Carbon Geodynamics

碳是生命和环境的基本元素。人们对地表储集层中碳的形态、通量和地球化学途径知之甚少。关于地球最大的储存库--地球内部(地壳、地幔和核心)中的碳，人们所知的要少得多。该储集层通过化学地球动力学途径进出内部，通过深部地质时期(即至今)对碳的地表形态和收支起着主要的控制作用。然而，在理解深层碳库及其与地表环境的关系方面，我们的知识存在着巨大的差距。在这项提案中，我们将探索NERC计划的潜力，以资助一项有针对性的研究工作，研究深层碳循环与地球表面之间的关系--我们称之为碳地球动力学。我们还将探讨制定碳研究计划的可能性，以配合深层碳天文台(DCO)的研究目标。该项目由斯隆基金会私人资助，并由美国华盛顿卡内基研究所赞助管理，是一项“致力于实现对地球深层碳循环的变革性理解的多学科的国际倡议”。范围研究将集中在一个为期3天的研讨会上，一组英国主要利益相关者(~20人)与DCO成员(~4人)和一组精选的国际顾问(~6人)将讨论此类英国计划的最佳战略。

Carbon is the seminal element of life and environment. Much is known about the forms, fluxes and geochemical pathways of carbon in surface reservoirs. Much less is known about carbon in the largest Earth reservoir, the Earth's interior (crust, mantle and core). This reservoir, through chemical geodynamic pathways into and out of the interior, has exerted the major control on the surficial form and budget of carbon through deep geological time (i.e. the Hadean to the present). Yet huge gaps in our knowledge exist in understanding the deep carbon reservoir and its relationship to the surface environment. In this proposal we will explore the potential for an NERC Programme to fund a directed research effort into the relationship between the deep carbon cycle and the Earth's surface - we call this Carbon Geodynamics. We will also explore the possibility of developing a program of carbon research to compliment the research objectives of the Deep Carbon Observatory (DCO). This program, funded privately by the Sloan Foundation and managed through the auspices of the Carnegie Institution of Washington (USA) is a "multidisciplinary, international initiative dedicated to achieving a transformational understanding of Earth's deep carbon cycle". The scoping study will centre on a 3-day workshop where a group of UK primary stakeholders (~20), together with members of the DCO (~4) and a select set of international advisors (~6), will discuss the best strategy for such a UK Programme.