PRIORITIES 
STRATEGIC PRIORITIES 
Support Broad U.S. and International Scientific Effort 
Identify Natural and Human-Induced Changes 
Focus on Interactions and Interdisciplinary Science 
Share Financial Burden, Use the Best Resources, 
and Encourage Full Participation 
INTEGRATING PRIORITIES 
• Documenlion of Earth System Change 
• Observational Programs 
• Data Management Systems 
• Focused Studies on Controlling Processes 
and Improved Understanding 
• Integrated Conceptual and Predictive Models 
Climate and 
Hydrologic Systems 
Role of Clouds 
Ocean Circulation and 
Heal Flux 
Land/Alm/Qcean 
Water & Energy 
Fluxes 
Coupled Climate System 
& Quantitative Links 
Occan/Atm/Cryosphere 
Interactions 
BiogeochemicaJ 
Dynamics 
Bio/Atm/Oceun Fluxes 
of Trace Species 
Atm Processing of 
Tract Species 
Surface/Deep Water 
Biogeochemistry 
Terrestrial Biosphere 
Nutrient and 
Carbon Cycling 
Terrestrial Inputs to 
Marine Ecosystems 
SCIENCE PRIORITIES 
Ecological Systems 
and Dynamics 
Long-Term Measure 
ments of Structure/ 
Function 
Response to Climate 
and Other Stresses 
Interactions between 
Physical and 
Biological Processes 
Models of Interactions, 
Feedbacks, and 
Responses 
Productivity/Resource 
Models 
Earth System 
History 
Paleoclima le 
Paleoecology 
Atmospheric 
Composiuon 
Ocean Circulation 
and Composition 
Ocean Productivity 
Sea Level Change 
Paleohydrology 
Human 
Interactions 
Data Base Development 
Models Linking: 
Population Growth 
and Distribution 
Energy Demands 
Changes in Land Use 
Industrial Production 
Solid Earth 
Processes 
Coastal Erosion 
Volcanic Processes 
Permafrost and Marine 
Gas Hydrates 
Ocean/Seafloor Heal 
and Energy Ruses 
SurficiaJ Processes 
Crustal Motions and 
Sea Level 
Solar 
Influences 
EUV/UV Monitoring 
Aim/Solar Energy 
Coupling 
Inadiance (Measure/ 
Model) 
Climate/Solar Record 
Proxy Measurements 
and Long-Term 
Data Base 
Increasing Priority 
Figure s U.S. Global Change Research Program Priority Framework 
(CES, 1989b) 
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