The Global Observation System for Mercury (GOS4M): Earth Observation Applications and Global Policy Frameworks

This chapter gives an overview of the GEO Flagship Global Observation System for Mercury (GOS4M) activity aimed to bridge the gap between Earth observation (EO) and policy decisions. Prominence was assigned to user-access systems that can provide knowledge based on the huge amount of scientific information. The GOS 4 M Knowledge Hub is provided to support decisions on mercury deposition scenarios and enhance integration and sharing of data related to mercury pollution. The Knowledge Hub is timely in light of the recent adoption of the Minamata Convention on Mercury, which welcomed the scientific communities' efforts to support policy implementation. Long-term and high-precision observations and analysis of the mercury cycle (from emission to deposition) in the different domains of the Earth system (atmosphere, ocean, land) are furthermore required to better quantify sources and sinks, understand the impact on environment and human health, and address their reduction/removal.