Establishing a Critical Zone Exploration Network: A Proposal to Fund People and Sites

智力优势。临界区的定义是包括从植被外层到地下水下限的所有流体、矿物、气体和生物成分，支持地球上的所有陆地生命。实验和实地为基础的方法已被用来调查区，但是，没有系统的尝试已经取得了从网站收集数据，包括控制风化和临界区过程的变量的全部范围。因此，科学界对临界区的了解落后于一些不太复杂的地球系统，主要原因是缺乏长期资金来支持从临界区收集数据所需的密集努力。尽管存在这些困难，地下水化学家、土壤化学家、放射性废物专家、地貌学家、酸雨专家、古土壤学家和许多其他对地球化学循环感兴趣的科学家对风化和临界区过程的量化速率的需求正在增长。为了推进风化科学的系统方法的这一愿景，WeatheringSystem Science Consortium（WSSC）已经制定了一项科学计划草案（http：www.wssc.psu.edu），以启动临界区科学的倡议。目前，WSSC是一个由约50名对临界区科学感兴趣的大学和政府科学家组成的小组。在本提案中，我们要求提供资金，以提供和管理8个种子赠款，以支持在关键区勘探网络（CZEN）中建立实地观测站。种子赠款的获得者将是宾夕法尼亚州立大学的分包商：获奖者是来自7所大学和一个政府机构的临界区科学家，他们是在2005年10月24日至26日在特拉华州大学举行的国家科学基金会主办的题为“临界区科学前沿”的会议上经过口头和海报介绍后由评选委员会选出的。种子赠款将允许提议的团队启动8个临界区观测站。我们还申请资金，为10名美国研究生和2名资深科学家提供旅行支持，前往欧洲参观正在开发的临界区野外观测站或实验室，在那里正在开发研究临界区的创新技术。这些学生还将参加CZEN Cyberinfrastructure Work-shop。该提案的这一方面承认了临界区科学的全球性，并将使我们能够建立一个跨学科和国家边界的合作与协作框架，同时培训未来临界区科学家的核心。需要一个临界区探索网络，以鼓励对临界区耦合过程进行最先进的研究。这笔赠款将允许八个团队为天文台开发想法，以促进CZEN的研究和教育。将为每个观测站列入或计划开展外联活动。预计WSSC将利用种子赠款资助的初步努力，提出一个关键区勘探网络，该网络将允许对关键区进行系统调查。

Intellectual Merit. The Critical Zone, defined to encompass all fluid, mineral, gaseous, and biotic components from the outer envelope of vegetation down to the lower limits of groundwater, supports all terrestrial life on Earth. Both experimental and field-based approaches have been used to investigate the zone; however, no systematic attempt has been made to collect data from sites encompassing the full range of variables that control weathering and Critical Zone processes. Thus, the scientific communities understanding of the Critical Zone lags behind some less complex Earth systems primarily due to the lack of availability of long-duration funding to support the intensive effort needed to collect data from the zone. Despite these difficulties, the need for quantified rates of weathering and Critical Zone processes is growing among groundwater chemists, soil chemists, radioactive waste specialists, geomorphologists, acid rain specialists, paleopedologists, and many other scientists interested in geochemical cycling.To advance this vision of a systematic approach to weathering science, the WeatheringSystem Science Consortium (WSSC) has developed a draft science plan(http://www.wssc.psu.edu) to start an initiative in Critical Zone Science. At present, WSSC is a group of ~50 university and government scientists who are interested in Critical Zone Science. In this proposal, we request funding to provide and administer eight seed grants to support the development of field observatories in a Critical Zone Exploration Network (CZEN). The recipients of seed grants will be subcontractors of Penn State University: the awardees are Critical Zone scientists from 7 universities and one government agency who were chosen by a selection committee after oral and poster presentations at the National Science Foundation-sponsored meeting entitled Frontiers in Critical Zone Science at the University of Delaware, October 24-26, 2005. Seed grants will allow the proposing teams to initiate the 8 Critical Zone observatory sites.We also request funding to provide travel support for 10 U.S. graduate students and 2 senior scientists to travel to Europe to visit developing Critical Zone field observatories or laboratories where innovative techniques to investigate the Critical Zone are being developed. These students will also participate in the CZEN Cyberinfrastructure Work-shop. This aspect of the proposal recognizes the global aspect of Critical Zone science and will allow us to establish a framework of cooperation and collaboration across disciplinary and national boundaries while training the nucleus of future Critical Zone scientists.Broader Impacts. A Critical Zone Exploration Network is needed to encourage state-of-the art research on coupled processes in the Critical Zone. This grant will allow eight teams to develop ideas for observatories to grow CZEN for both research and education. Outreach activities will be included or planned for each observatory. It is anticipated that WSSC will use the initial efforts funded by seed grants to propose a Critical Zone Exploration Network that will allow a systematic investigation of the Critical Zone.