Boulder Creek CZO Renewal: Weathered Profile Development in a Rocky Environment and Its Influence on Watershed Hydrology and Biogeochemistry

Boulder Creek临界区观测站的建立是为了探索临界区在不同侵蚀历史下的演变和作用。在Boulder Creek的三个子流域建立了监测基础设施，这些流域的侵蚀制度有很大不同。目前正在收集气象强迫的时间序列以及流域的水文、地貌和生态响应。研究的重点是这些过程之间的相互作用。根据这一奖项，该团队将深化他们对相互关联的主题的研究，这些主题包括水文相互作用和分区、风化和移动风化土层的产生、树木作为风化土层发育的媒介、景观水平的生物地球化学和微生物动力学、火和景观干扰以及景观演变。巨石溪临界区天文台的这项研究考察了地球-S临界区-植被顶部和风化基岩底部之间的地球薄皮的演化和功能。该小组将研究水文过程，树木在形成表层中的作用，以及罕见事件(如火灾)在景观发展中的作用。在接下来的一年里，BcCZO将继续让研究人员和学生接触临界区科学，并为更广泛的科学界生成数据集。科学的过程和所取得的发现通过几种途径被直接带给公众。其中包括通过学生-教师讲习班和与CU科学发现计划合作举办的暑期夏令营提供的中学研究型课程；也与CU科学发现计划合作为高中生提供的夏季研究体验；为本科生提供的Keck地质计划夏季研究体验；由CUAHSI主办的关键区域网络研讨会系列；以及一个网站。

The Boulder Creek Critical Zone Observatory was established to explore the evolution and function of the critical zone under differing erosion histories. Monitoring infrastructure has been established in three sub-catchments of Boulder Creek that differ significantly in their erosional regime. Time series of meteorological forcing, and the hydrologic, geomorphic and ecological response of the catchment are now being collected. Research focuses on interactions among these processes. Under this award, the team will deepen their research on interconnected topics of hydrologic interactions and partitioning, weathering and mobile regolith production, trees as agents of regolith development, landscape-level biogeochemical and microbial dynamics, fire and landscape disturbance, and landscape evolution. The research at Boulder Creek Critical Zone Observatory (BcCZO) examines the evolution and function of Earth?s Critical Zone?the thin veneer of Earth between the top of the vegetation and the base of weathered bedrock. The team will examine hydrologic processes, the roles of trees in developing regolith, and the role of infrequent events such as fires in landscape development. Over the coming year, the BcCZO will continue to expose researchers and students to critical zone science and generate datasets for the broader scientific community. The process of science and the discoveries made are taken directly to the public through several avenues. These include research-based curriculum at middle-school level offered through student-teacher workshops and a summer day camp, run in partnership with the CU Science Discovery program; summer research experience for high school students, also with CU Science Discovery; the Keck Geology Program research experience for undergraduates during the summer; the Critical Zone Cyber-seminar series, hosted by CUAHSI; and a website.