Stratospheric Processes and their Role in Climate (SPARC) was created in 1992 by the World Climate Research Programme (WCRP). It was created as a research project to study stratospheric processes and their role in climate. The principal objective of this project is to help the stratospheric research community focus on significant issues related to climate.
There are several sub-groups which support the mission of SPARC. The Scientific Steering Group (SSG) provides leadership for the project and is supported by the SPARC office and SPARC initiatives (working groups). Initiatives include the SPARC newsletter, SPARC meetings and the preparation of SPARC reports, as well as the promotion of field measurement programs.The objectives of SPARC are described in detail in the SPARC Implementation Plan (2009).