Collaborative Research: Network Cluster: Dust in the Critical Zone from the Great Basin to the Rocky Mountains

自然和人为干扰改变了干旱气候中植被稀少的地貌，大大增加了可用于风蚀的细粒沉积物的丰度。 这种物质以尘埃的形式在大气中广泛传播。 这种灰尘在顺风山区生态系统中的沉积改变了地表水的化学性质，有助于土壤的形成，为植物提供了重要的营养物质，并改变了积雪融化的时间。 该项目将调查整个沙尘系统在美国西南部从源到汇在一系列的研究地点从南内华达州的沙漠到落基山脉。 研究结果将有助于评估沙漠和山区环境的相互关联性，并将对土地管理机构和决策者有所帮助。 来自历史上在科学领域代表性不足的人口的本科生将通过与既定项目的合作得到支持。 盐湖社区学院将与包括湖城和犹他州女童子军在内的社区合作伙伴一起组织一个针对中学女生的科学推广项目。 该计划将包括实地经验，科学家，研究生和本科生作为内容专家和榜样。 该项目还将确定大气条件负责提供灰尘到湖城城市地区，提供必要的信息建模灰尘暴露频率。 该项目将建立一个关键区专题组，以调查来自干旱景观的灰尘如何影响顺风山区生态系统的关键区。 在从内华达州南部沙漠到北方犹他州山区的研究地点，六名研究人员将领导互补项目，旨在阐明1）控制粉尘排放的因素; 2）负责粉尘传输的大气过程; 3）粉尘源区粉尘和硫化物材料的地球化学性质; 4）粉尘沉积对冬季积雪的影响; 5）随时间和景观的变化，山区灰尘沉积; 6）长期灰尘沉积对山区土壤发育的影响;和7）生物利用度，命运，和作用的灰尘在山区生态系统中的营养物质。 这些研究地点的选择是基于以前工作的坚实基础，建立监测网络和独特的多年数据集。 在粉尘排放点安装监测设备，继续运行雪研究点，扩大和维护现有的粉尘收集器网络，将加强收集关键环境变量的有形基础设施，以更好地说明CZ过程。 该项目旨在为各级学生的参与提供多种途径。 来自历史上在科学领域代表性不足的人口的本科生将通过与既定项目的合作得到支持。 盐湖社区学院将为中学女生组织一个科学推广项目。 观测和建模工作，以确定大气条件负责提供灰尘到湖城城市地区将提供必要的信息建模灰尘暴露频率。 结果将以一种旨在用于规划的格式传回适当的土地管理机构和决策者。该奖项由临界区合作网络计划、物理和动力气象学计划以及地貌和土地利用动力学计划共同资助。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Natural and human disturbances that alter sparsely vegetated landscapes in arid climates greatly increase the abundance of fine-grained sediment available for wind erosion. This material is transported widely through the atmosphere as dust. Deposition of this dust in downwind mountain ecosystems alters the chemistry of surface water, contributes to soil formation, delivers significant nutrients for plants, and changes the timing of snowpack melting. This project will investigate the entire dust system in the southwestern US from source to sink at an array of study sites from the deserts of southern Nevada into the Rocky Mountains. Results will allow the interconnectedness of desert and mountain environments to be evaluated, and will be of use to land management agencies and policymakers. Undergraduate students from populations historically underrepresented in the sciences will be supported through collaborations with established programs. A science outreach program for middle school girls will be organized out of Salt Lake Community College with community partners including the Salt Lake City School District and Girl Scouts of Utah. This program for will include field experiences, with scientists, graduate students, and undergraduate students serving as content experts and role models. The project will also identify atmospheric conditions responsible for delivering dust to the Salt Lake City urban area, providing the information necessary for modeling dust exposure frequency. This project will establish a Critical Zone Thematic Cluster to investigate how dust derived from arid landscapes impacts the Critical Zone (CZ) in downwind mountain ecosystems. At study sites from the deserts of southern Nevada to the mountains of northern Utah, six researchers will lead complementary projects designed to illuminate 1) the factors that control dust emission; 2) the atmospheric processes responsible for dust transport; 3) the geochemical properties of dust and surficial materials in dust source areas; 4) the effects of dust deposition on winter snowpack; 5) the variability of mountain dust deposition through time and across the landscape; 6) the impacts of long-term dust deposition on mountain soil development; and 7) the bioavailability, fate, and role of dust-derived nutrients in mountain ecosystems. Selection of these study sites is grounded on a solid foundation of previous work, established monitoring networks, and unique multi-year datasets. Installation of monitoring equipment at dust emission sites, continued operation of sites for snow research, and expansion and maintenance of an existing dust collector network will enhance the physical infrastructure for the collection of key environmental variables to better illuminate CZ processes. The project is designed to offer numerous avenues for student involvement at all levels. Undergraduate students from populations historically underrepresented in the sciences will be supported through collaborations with established programs. A science outreach program for middle school girls will be organized out of Salt Lake Community College. The observation and modeling work to identify atmospheric conditions responsible for delivering dust to the Salt Lake City urban area will provide the information necessary for modeling dust exposure frequency. Results will be transferred back to the appropriate land management agencies and policymakers in a format intended to be of use in their planning. This award is co-funded by the Critical Zone Collaborative Network Program, the Physical and Dynamic Meteorology Program, and the Geomorphology and Land-use Dynamics Program.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.