The ocean contains large time-varying gradients of the natural cycle on which the fossil fuel signal is superimposed. A research satellite dedicated to the program is scheduled for a 1995 launch. Beneficiaries include the scientific community, at large, who need a better description of the ocean's role in the global carbon cycle and policy makers who rely on this community for advice. The ocean is a major sink for carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, through surface primary production, and ultimate burial in sediments. Yet there is still major uncertainty regarding the absolute magnitude and its relation to terrestrial uptake.
Models suggest uptake varies by season and region.
Accurately quantifying this variability observationally will provide the needed input for predictive climate models. Only then can reliable projections be made regarding the extent and geographical variability of future global warming, and national mitigation policies implemented with full knowledge of the economic costs vs. payoffs.