Critical Zone Observatories

The Critical Zone Observatory is an interdisciplinary research project created to study the chemical, physical, geological, and biological processes that shape the Earth's surface and supports most terrestrial life on the planet. There are 10 CZO sites funded by the National Science Foundation.[1][2] The ten CZO sites are Boulder Creek, Calhoun, Christina River Basin, Eel River, Intensively Managed Landscapes (IML), Jemez River Basin & Santa Catalina Mountains, Luquillo,[3] Reynolds Creek,[4] Susquehanna Shale Hills,[5] and Southern Sierra.[6]

The program was created to research what scientists call Earth's Critical Zone, the porous "near surface layer" that starts with the tops of trees and including the deepest water sources. By researching how organisms, rock, air, water, and soil interact, scientists hope to better understand natural habitats as well as concerns like food availability and water quality.[2] To understand these complex reactions, especially in light of global warming researchers from a wide range of disciplines including geosciences, hydrology, microbiology, ecology, soil science, and engineering are needed to study the critical zone.[7] The national initiative is guided by the Critical Zone Exploration Network.[8]

NSF-funded Critical Zone Observatories

Boulder Creek Critical Zone Observatory

The Boulder Creek CZO is managed by researchers at the University of Colorado at Boulder[9] and comprises four research sites that vary in elevation, climate, and geologic history.[10] The highest site is at the Continental Divide is located at 4120 m and the lowest elevation site is on the eastern plans at 1480 m elevation.[10] Research conducted at Boulder Creek CZO focuses on how erosion and weathering control critical zone architecture and evolution.[10]

Calhoun Critical Zone Observatory

The Calhoun CZO was originally established as the Calhoun Experimental Forest within the Southeastern Forest Experiment Station in South Carolina by the United States Forest Service in 1947.[11] The Calhoun Experimental Forest became a CZO in 2014.[2] The Calhoun CZO is managed by the scientists from the Nicholas School of the Environment at Duke University.[12] The book "Understanding Soil Change: Soil Sustainability over Millennia, Centuries, and Decades" by Daniel D. Richter, Jr and Daniel Markewitz covers the history and science conducted at the Calhoun Experimental Forest.

Christina River Basin Critical Zone Observatory

The Christina River Basin CZO is a 1440 km2 watershed straddling between Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Maryland.[13] In total, the Christina River Basin CZO comprises four watersheds monitored by19 USGS stream/river gauging stations with five of the PA stations continuously monitor water quality properties (i.e. turbidity, pH, conductivity, dissolved oxygen).[14] Critical Zone research at the Christina River Basin focuses on water, carbon and mineral fluxes (temporal and spatial integration), including human impacts.[14] Researchers from the University of Delaware, Stroud Water Research Center, and other universities conduct studies at the Christina River Basin CZO.[15][16]

Eel River Critical Zone Observatory

The Eel River CZO is managed by researchers from the University of California, Berkeley to study how the critical zone will mediate watershed currencies and ecosystem response in a changing environment.[17] The Eel River CZO considers four different scales: 1) the hillslope, 2) the stream reach, 3) the whole Eel River watershed scale (nearly 10,000 km2), and 4) the regional scale (>13,000 km2).[17] In 2014, the Eel River CZO received a $4.9 million grant from the NSF over the next five years to study how vegetation, geology and topography affect water flow all the way to the Pacific Ocean.[18] The Eel River CZO works closely with the Eel River Recovery Project and the University of California Angelo Reserve.[19]

Intensively Managed Landscape (IML) Critical Zone Observatory

Intensively Managed Landscapes (IML) CZO consists of three main sites: the Upper Sangamon River Basin in Illinois, the Clear Creek Watershed in Iowa, and the Minnesota River Basin in Minnesota and are representative of the glaciated Midwest.[20] IML CZO aims to study the geologic evolution and anthropogenic influence on CZ structure and function, the co-evolution of biota, and fluxes of water, carbon, nutrients, and sediment.[21] IML CZO uses historical data, existing observational networks, remote sensing, sampling and laboratory analyses to address these goals.[21] IML is studied by researchers from the University of Illinois, Purdue University, University of Minnesota, University of Tennessee, and University of Iowa.[22]

