Data policy for the SOCAT public release:

The aim of this first public release of the Surface Ocean CO₂ Atlas (SOCAT) is twofold:

1. To provide a new synthesis product for the global carbon community,

2. To provide an assessment of whether the SOCAT products meet the CO₂ research community needs.

We kindly ask colleagues:

1) To report problems to submit@socat.info

2) To generously acknowledge the contribution of SOCAT PIs, regional group leaders, SOCAT QC-ers and data PIs in the form of invitation to co-authorship, acknowledgement or reference to relevant papers as appropriate.

3) To cite all SOCAT products as:

· Pfeil, B., Olsen, A., Bakker, D.C.E. et al. (2011) A uniform, quality controlled, Surface Ocean CO₂ Atlas (SOCAT). Earth System Science Data (in preparation).

4) To cite the gridded SOCAT products as:

• Pfeil, B., Olsen, A., Bakker, D.C.E. et al. (2011) A uniform, quality controlled, Surface Ocean CO₂ Atlas (SOCAT). Earth System Science Data (in preparation).
• Sabine et al. (2011) Gridding of the Surface Ocean CO₂ Atlas (SOCAT). Earth System Science Data (in preparation).

An announcement of the SOCAT public release is planned:

· Bakker, D.C.E., Pfeil, B., Olsen, A., Metzl, N., Sabine, C., Hankin, S., Koyuk, H., Malczyk, J., Kozyr, A., Telszewski, M. (2011) The Surface Ocean CO₂ Atlas: a new tool for assessing changes in the ocean carbon sink. In preparation for EOS.

For further advice, please, contact any of the SOCAT PIs.