Workshop Proposal for a "Deep Time Earth-Life Observatory Network" (DETELON)

这笔赠款用于支持围绕地球科学界在2010年秋季举行的几次专业会议上确定的主题组织的一次讲习班。Deep Time地球生命观测网络（DETELON）讲习班将提供一个广泛的社区平台，以发展观测网络的概念，作为古生物学和更广泛的软岩地质学社区的一项倡议，讲习班将围绕论坛和执行委员会确定的主题起草一份白色文件。执行委员会将在特别积极的研讨会参与者的协助下，将这份白色文件转化为初步科学计划。最后，这一初步科学计划将在网上公开征求意见，这些意见将用于执行委员会最终确定DETERON的正式科学计划。最终的科学计划将于2011年5月提交给国家科学基金会和其他潜在的资金来源。今天，我们的社会和我们的星球面临着前所未有的环境和生态系统压力，我们可能正在走向与人类历史上任何经历都截然不同的全球条件。许多与理解地球未来可能状态相关的非模拟条件都记录在地球的深层第四纪前历史中：过去是我们通往未来的窗口。了解这些行星状态需要将古生物学、地球化学、生物学、地层学和其他数据无缝整合到一个高分辨率的时间和空间框架中，以便开发和测试定量模型。当今地球科学面临的最重要的问题是围绕着复杂的，多方面的系统，只能由跨学科的科学家团队使用最好的技术来解决。这种以团队为基础的活动将为前沿科学领域的研究培训和经验提供许多机会，特别是为越来越多的妇女和目前正在进入地球科学领域的其他代表性不足的群体提供机会。

This grant supports a workshop organized around the themes identified by the broader Earth sciences community at several professional meetings during the fall of 2010. The Deep Time Earth-Life Observatory Network (DETELON) workshop will provide a broad community-based platform to develop the concept of an Observatory Network as an initiative for the paleontological and the broader soft-rock geological community.The workshop will craft a white paper around themes identified by forums and by an Executive Committee. The Executive Committee, aided by particularly active workshop participants, will turn this white paper into a preliminary science plan. Finally, this preliminary science plan will be placed on-line for a period of public comment, and these comments will be used to finalize an official Science Plan for DETELON by the Executive Committee. This final science plan will be presented to NSF and to other potential funding sources by May 2011.Today our society and our planet face unparalleled environmental and ecosystem pressures, and we may be heading toward global conditions that are quite unlike anything experienced in human history. Numerous non-analog conditions relevant for understanding possible future states of the planet are recorded in the deep, pre-Quaternary history of the Earth: the past is our window to the future. Understanding these planetary states requires seamless integration of paleontological, geochemical, biological, stratigraphic and other data into a highly resolved temporal and spatial framework that allows development and testing of quantitative models. The most important problems facing the Earth sciences today are centered around complex, multi-faceted systems that can only be approached by interdisciplinary teams of scientists using the best available technology. Such team-based activities will provide numerous opportunities for research training and experience in forefront areas of science, particularly for the growing number of women and other under-represented groups that are currently entering the Earth sciences.