Jemez River Basin and Santa Catalina Mountains Critical Zone Observatory

This observatory is managed by researchers from the University of Arizona. Focused on the Santa Catalina Mountains near Tucson and the Jemez Mountains north of Albuquerque, this CZO is tasked with researching sites along elevation gradients in the semi-arid Southwest. Since the mountains of Arizona and New Mexico host a range of rock types and climates, temperatures and the amount of precipitation vary dramatically with elevation. This project includes a $4.35 million grant from the NSF for five years starting in 2009. The team is setting up sensor networks in low, intermediate and high elevation watersheds in the two mountain ranges to measure water flow flows through vegetation, soils, groundwater and streams. Collecting data on precipitation, soil moisture, plant uptake, aquifer recharge and stream flow during and between both rainfall and snowmelt is a central task.

Luquillo Critical Zone Observatory

Research in the Luquillo Experimental Forest of northeastern Puerto Rico started 1989, as part of a Long Term Ecological Research Program.[23] Two watersheds of the Luquillo National Forest were subsequently established as the Luquillo CZO in 2009.[24] Luquillo CZO has been important for studying organismal influences on weathering because of the contrasting bedrock material and long term data collection.[25]

Reynolds Creek Critical Zone Observatory

Reynolds Creek CZO is located in the 239 km2 Reynolds Creek Experimental Watershed (RCEW) in the Owyhee Range in southwest Idaho.[26] Instrumentation includes numerous stations for collecting climate, precipitation, stream flow and snow and soil data and data collection network dates back to the 1960s.[27] Research conducted at Reynolds Creek CZO is primarily conducted by the Idaho State University, Boise State University and USDA ARS.[27]

Susquehanna-Shale Hills Critical Zone Observatory

The Susquehanna-Shale Hills CZO (SSHCZO) is a 0.08 km2 watershed located in central Pennsylvania principally managed and studied by Penn State researchers.[5] The CZO is comprised of two watersheds, the main SSHCZO is developed on Rose Hill shale and while the second watershed, Garner Run, is developed on Sandstone.[5] SSHCZO is part of the Shale transect, which includes 7 other locations, ranging from the most northern site in Wales, United Kingdom, five sites along the Appalachian Mountains, to the most southern site of Mayaguez, Puerto Rico.[5] SSHCZO has been studied to understand potential impacts from natural gas developments on terrestrial ecosystems of Pennsylvania.[28]

Southern Sierra Critical Zone Observatory

The Southern Sierra CZO is located on and near the Providence Creek watershed in the Sierra National Forest, California.[6] Southern Sierra CZO is comprised of three watersheds in the Providence Creek and four eddy co-variance towers.[6] Southern Sierra CZO also conducts research as part of the Kings River Experimental Watershed, Sierra Nevada Adaptive Management Project, and the American River Observatory.[6] Southern Sierra CZO is principally studied by researchers at the University of California, Merced.[29]

Critical Zone Observatories Worldwide

According to SoilTrEC, there are 46 Critical Zone Observatories globally, with the majority in North America and Europe. There are 17 CZOs in Europe, 5 in Southeast Asia, 3 near Australia, 2 CZOs in Africa, and 2 in South America.[30]

