Working Group Activity on Molecular- and Nano-Environmental Geochemistry

EAR-0630535HOCHELLA最近已经确定，至少在纳米范围内具有一个维度的矿物和其他自然存在的相的行为与相同相的较大实例的行为背离，有时是戏剧性的。鉴于这些阶段在自然界中广泛而丰富，在基本上所有地球系统的背景下理解这些偏差是至关重要的。因此，自然界的纳米科学，包括密切相关的分子地球化学领域，是新兴的领域，正在成为陆地、海洋和大气研究中环境地球化学的关键组成部分。回报是巨大的，因为将出现对地球过程的新解释。有人提议，由美国国家科学基金会赞助的一个工作组成立两天，讨论分子和纳米环境地球化学研究的前沿，然后撰写一篇关于这个主题的文章，提交给备受瞩目、读者广泛的出版物，如《科学》或《EOS》。工作组可以在弗吉尼亚州的阿灵顿开会，因此他们将能够在第二天向对这个主题感兴趣的NSF项目经理展示他们的发现。在允许并愿意参与的情况下，本提案中列出了小组成员。成员包括两名较资深的成员(其中一名是本提案的PI)、一名职业生涯中期成员和四名职业生涯相对较早的成员。这个想法是要有经验丰富的领导者，但大多数是职业生涯早期的科学家，他们的团队正在进行特别新颖和突破性的研究。这些小组将在未来很长一段时间内代表这一核心和重要的研究领域。更广泛的影响：在这个特定的主题上开展这种类型的活动的时机是正确的。这一领域的研究正在朝着对应用地球研究的所有基础领域(陆地、海洋、大气、生物)都有影响的方向发展。除此之外，在过去的几年里，地球科学研究界一直在不断地、不断增长和广泛地涌现出兴趣、热情和需求，以建立一个专注于这一特定研究方向的强大资金基础。在物理和生物科学的所有其他领域，以分子和纳米为基础的科学和技术的科学革命正在顺利进行；这些地球科学研究领域的重要新发现的潜力和实现同样巨大。

EAR-0630535HOCHELLAIt has recently been determined that the behavior of minerals and other naturally occurring phases with at least one dimension in the nanometer range deviates, sometimes dramatically, from the behavior of larger examples of the same phases. Given that thesenanophases are widespread and abundant in nature, it is critical to understand these deviations in the context of essentially all geosystems. As a result, the nanoscience of nature, including the closely associated field of molecular geochemistry, are emerging fields that are becoming key components of environmental geochemistry in terrestrial, ocean, and atmospheric studies. The payoff is large, in that new explanations of Earth's processes will emerge.It is proposed that an NSF-sponsored working group be assembled for two days to discuss the frontiers of molecular- and nano-environmental geochemistry research, and subsequently to produce an article on this subject for submission to a high profile, widely read publication such as Science or EOS. The working group can assemble in Arlington,Virginia, and therefore they will be able to present their findings on the second day to NSF program managers interested in this topic. The group members are listed in this proposal with their permission and willingness to participate. The members include two relatively senior members (one of these is the PI of this proposal), one mid-career member, and four relatively early-career members. The idea is to have experienced leaders, but for the most part early-career scientists whose groups are performing particularly novel and ground-breaking research. These groups will represent this central and vital research field long into the future.Broader impacts: The timing for this type of activity, on this particular subject, is right. Research in this field is exploding in directions that are influential across the spectrum in all areas of fundamental to applied Earth research (terrestrial, oceans, atmosphere, biological). Beyond this, over the last several years, there has been a continuous, growing, and broad-based groundswell of interest, enthusiasm, and need in the geoscience research community to develop a strong funding base focused on this particular research direction. Scientific revolutions in molecular-based and nano-based science and technology are well on their way in all other fields of the physical and biological sciences; the potential for and realization of important new discoveries in these areas of geoscience research are just as great.