(Note: proposal was rejected at final stage):
Atmospheric oxygen (O2) holds great unrealized potential to close knowledge gaps and reduce uncertainty in carbon cycle science. This is due to the strong coupling between O2 and carbon dioxide (CO2) in key carbon cycle processes, allowing the fate of anthropogenic emissions to be partitioned into atmospheric, terrestrial, and ocean reservoirs. Since atmospheric O2 can routinely be measured from discrete flasks and continuously in situ, it has a proven capability to deliver on both long-term and policy-relevant timescales. The Schmidt Sciences VICC initiative provides an unprecedented opportunity, unavailable from national funding agencies, to bring the international atmospheric O2 community together to fully realize the untapped potential of atmospheric O2, catalyzing a dramatic reduction of uncertainties in carbon fluxes and making a transformative contribution towards the VICC mission of closing the global carbon budget.