Equipment: EA: Acquisition of Electrical Resistivity Instrumentation to Elucidate Hydrologic Processes in the Critical Zone

地下水是人类赖以生存的重要资源，但很难测量。地球物理测量，如电阻率层析成像(ERT)，提供了一种方法来了解土壤和岩石中有多少水等方面的差异，而不必在地面上挖掘或钻孔，这可能是破坏性的和昂贵的。我们建议获得一个新的ERT单位，以测量地面水分如何受到土地复盖和地质变化的影响。我们计划使用这种新设备对本科生和研究生进行至少两门实地课程的培训。我们的目标是为学生提供技能，为他们的工作做好准备。通过ERT对地下属性进行无损成像提供了一种在更大的空间和时间域上对地下水分进行标度测量的方法。绘制2-3D的水分动态图使我们能够解决美国国家科学院地球和时间报告中核心的生态水文问题，例如：是什么影响了土地覆盖变化的空间模式，如木本植物入侵、物种建立和生态系统生产力？在气候变暖的情况下，不断变化的水资源和植被动态将如何相互作用？植被和水文相互作用如何影响碳和养分的周转和运输？购买更多的ERT设备将有助于扩大能够整合更大空间域的研究的数量，使我们能够解决这些问题。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Water in the ground is an important resource that humans rely on but it is hard to measure. Geophysical measurements, like electrical resistivity tomography (ERT), provides a way to understand differences in things like how much water is in the soil and rock without having to dig or drill holes in the ground which can be destructive and expensive. We propose to obtain a new ERT unit to measure how moisture in the ground is impacted by changes in land cover and geology. We plan to train undergraduate and graduate students in at least two field courses using this new equipment. Our goal is to provide students with skills that prepare them for the workforce.Non-destructive imaging of subsurface properties through ERT provides a means of scaling point measurements of subsurface moisture across larger spatial and temporal domains. Mapping moisture dynamics in 2-3D allows us to address ecohydrologic questions at the heart of the National Academy of Science’s Earth and Time report, such as: What influences the spatial patterns of land cover change such as woody encroachment, species establishment, and ecosystem productivity? How will changing water resources and vegetation dynamics interact in a warming climate? How do vegetation and hydrological interactions impact carbon and nutrient turnover and transport? The acquisition of more ERT equipment will help to expand the number of studies that can integrate larger spatial domains, allowing us to address these questions.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.