References

  1. ↑ Eds. "Critical Zone Observatories U.S. NSF National Program". Retrieved 9 November 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 "NSF awards grants for four new critical zone observatories to study Earth surface processes | NSF - National Science Foundation". www.nsf.gov. Retrieved 2015-11-11.
  3. ↑ "INFRASTRUCTURE | Luquillo Critical Zone Observatory". criticalzone.org. Retrieved 2015-11-09.
  4. ↑ "INFRASTRUCTURE | Reynolds Critical Zone Observatory". criticalzone.org. Retrieved 2015-11-09.
  5. 1 2 3 4 "INFRASTRUCTURE | Shale Hills Critical Zone Observatory". criticalzone.org. Retrieved 2015-11-09.
  6. 1 2 3 4 "INFRASTRUCTURE | Sierra Critical Zone Observatory". criticalzone.org. Retrieved 2015-11-09.
  7. ↑ Eds. "Frontiers in Exploration of the Critical Zone: Report of a Workshop sponsored by the National Science Foundation (NSF)" (PDF). Retrieved 6 May 2011.
  8. ↑ "www.czen.org | Critical Zone Exploration Network". www.czen.org. Retrieved 2015-11-09.
  9. ↑ "Boulder Critical Zone Observatory". criticalzone.org. Retrieved 2015-11-09.
  10. 1 2 3 "INFRASTRUCTURE | Boulder Critical Zone Observatory". criticalzone.org. Retrieved 2015-11-09.
  11. ↑ "The Calhoun Experimental Forest | SRS Publication". www.srs.fs.usda.gov. Retrieved 2015-11-09.
  12. ↑ "INFRASTRUCTURE | Calhoun Critical Zone Observatory". criticalzone.org. Retrieved 2015-11-09.
  13. ↑ "CRB - MonitorMyWatershed Explorer". www.wikiwatershed-vs.org. Retrieved 2015-11-11.
  14. 1 2 "INFRASTRUCTURE | Christina Critical Zone Observatory". criticalzone.org. Retrieved 2015-11-09.
  15. ↑ "Stroud Water Research Center: Research Home". www.stroudcenter.org. Retrieved 2015-11-11.
  16. ↑ "Investigators | Christina Critical Zone Observatory". criticalzone.org. Retrieved 2015-11-11.
  17. 1 2 "INFRASTRUCTURE | Eel Critical Zone Observatory". criticalzone.org. Retrieved 2015-11-09.
  18. ↑ "Eel River Observatory seeks clues to watershed’s future | Our Environment at Berkeley: Department of Environmental Science, Policy, & Management". ourenvironment.berkeley.edu. Retrieved 2015-11-11.
  19. ↑ "Eel River toxic algae arrives early". www.willitsnews.com. Retrieved 2015-11-11.
  20. ↑ "INFRASTRUCTURE | IML Critical Zone Observatory". criticalzone.org. Retrieved 2015-11-09.
  21. 1 2 Kumar, Praveen; Papanicolaou, Thanos (2014-05-01). "IML-CZO: Critical Zone Observatory for Intensively Managed Landscapes" 16: 8586.
  22. ↑ "Investigators | IML Critical Zone Observatory". criticalzone.org. Retrieved 2015-11-12.
  23. ↑ "LUQ LTER History". www.lternet.edu. Retrieved 2015-11-12.
  24. ↑ "CZO: Luquillo Critical Zone Observatory". Grantome. Retrieved 2015-11-12.
  25. ↑ "Luquillo Critical Zone | thelonelyspore". lonelyspore.com. Retrieved 2015-11-12.
  26. ↑ "INFRASTRUCTURE | Reynolds Critical Zone Observatory". criticalzone.org. Retrieved 2015-11-12.
  27. 1 2 "Idaho State University receives $2.5 million NSF grant to study Reynolds Creek Critical Zone Observatory with BSU, USDA". headlines.isu.edu. Retrieved 2015-11-12.
  28. ↑ "Can Fracking and Waterways Coexist?". Ecology Global Network. Retrieved 2015-11-16.
  29. ↑ "Southern Sierra Critical Zone Observatory (CZO)". czo.ucmerced.edu. Retrieved 2015-11-16.
  30. ↑ "SoilTrEC - World Critical Zone Observatories". www.soiltrec.eu. Retrieved 2015-11-16.

External links

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