Taking the Pulse of the Earth's Surface Systems

Larsen, Laurel G.; Hajek, Elizabeth; Maher, K.; Paola, Chris; Merritts, Dorothy J.; Bralower, Timothy J.; Montañez, Isabel P.; Wing, Scott L.; Snyder, Noah P.; Hochella, Michael F.; Kump, Lee R.; Person, Mark

doi:10.1029/2015eo040525

Cited by 6 publications

(9 citation statements)

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“…This model would answer the need for long-term measurements (at carefully chosen hubs), the need for short-term targeted measurements at specific locations both within the United States and abroad (carefully chosen campaign sites), and the need for new mechanisms to engage more investigators (funding to bring in scientists from outside the hub network). This long- term hub and short-term campaign emphasis has been promoted in the literature by researchers both inside and outside the current CZO funding framework (Banwart et al, 2012;Larsen et al, 2015). Fundamentally, the argument for the hub-and-campaign approach is that the two methods benefit from each other.…”

Section: The Future Networkmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Designing a network of critical zone observatories to explore the living skin of the terrestrial Earth

et al. 2017

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Abstract. The critical zone (CZ), the dynamic living skin of the Earth, extends from the top of the vegetative canopy through the soil and down to fresh bedrock and the bottom of the groundwater. All humans live in and depend on the CZ. This zone has three co-evolving surfaces: the top of the vegetative canopy, the ground surface, and a deep subsurface below which Earth's materials are unweathered. The network of nine CZ observatories supported by the US National Science Foundation has made advances in three broad areas of CZ research relating to the co-evolving surfaces. First, monitoring has revealed how natural and anthropogenic inputs at the vegetation canopy and ground surface cause subsurface responses in water, regolith structure, minerals, and biotic activity to considerable depths. This response, in turn, impacts aboveground biota and climate. Second, drilling and geophysical imaging now reveal how the deep subsurface of the CZ varies across landscapes, which in turn influences aboveground ecosystems. Third, several new mechanistic models now provide quantitative predictions of the spatial structure of the subsurface of the CZ.Many countries fund critical zone observatories (CZOs) to measure the fluxes of solutes, water, energy, gases, and sediments in the CZ and some relate these observations to the histories of those fluxes recorded in landforms, biota, soils, sediments, and rocks. Each US observatory has succeeded in (i) synthesizing research across disciplines into convergent approaches; (ii) providing long-term measurements to compare across sites; (iii) testing and developing models; (iv) collecting and measuring baseline data for comparison to catastrophic events; (v) stimulating new process-based hypotheses; (vi) catalyzing development of new techniques and instrumentation; (vii) informing the public about the CZ; (viii) mentoring students and teaching about emerging multidisciplinary CZ science; and (ix) discovering new insights about the CZ. Many of these activities can only be accomplished with observatories. Here we review the CZO enterprise in the United States and identify how such observatoriesPublished by Copernicus Publications on behalf of the European Geosciences Union. 842 S. L. Brantley et al.: Designing a network of critical zone observatories could operate in the future as a network designed to generate critical scientific insights. Specifically, we recognize the need for the network to study network-level questions, expand the environments under investigation, accommodate both hypothesis testing and monitoring, and involve more stakeholders. We propose a driving question for future CZ science and a "hubs-and-campaigns" model to address that question and target the CZ as one unit. Only with such integrative efforts will we learn to steward the life-sustaining critical zone now and into the future.

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Section: The Future Networkmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Mechanism (ii), campaign-style research, has the advantage of exploring CZ questions over a range of conditions (Larsen et al, 2015). Such campaigns often focus on material properties or process dynamics.…”

Section: The Future Networkmentioning

confidence: 99%

Designing a network of critical zone observatories to explore the living skin of the terrestrial Earth

et al. 2017

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“…A thorough evaluation of the socioeconomic impacts of Earth surface processes is essential for variety of stakeholders, yet it adds another layer of computational demand and complexities to the task. Several of these challenges were first identified in Wilcock and Iverson's [2003] volume Prediction in Geomorphology, and while many still persist today, the 18 years since that volume's publication have seen greatly expanded opportunities to both monitor and model surface change [Larsen et al, 2015;Pelletier et al, 2015]. Together, Wilcock and Iverson [2003], Larsen et al [2015], and Pelletier et al [2015] have each raised key scientific, technical, and philosophical issues regarding the monitoring and forecasting of Earth surface change.…”

Section: Accepted Articlementioning

confidence: 99%

Earthcasting: Geomorphic forecasts for society

Ferdowsi

Gartner

Johnson

et al. 2021

Preprint

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“…Early‐career researchers can, and should, reach outside the CZ community to increase awareness of the discipline. Such efforts will create a dynamic cross‐section of earth and environmental scientists representing multiple world‐views (Larsen et al, ) while promoting a spirit of inclusiveness. A recent example occurred at the 2015 Ecological Society of America meeting, where a session was hosted encouraging CZ science within the ecological community, ‘ Ecology from treetop to bedrock: human influence in Earth's critical zone .’ Early‐career researchers should build the capacity of a global forum that facilitates collaboration and community building.…”

Section: Accepting Leadership Rolesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Growing new generations of critical zone scientists

Wymore

West

Maher

et al. 2017

Earth Surf Processes Landf

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Critical zone (CZ) science is entering its second decade. A new generation of scientists is emerging trained specifically in CZ science and are contributing to advances in environmental science across disciplines. Concurrently, the global scope of CZ science is being elevated as new countries invest in CZ observatories. Global CZ science has great potential to address a diverse array of questions beyond any single discipline. In this commentary we discuss a series of CZ science grand challenges that should be targeted by early‐career researchers: understanding water availability in the CZ; expanding CZ science into new environments; communicating the societal relevance of CZ science including earthcasting to the public; seamlessly integrating biological sciences within the CZ framework; and scaling CZ processes over large spatial and temporal gradients. Targeting these grand challenges will push CZ science well into the future. We also highlight mechanisms for increased leadership within the CZ community. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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Taking the Pulse of the Earth's Surface Systems

Abstract: As human activity alters the Earth's surface environment in unprecedented ways, a comprehensive survey campaign is necessary to predict future impacts.

Cited by 6 publications

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Designing a network of critical zone observatories to explore the living skin of the terrestrial Earth

Designing a network of critical zone observatories to explore the living skin of the terrestrial Earth

Earthcasting: Geomorphic forecasts for society

Growing new generations of critical zone scientists

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