT0srzJvCzs
[3] If you do not manage a tower dataset but would like to contribute to the effort in other ways, please take this survey. https://iu.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_8kyLaQ4HVaqWgbI
Finally, we expect many of you will have questions about the initiative, and we have prepared a FAQ which you can access here.
Sincerely,
The FLUXNET Coordination Team
Margaret Torn & Gilberto Pastorello (AmeriFlux)
Dario Papale & Simone Sabbatini (European Flux Database/ICOS)
Peter Isaac & Stefan Arndt (TERN/OzFlux)
Trevor Keenan, Dave Moore & Kim Novick (FLUXNET Coordination Project)