The Northern Eurasia Earth Science Partnership Initiative: An Introduction

摘要

Northern Eurasia, the largest landmass in the northern extratropics, accounts for ～20% of the global land area. Yet little is known about how the biogeochemical cycles, energy and water cycles, and human activities specific to this carbon-rich, cold region interact with global climate. A major concern is that changes in the distribution of land-based life, as well as its interactions with the environment, may lead to a self-reinforcing cycle of accelerated regional and global warming. With this as its motivation, the Northern Eurasian Earth Science Partnership Initiative (NEESPI) was formed in 2004 to better understand and quantify feedbacks between Northern Eurasian and global climates.