By Kelsey Simpkins

Principal investigators
Holly Barnard; Eve-Lyn Hinckley; Katherine Lininger

Funding
National Science Foundation (NSF)

Collaboration + support
Colorado School of Mines; Critical Zone Collaboration Network; Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research (INSTAAR); Oregon State University; Penn State University; United States Geological Survey (USGS) University of California Santa Barbara; University of Nevada, Reno

air, organisms, soil, water, rock

The critical zone is Earth's permeable near-surface layer: a living, breathing, constantly evolving boundary layer where rock, soil, water, air and living organisms interact.

Three 抖阴旅行射 Boulder faculty are leading a听five-year, $6.9 million National Science听Foundation grant to study the 鈥渃ritical听zone鈥濃�攆rom Earth鈥檚 bedrock to tree听canopy top鈥攊n the American West.

Researchers will seek to uncover links听between how water is stored in听the critical zone and听how that affects key听processes in forest听ecology, rock and听soil chemistry, and听water quality. This听interdisciplinary work听will also help predict听how climate change might听modify these interactions and听change water鈥攁nd therefore life听in the West.

鈥淭he critical zone is the surface of the Earth that听supports life,鈥� said Holly Barnard, lead principal听investigator, associate professor of geography and听fellow at the . 鈥淚t very much influences our quality of life.鈥�

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