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

Abstract:

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 of
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 multiuniversity
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 lowtemperature
geochemists and soil chemists/biologists.
To lay the groundwork for the proposed WSSC, we are requesting funding for two
workshops, a consortium coordinator, 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.

Attach file: 

towardsweathering.pdf