Global Observation System for Mercury

Mercury is a global pollutant of concern to human health and the environment. The Minamata Convention provides a powerful impetus for global efforts to reduce and eliminate use of mercury and mercury compounds. However, there are still limitations surrounding the availability and quality of Earth observation data, as well as the sharing of monitoring data and modelling outputs that support policy implementation.

The Global Observation System for Mercury (GOS4M) offers high-quality and comparable data of mercury concentrations and fluxes in air, ocean and terrestrial ecosystems, validated models to assess the fate of mercury in air and oceans, and fully integrated Knowledge Hub for assessing the effectiveness of policy measures. GOS4M’s data and services include a Data Catalog & Monitoring Network, Community Portal (GEO), GEO Knowledge Hub for GOS4M (GEO), Knowledge Hub, and iGOS4M online database for mercury stable isotope observations in support of the Minamata Convention.

GOS4M aims to foster sharing and monitoring data and modelling outputs to enable production of applications in support of policy implementation. The main focal policy driver is the Minamata Convention on Mercury. GOS4M also actively works toward all the Sustainable Development Goals.

The GOS4M creates interoperable tools to access available in-situ mercury data sets, satellite observations used in regional and global scale chemical models and the emulator of modeling outputs.

The GOS4M was designed to assist nations in evaluating the effects of mercury contamination on human health and the environment through support of the Secretariat of the Minamata Convention on Mercury, and the UN Environment Mercury Fate & Transport Partnership, and the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development; working through Regional GEOs and GEO Members to expand the observing network; and working with the Scientific Advisory Board to ensure the robustness of products developed.

GOS4M will also develop information technology applications based on observations and model outputs made available through platforms such as Copernicus DIAS and GEO Knowledge Hub. The GOS4M is built on existing networks and observing infrastructures and developed the GOS4M-Knowledge Hub (GOS4M-KH) as well as other information technology applications based on observations and model outputs made available through platforms such as Copernicus DIAS and GEO Knowledge Hub.

The GOS4M-KH is an operational integrated multi-model and multi-domain computational platform where scientists, decision makers and citizens can discover, analyze and understand information that identifies the links between mercury contamination and its impact on Earth systems and human health. The GOS4M-KH was designed for effectiveness of nations’ mercury contamination measures on human and ecosystem health. The GOS4M-KH https://www.copernicus.eu/en/access-data/dias https://www.geoportal.org/supports decisionmakers by using information on mercury fate, from sources to receptors, and in the future estimate of cost associated with policies to codesign different policy scenarios at national/regional levels.

Governance: GOS4M is made up of three governing bodies (Focal points, Scientific Advisory Board, Steering Committee), three co-chairs (Lynwill Martin, SAWS, South Africa, Alexandra Steffen, Environment Canada, Canada, Shuxiao Wang, Tsinghua University, China), and one chair (Nicola Pirrone, CNR, Italy).