Critical Zone Exploration Network

Location(s)

NEHCO is part of an NSF-EPSCoR grant awarded to the Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE) for the 2008-2013 period. As stated in the original proposal, entitled "Nevada Infrastructure for Climate Change Science, Education, and Outreach", our vision is to create a statewide interdisciplinary program and virtual climate change center that will stimulate transformative research, education, and outreach on the effects of regional climate change on ecosystem resources (especially water) and support use of this knowledge by policy makers and stakeholders.

Location(s)

The Strengbach catchment is an experimental forest monitored since 1986 for hydrological, geochemical and meteorological data. This 80ha surface area catchment is located in the Vosges massif with a temperate oceanic mountainous climate, on granitic bedrock. All reservoirs involved in the biogeochemical cycling are studied. Wet atmospheric depositions (rain, snow), dry atmospheric particles (aerosols), all stream and spring waters, groundwaters (piezometer), soil profiles, saprolite and bedrock, vegetation (roots, wood, bark, leaves, litter).

Location(s)

During the 80´s about twenty sites were selected representing various biotopes all over Sweden, from southern deciduous woodland via coniferous forest to open mire, lake and alpine heath. Their sizes ranged from a few to well over one thousand hectares. The deposition of air pollutants, mainly sulphur and nitrogen, is greatest in the southwest. Therefore most of the sites were situated there. During the period 1982 till about 1994 these sites were monitored.

Location(s)

Guadeloupe is a volcanic island submitted to humid tropical climate. Geology is pyroclastics, basalts and andesites. Age of rocks ranges from modern to 3 Ma according to a South-North age (and elevation) gradient. A strong precipitation gradient occurs between the East Coast (exposed to trade winds) and the mch more drier West Coast. Max. precipitations are 10 m at the top of the volcanoe, La Soufrière. The Capesterre watershed is monitored automatically and two lysimeter systems are ued to monitor soil solution profiles in Capesterre and Bras David Watersheds.

Location(s)

Boulder Creek drains 1160 km2 from the Continental Divide in the Front Range of Colorado to its confluence with South St. Vrain River, and spans elevations from 1480 to 4120 m (Fig 1). The upper half of the watershed is a mountainous landscape of crystalline rocks, while the lower half crosses the piedmont and is underlain by sedimentary rocks and lined with alluvial terraces. The project will focus on the mountain portion, carved in Precambrian (1.7 by) granodiorite and older biotite gneiss (Lovering & Goddard, 1950), where three distinct erosion regimes arise (Birkeland et al., 2003).

Location(s)

The rain-snow transition zone is particularly vulnerable to large & rapid changes in climate & landcover. While this zone undergoes rapid seasonal changes, going from snowcoverto wet soil to dry soil over a 1-2 month period, climate warming will shift this transition period earlier or eliminate it entirely. The result will be major changes in seasonal-to-interannualcritical zone processes involving water, nutrients and ecosystem response of the largely mixed conifer forest found in the rain-snow transition zone.

Location(s)

Saguaro National Park
Rincon Mountains
Granitic parent material
Metamorphic core complex
Chiminea Creek watershed
Spans four major ecosystems
Elevation/climate gradient: 800 m to 2700 m
Headwater streams/watersheds in each ecosystem
Existing weather station network
Cooperation with National Park Service
Staff and Researchers
Outreach and education

Location(s)

Panola Mountain

Location(s)

The Merced River Chronosequence: A Staircase Through Time and a Window into Human Disturbance of Biogeochemistry

Location(s)

The Luquillo Critical Zone Observatory (LCZO) will be located in Northeastern Puerto Rico in the USFS Luquillo Experimental Forest and at the USGS WEBB site. The multi-disciplinary team of geoscientists will address a set of specific hypotheses that are related to the following overarching questions:

How do critical zone processes and the flow and transformations of materialdiffer in landscapes with contrasting bedrock but similar climates, land use, and geologic histories?

What are the implications of these differences for the long term sustainability of water and soil resources?