SGER: Development of Community Networking and Outreach for GeoSystems

GeoSystems是一个发展中的社区倡议，侧重于以气候为重点，从深层时间角度理解地球大气圈、水圈、生物圈和地表岩石圈的复杂性的重要性。地理系统计划有可能促进地球气候和相关系统研究和教育的快速和创新进展，但需要在以下方面做出协调一致的努力：（1）与地理信息学的其他计划联网（例如CHRONOS），就相互关联的主题建立联盟，并开始制定适合于挖掘和链接大型数据库的工具，（2）建立地理系统研究人员的社区，并促进社区内的合作，（3）启动旨在教育地理系统和地理信息学在这一努力中的作用的外联工作。为了开始实现这些目标，需要为讲习班和会议以及通过开发地球系统网站和相关材料（通讯、小册子等）传播信息提供资金。智力价值-最终，这些努力将增加我们对地球气候和相关系统的理解，扩大我们对气候系统行为、阈值、反馈、非线性的掌握，并积极影响气候建模和预测。更广泛的影响-计划的推广和教育工作将利用地球历史上保存的显著的地球系统耦合和生物影响，它抓住了所有人的想象力--从大学教授到小学生--从而为各级科学教育提供了理想的素材。

GeoSystems is a developing community-based initiative that focuses on the importanceof the deep-time perspective for understanding the complexities of Earth's atmosphere,hydrosphere, biosphere and surficial lithosphere using climate as the focus. The GeoSystemsinitiative holds the potential to catalyze rapid and innovative progress in research and educationon Earth's climate and related systems, but will require concerted effort in (1) networking withother initiatives in Geoinformatics (e.g. CHRONOS), to forge alliances on topics of mutualrelevance and begin to formulate tools appropriate for mining and linking large databases, (2)building the community of GeoSystems researchers and stimulating collaboration within thatcommunity, and (3) initiating outreach efforts aimed at education in GeoSystems and the role ofGeoinformatics in this effort. To begin to realize these objectives, funds are requested forworkshops and meetings, and information dissemination via development of the GeoSystemswebsite and related materials (newsletters, brochures, etc.).Intellectual Merit--Ultimately, these efforts will augment our understanding of Earth'sclimate and related systems, expanding our grasp of climate-system behavior, thresholds,feedbacks, nonlinearity, and positively impacting climate modeling and prediction.Broader Impact-Planned outreach and education efforts will capitalize on theremarkable Earth-system couplings and biotic impacts preserved in Earth history, which capturethe imaginations of all-- the university professor to the grade-schooler-- and thus provide idealfodder for science education at all levels.