Earth's critical zone

Earth's critical zone is the “heterogeneous, near surface environment in which complex interactions involving rock, soil, water, air, and living organisms regulate the natural habitat and determine the availability of life-sustaining resources” (National Research Council, 2001).

Critical Zone science is the integration of Earth surface processes (such as landscape evolution, weathering, hydrology, geochemistry, and ecology) at multiple spatial and temporal scales and across anthropogenic gradients.

[2] Dimitrios Tsakalotos first introduced the term critical zone in chemistry literature in 1909 to describe the binary mixture of two fluids, but has since been adopted to refer to the "connection of vegetation to soil and weathered materials" by Gail Ashley in 1998.

[2] Participants agreed to promote outreach activities to broaden the profile of involved Earth scientists and crafted a set of questions that would drive further development of Weathering System Science.

DENIN fosters a culture of scholarship that leverages the combined talents of affiliates and fellows through collaborative working groups, joint proposal development and, where synergistic, project resource coordination.