A Vision for NSF Earth Sciences 2020-2030 Earth in Time (2020) / Chapter Skim
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2 Science Priority Questions
2 Science Priority Questions
Pages 17-58
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develop the list of priority questions in this report. Themes that repeatedly emerged during these discussions are as follows: Exactly what constitutes a Community Input priority question and what is the appropriate scope of a question?
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. The process to develop and articulate a concise To reach a broader audience, the committee set of science priority questions included several developed a web-based community input survey stages: and advertised it via professional-society, disciplinary-based, and interest-based email distribution • generating a comprehensive list of questions lists, community forums, and social media.
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How does the critical zone the science priority questions below, there are nu- influence climate? merous connections among EAR disciplines, as well as with other NSF domains and non-NSF agencies, including material and biological science, and re- 8.
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20 A Vision for NSF Earth Sciences 2020-2030: Earth in Time
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is broken into separating and colliding plates was boosted by latent heat of fusion from crystallizawhose distribution influence critical element distribution , tion of the inner core. Organized and vigorous motions earthquakes , volcanism , topography , critical zone , of a large, rotating body of conducting liquid are an esclimate , water cycle , biogeochemistry , and biodi- sential ingredient of all planetary magnetic fields (Elversity .
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Would a change in driving mechanism be visible in the rock record? If the initial nucleation of the inner core resulted in an increase in magnetic field intensity, this increase could be detected with paleomagnetic methods (Biggin et al., 2015)
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pression with laser drive and pulsed power are making accessible an entirely new pressure–temperature As humans explore the solar system, the Earth regime. The ability to measure the magnetic field of emerges with a unique signature: plate tectonics.
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For example, understanding of the earliest stages of Earth's evolution, which was dominated by a magma ocean, giant impacts, and likely a vastly different convective mode prior to the onset of plate tectonics, has been expanded by analysis of geochemical properties of Hadean minerals (e.g., Harrison et al., 2017) , measurements and simulations of materials at extreme conditions, and models of planetary formation (Kraus et al., 2012; Scipioni et al., 2017)
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. The combination of material The minerals that constitute Earth's crust and mantle, property measurements, imaging, and state-of-the-art and consequently the composition of the biosphere physical modeling with data assimilation will be crucial and atmosphere, evolved from processing of original to answering a central question of plate tectonics: How materials accreted during the planet's formation, with did (and does)
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. Critical elements vary widely in abundance ample, we can now start to understand the mechanisms in different parts of the crust and mantle, but many and timing underlying the formation and transformalow-abundance elements have a disproportionately tion of the crust and the emplacement of large igneous large influence on geological processes and physical bodies, as well as how these processes have altered cliproperties of Earth materials.
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Some volatiles in subducted slabs may reach deeper (>300 km) into the mantle, where the higher water storage capacity of the transition zone relative to the uppermost and lower mantle may produce dehydration melting above and below the seismic discontinuities at 410 and 660 km (blue shaded regions)
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, combined with infrastructure provided by the Instrumentation and Facilities Program, will be especially valuable in promoting research on critical elements. FIGURE 2-7 The redistribution and cycling of critical elements occur from atomic to global scales over geologic time.
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This view would represent a new mountains, and topography. We know the form of the comprehensive theory of plate tectonics that features equations governing deformation, but not the flow a dynamic, physics-based understanding to supersede laws that govern the relevant material properties for the current kinematic, descriptive framework.
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experiments in rock mechanics and rheology near-real time. that measure the material properties needed to describe Volcanoes are also a key connector within the deformation; and (5)
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, as well as to The publication of Volcanic Eruptions and Their orbitally paced changes in sea level that in turn affect Repose, Unrest, Precursors, and Timing (NASEM, 2017) eruptive rate (Conrad, 2015)
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ically influenced by Earth's surface topography. This At the same time, the need to understand how progress has brought into focus key scientific questions topography and topographic change impact human concerning the role of rock mechanical properties, society through geologic hazards and the creation or short-term actors such as storms, and the rheology and destruction of natural resources and habitats is more dynamics of Earth's interior in landscape evolution and urgent than ever (Davis et al., 2016; NASEM, 2018)
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. FIGURE 2-10 Topographic change associated with earthquakes in Ridgecrest, California, in July 2019 showed that unexpected slip occurred on many faults around the main rupture.
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will be critical for understanding the strength of such Progress will require high-resolution repeat measurelinks -- and the role of Earth's interior dynamics in pres- ments of modern surface topography and vegetation ent-day sea level and future sea-level predictions. Ob- cover and cyberinfrastructure to support open access servations and theory are also needed to quantitatively to, and rapid processing and analysis of, imagery and define the role of chemical and mechanical properties point cloud data; long-term observations of modern of rocks, and the role of geologically short-term actors weather, hydrology, and geochemistry of surface wasuch as storms, earthquakes, and rapid glacial retreat in ters, soils, and sediments; and new records of past surface processes and landscape evolution.
