Our Good Earth The future rests on the soil beneath our feet National Geographic Magazine

1. Surface Earth Science An NSF Perspective SoilCritZone Workshop Sept. 5-8, 2008 Chania Crete Our Good Earth The future rests on the soil beneath our feet National Geographic Magazine

2. We are here OIA OPP NSF Director Deputy Director OCI NSB OISE IG Math and Physical Sciences Engineering Biological Sciences Geosciences Computer and Info. Science & Eng. Division of Atmospheric Sciences Division of Earth Sciences Division of Ocean Sciences SEP DEP Education and Human Resources Social, Behavioral & Economic Sciences

3. Surface Earth Processes Section (SEPS) Jun Abrajano, Section Head Education & Human Resources (EHR) Lina Patino, Program Director Hydrological Sciences (HS) Douglas James, Program Director Richard Cuenca, Program Director Geobiology & Low Temp Geochem (GG) Enriqueta Barrera, Program Director Steve Macko, Program Director Geomorphology & Land Use Dynamics (GLD) Richard Yuretich Michael Ellis Sedimentary Geology & Paleobiology (SGP) Rich Lane, Program Director Paul Filmer, Program Director (50%) Ray Bernor, Program Director

4. Crosscutting Programs ETBC: Emerging Trends in Biogeochemical Cycle CZO: Critical Zone Observatories P2C2: Paleo-Perspectives on Climate Change CZEN: Critical Zone Exploration Network NEON and LTER: National Ecological Observatory Network and Long Term Ecological Research WATERS Network CUAHSI Testbeds NCED: National Center for Earth-Surface Dynamics HIS: Hydrological Information System CSDMS: Community Surface Dynamics Modeling Systems SAHRA: Semi-Arid Hydrology and Riparian Areas Other Water Cycle and Climate Initiatives

5. Era of OBSERVATORY Earth Science CZO: Critical Zone Observatories OOI: Ocean Observatory Initiative CZEN EARTHSCOPE WATERS Network NEON and LTER CUAHSI Testbeds

6. What? • Platforms for studying the environment and fundamental processes within it in real time (hours, seasons, years, decades) at large scales. • It includes suites of instruments and sensors, power supplies, data storage capability, and other associated cyberinfrastructure. • “We are not alone.” Numerous related observatories and observing systems including LTERs, NEON sites, and non-NSF observatories.

7. Why? • “Business-as-usual” field studies are not suited for detecting long-term trends and abrupt or extreme events. • Alternative time-continuous remote observations are only “skin deep”, and fail to capture the three dimensional complexity of critical zone. • Simultaneous observations are required to discern interconnected processes (atm-hyd-pedosphere). • There are serious limitations to our present ability to “scale up” small-scale process and observations. • If suitably networked, observatories can aid in understanding regional, continental, and global patterns. • Compatible scale of societal decisions and policies.

8. Era of OBSERVATORY Earth Science CZO: Critical Zone Observatories OOI: Ocean Observatory Initiative CZEN EARTHSCOPE WATERS Network NEON and LTER CUAHSI Testbeds

9. What is an MREFC? • MREFC = NSF acronym for “Major Research Equipment and Facility Construction” • each MREFC project typically has $80 to $400 million in construction costs over 3-4 years • NSF budget has “several compartments,” including: • R&RA ~$4.8 billion (research) • EHR ~$725 million (education) • MREFC ~$220 million (“capital projects”) • Other ~$250 million (NSF operations, OIG, NSB) • Total ~$6 billion (FY 2008 estimate)

10. Alternatives to MREFC • New major initiatives, often community driven, can be advanced through non-MREFC route (e.g., Critical Zone Observatory). • Initiatives must be scientifically compelling, and it is advantageous if it is disciplinarily- broad and societally-relevant • The scale of funding is likely much smaller, but the impact need not be

11. CZO: A child of multiple mothers HYDROLOGICAL Sciences SOIL Science CZO Land Surface DYNAMICS Sedimentary Geology NEON, LTER

12. Critical Zone Observatories: An “Adaptive” Approach • Sierra Nevada - University of California (principally at Merced) • Front Range of the Colorado Rockies - University of Colorado at Boulder • Appalachian Uplands - Pennsylvania State University Separate but connected – A National Critical Zone Agenda • Diverse geology, climate, research issues • Shared site access, data format/technology • Coordinated research/ educ/ outreach programs • Single national steering committee

13. Observatory Future: • Longer-term Vision for CZO: time-space, links to other observatories • Holistic and coupled surface systems: atmosphere, hydrosphere, pedosphere and biosphere • Attention to data integration, modeling • Nexus of basic science and societal needs

14. Other Notable Initiatives: • National Center for Earth Surface Dynamics (NCED) • Semi-Arid Hydrology and Riparian Areas (SAHRA) • Consortium of Universities for the Advancement of Hydrological Sciences (CUAHSI) + Synthesis Centers • Hydrological Information System (HIS) • Paleo Perspectives in Climate Change (P2C2) • Emerging Topics in Biogeochemical Cycles (ETBC) • Community Surface Dynamics Modeling Systems (CSMDS)