From the CLAW Hypothesis to SOLAS

　Since 1987, various research projects have been conducted with the major goal of testing the CLAW hypothesis. Through these projects, atmospheric and oceanic research has been conducted within an international framework. This is the Surface Ocean Lower Atmosphere Study (SOLAS). The objective is not to test the CLAW hypothesis. The purpose is to clarify the interactions of the Earth system, especially between the atmosphere and the oceans, and to advance the science by recognizing common issues worldwide.

The purpose of SOLAS is illustrated in the figure below.

   The scope of SOLAS  (Figure 1 IGBP report 50 (2004), edited by Wendy Broadgate,  Web: www.solas-int.org)

   Diagram to illustrate the domain of SOLAS (Figure 2 of IGBP report 50 (2004), edited by Wendy Broadgate,  Web: www.solas-int.org)

　Most of the content of this class is part of SOLAS. Many of the research topics that individual researchers work on are quite fragmented, and looking around the SOLAS framework, it is easy to imagine how these fragmented topics can be linked to others. The good thing about SOLAS is that it provides researchers with a broad perspective. At the beginning of my research, I (OOKI) only had a narrow view of "the size distribution of atmospheric aerosol particles," but because my supervisor was a leader of SOLAS, I was able to broaden my view to ocean chemistry and marine biology.

In the picture above, the themes are not clear. The 10-year plan for SOLAS, published in 2016, articulates five themes, as follows.

   Figure 1 of "SOLAS 2015-2025: Science Plan and Organisation. edited by Brévière, E. and the SOLAS Scientific Steering Committee (2016): SOLAS International Project Office, GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, Kiel, 76 pp. )