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We study how the Critical Zone operates and evolves,
including predictions of its response to
future
climate & land-use changes
Watch a short video introduction to CZO
"Investigating the Earth's Critical Zone" (6 page PDF, Jan 2012 cover story in CSA News).
"Future Directions for Critical Zone Observatory (CZO) Science" (6 page PDF).
The Critical Zone lies between rock and sky... where water, atmosphere, ecosystems, soils, and rock interact. It is essential to life on Earth, including food production and water quality.
More about the Critical Zone >>
Critical Zone Observatories are environmental laboratories established to study the chemical, physical and biological processes that shape the Earth's surface. Little is known about how these processes are coupled and at what temporal and spatial scales. CZO research seeks to understand these couplings through monitoring and modeling at the watershed scale.
The National CZO Program is a community resource. It serves the international scientific community through research, infrastructure, data, and models. Please contact us if you are interested in conducting research at one or more of the CZOs.
RESEARCH
Supported by NSF - National Science Foundation, Geoscience Directorate, Earth Science Division.
Interdisciplinary - Hydrology, geology, soil science, biology, ecology, geochemistry, and more.
Developing predictive ability for how the Critical Zone will respond to projected climate and land-use changes.
INFRASTRUCTURE
Six US observatories - Puerto Rico to California.
Community of researchers collaboratively working at same field sites.
Existing & new resources - Sensor & comm. networks, eddy towers, boreholes, gages & much more (some previously constructed by LTER, Forest Service, et al.)
More Infrastructure (Sites) >>
DATA
Diverse datasets across disciplines, spatial and temporal scales.
Large data volumes from in situ sensors, field instruments, remote sensing, and more.
Integrating data across observatories and prior programs for discovery and synthesis.
MODELS
Coupled systems models that interconnect complex physical, chemical, & biological processes.
Watershed-scale simulations - Fluxes of energy, water, carbon, sediments, & other materials.
Multi-scale & multi-process models that include landscape and ecosystems.