Collaborative Research: Towards a Weathering Science Consortium: Two Conferences on Biogeochemistry of the Critical Zone

合作研究：迈向风化科学联盟：关键区生物地球化学的两次会议

• 批准号: 0512398
• 负责人: Donald Sparks
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: University of Delaware
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2005
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2005-04-01 至 2009-03-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0512398&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; Towards; Weathering; Science

The world's soil resource is probably second only to water in terms of its importance to human society. The rates and mechanisms of processes within the soil zone have a significant impact on events throughout Earth's systems; for example, these processes contribute to nutrient cycling and neutralize acidic precipitation in watersheds. Despite the importance of the soil resource, estimates of soil formation rates are based upon unproven assumptions of steady state and vary widely. However, all estimates agree on a common point: the current estimates of soil erosion rates are one to three orders of magnitude greater than estimates of average soil formation rates, a disturbing conclusion considering the importance of soils to society.The scientific merit of this proposal lies in addressing a clear need for a better system tracking and disseminating information regarding weathering and soil formation. Our proposed initiative will investigate the following question: How does Earth's weathering engine transform rock into soil to nourish ecosystems, shape terrestrial landscapes, and control atmospheric carbon dioxide? The answer requires coupling physical, chemical, and biological processes over a range of spatial and temporal scales and involves a variety of scientific and engineering disciplines.Traditionally, terrestrial low-temperature geochemists and soil chemists have worked in small, single or double PI projects. Very few large, multi-PI projects that cross scales and disciplines have developed from within this community. In contrast, among other scientific communities, large programs have developed to organize scientists into coordinated multi-university teams. For example, IRIS and COSEE have been extremely successful in generating enthusiasm and interest in the seismology and oceanography communities. We propose a new paradigm, a Weathering System Science Consortium (WSSC), to forge this type of multi-PI approach to weathering science and environmental biogeochemistry among terrestrial low-temperature geochemists and soil chemists/biologists. To lay the groundwork for the proposed WSSC, we are requesting funding for two workshops, a symposium at the 18th World Congress of Soil Science in 2006 in Philadelphia that will feature leading scientists who will discuss research frontiers and needs concerning the critical zone, and a database specialist. The current vision for WSSC incorporates four components: 1) a set of "node" sites for data collection; 2) a network of "backbone" soil sites that will be investigated for a standard set of weathering parameters over a range of depths; 3) technical support for instrument and sample node sites and backbone sites and coordinated data management and sample storage systems; and 4) the integration of these efforts through a variety of community-building approaches. The broader impacts of this funding request include the following: 1) improved understanding of the current diversity of questions within the fields of weathering science and environmental biogeochemistry; 2) improved understanding by US scientists of weathering initiatives occurring abroad; 3) development of a coordinated plan to quantify weathering rates in diverse settings; 4) development of a plan to standardize data gathering in the field of weathering science; 5) development of a plan to store and disseminate data from weathering sites worldwide for use by the entire natural sciences community; and 6) organization of the scientific community to investigate fundamental questions in weathering science with great relevance to human society and natural ecosystems.

就其对人类社会的重要性而言，世界的土壤资源可能仅次于水。土壤区域内的过程的速率和机制对整个地球系统的事件产生了重大影响。例如，这些过程有助于营养循环和中和流域中的酸性沉淀。尽管土壤资源很重要，但土壤形成速率的估计是基于未经证实的稳态假设，并且差异很大。但是，所有估计值都符合一个共同点：目前，土壤侵蚀率的估计值比平均土壤形成率的估计值大1-3个数量级，考虑到土壤对社会的重要性的令人不安的结论，这一提议的科学优点在于解决对更好的系统跟踪和散发有关风雨和土壤形成的信息的清晰需求。我们提出的主动行动将调查以下问题：地球的风化引擎如何将岩石转化为滋养生态系统，塑造陆地景观和控制大气中的二氧化碳？答案需要在一系列空间和时间尺度上耦合物理，化学和生物学过程，并涉及各种科学和工程学科。在传统上，陆地低温地球化学主义者和土壤化学家在小型，单个或双双Pi项目中工作。很少有大型的多P-PI项目从这个社区内部开发出跨越规模和学科。相比之下，除其他科学社区外，大型计划已经开发出来，将科学家组织成协调的多元大学团队。例如，艾里斯（Iris）和科塞（Cosee）在对地震学和海洋学社区的热情和兴趣方面非常成功。我们提出了一种新的范式，一个风化系统科学财团（WSSC），以在陆地低温地球化学家和土壤化学家/生物学家中使用这种类型的多PI方法来风化科学和环境生物地球化学。为了为拟议的WSSC奠定基础，我们要求为两个研讨会提供资金，这是2006年在费城举行的第18届世界土壤科学大会的研讨会，该研讨会将以讨论关键区域的研究前沿和需求的领先科学家和数据库专家。 WSSC的当前愿景包含了四个组件：1）一组用于数据收集的“节点”站点； 2）将研究一个“骨干”土壤位点的网络，该网络将在一系列深度范围内研究标准的风化参数； 3）对仪器和样品节点站点以及骨干站点以及协调数据管理和样本存储系统的技术支持； 4）通过各种社区建设方法整合这些努力。这项资金请求的更广泛影响包括：1）对风化科学和环境生物地球化学领域中目前的问题当前的多样性有了改进； 2）提高了美国科学家对国外风化倡议的理解； 3）制定协调计划，以量化各种环境中的风化率； 4）制定计划在风化科学领域中标准化数据收集的计划； 5）制定计划，以存储和传播来自全球风化场所的数据，以供整个自然科学社区使用； 6）科学界的组织，调查与人类社会和自然生态系统非常相关的风化科学中的基本问题。