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-- enabling pioneering studies of water, nutrient, diverse datasets with high-resolution computer models and carbon cycles, and connections between vegetaof landscape evolution, mantle dynamics, and climate tion and deep subsurface processes (e.g., Brantley et is key to enabling process-based understanding of the al., 2017)
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These studies can take advantage of advances in critical zone research reveals that moisture stored in field instrumentation for monitoring the water budget weathered bedrock below the soil can be a significant (including soil moisture, rock moisture, groundwater, source of transpired water -- a missing reservoir in cli- transpiration, humidity, precipitation, and runoff) and mate models (e.g., Fan et al., 2019)
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seismic velocity and inferred Earth materials across several transects at Boulder Creek CZO, (D) a north-south comparison in seismic velocity profiles at Shale Hills CZO, and (E)
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At the same time, more confident projections in rates of environmental Earth science is a critical lens through which to study change at high latitudes. Likewise, targeted studies on recent and ongoing changes, particularly in transdis- past and present dynamics of polar ice sheet retreat and ciplinary partnerships to address issues such as geo- the global consequences on land and ocean of reduced health, disaster risk, or urban regeneration and devel- sea ice and polar ice are critical to advancing our ability opment (Harman et al., 2015; Klenk et al., 2015)
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. Earth science has a particularly crit- on the water cycle has only begun to be explored (see ical role in advancing fundamental knowledge of the Figure 2-14)
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Biological processes that cycle carwater cycle is an area where partnerships can sup- bon, oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur, and other elements and port NSF's mission to advance the fundamental state influence the global chemistry and mineral diversity of knowledge. Of particular interest are decadal-scale of Earth's surface include photosynthesis, microbially processes integrating climate, shallow oceans, global catalyzed weathering and mineral formation, and the water resources, and people.
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clude relating the diversity of microbial communities, FIGURE 2-15 Example of a biogeochemical cycle (the carbon cycle)
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Numerous major biogeochemical and climate tran- and facilities for the collection and storage of biological sitions occurred over the past 4 billion years, such as samples from sediment cores. The analyses of processes the Great Oxidation Event, the Paleoproterozoic and at interfaces and at scales of microbial cells or commuNeoproterozoic Snowball Earth glaciations, ocean an- nities and improved constraints on the rates of prooxic events and, possibly, metabolic innovations that cesses will benefit from the continuing development led to mass extinctions (e.g., Luo et al., 2016; Gumsley of high-precision geochronology (Harrison et al., 2015)
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novel metabolic pathways and other evolutionary inno vations are hypothesized to have induced major chang 11. How do geological processes es in atmospheric and ocean chemistry, climate, and the influence biodiversity?
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of biological surveys and reconstructions of evolu- Biologists and Earth scientists have recognized the need tionary relationships, provides a broad and fairly rep- for a melding of data and methods from both fields to resentative sample of the small number of tips on the understand present-day biodiversity, its history, and Tree of Life that are still living. At the same time, the prospects for the future, particularly in light of ongostratigraphic record provides the deep-time perspec- ing environmental change.
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Profound uncertainty marks even 12. How can Earth science research reduce these three exceptionally well-studied systems.
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tsunamis have global impact. At the other extreme, in- Runoff from the barren slopes entrained mud- and ash-enriched soils, producing mudflows in canyons where they swept up boultensely localized destruction from natural disasters can ders and sent destructive debris flows into Montecito (Matinpour also have devastating consequences.
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Investment in instrument-based, cyber, Due to the unpredictable characteristics of many and human infrastructure will be key to achieving the geohazards, permanent, observatory-style data collec- science priority questions, as well as other Earth science tion will always play an important role in recording priorities, in the next decade. As outlined in the precedtheir behavior.
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cilities Required to Address Grand Challenges in the DOI: 10.1130/gsatg354a.1. Earth Sciences.
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2017. Ini- Paleobiology: Opportunities for the Earth Sciences.
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2017. Supporting NASA SnowEx Earth and Planetary Science Letters 260(3)
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Annual Review redox state of fluids released by subducted mantle lith- of Earth and Planetary Sciences 45(1)
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2012. Straightforward recon Annual Review of Earth and Planetary Sciences 45(1)
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M Planetary Science Letters 465:193-204.
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:251-255. DOI: 10.1038/s41586-019 and Planetary Science Letters 508:62-73.
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2012. New Research Opportunities in the Earth Sciences.
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2010. Planetary magnetic fields: Achieve toolbox and results from the Ucayali River.
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Earth and Planetary Science Letters Australia, and implications for the origin of the geody 233(3)
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2016. Philippine Sea and East Asian plate tectonics since 52 Ma constrained by new subducted slab reconstruction methods.
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