Special Feature: International Global Atmospheric Chemistry (IGAC) 35-year Anniversary

IGAC 35-year Anniversary

The International Global Atmospheric Chemistry (IGAC) Project’s mission is to facilitate atmospheric chemistry research towards a sustainable world. IGAC achieves its mission through advancing knowledge, fostering community, building capacity, and engaging society. A strong international science community is especially important for atmospheric chemistry, as the atmosphere is the integrator of the Earth system. Human emissions of pollutants and long-lived greenhouse gases into the atmosphere have caused dramatic transformations of the planet, altering air quality, climate, and nutrient flows in every ecosystem.  Emissions are transported across political and geographical boundaries and undergo chemical changes in the atmosphere. Understanding the global atmosphere requires an international network of scientists providing intellectual leadership in areas of atmospheric chemistry that need to be addressed, promoted and would benefit from research across disciplines and geographical boundaries.

Acknowledgement of this need led to the formation of the IGAC Project in 1990. IGAC currently operates under the umbrella of Future Earth and is jointly sponsored by the international Commission on Atmospheric Chemistry and Global Pollution (iCACGP), a commission of IAMAS-IUGG.

In 2025, IGAC turns 35. To celebrate this milestone of international collaboration, we welcome submissions that have emerged from our mission, our activities, and our regional working groups. We specifically seek research articles and review articles, however some other manuscript types may be considered.

Activities are community-proposed initiatives centered around a scientific question in atmospheric chemistry that needs global cooperation to answer. The current activities are:

PACES: Air Pollution in the Arctic: Climate, Environment, and Societies (PACES)
Allin-Wayra: Small Sensors for Atmospheric Science
Amigo: Analysis of eMIssions usinG Observations
ACAM: Atmospheric Composition and the Asian Monsoon
BBURNED: Biomass Burning Uncertainty: ReactioNs, Emissions, and Dynamics
CCMI: Chemistry-Climate Model Initiative (CCMI)
GEIA: Global Emissions Initiative
Map-AQ: Monitoring, Analysis, and Prediction of Air Quality
CATCH: The Cyrosphere and Atmospheric Chemistry
TOAR-II: Tropospheric Ozone Assessment Report, Phase II
U-APIC: Urban Air Pollution and Interaction with Climate

Working Groups are community-proposed regional networking groups centered around fostering community and building capacity in atmospheric science in areas where there may not be a strong community already. The current working groups are:

ANGA: African Group on Atmospheric Sciences
Americas Working Group
China Working Group
Japan National Committee
MANGO: Monsoon Asian and Oceania Networking Group
Southern Hemisphere Working Group

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