This is a study for an 18-month (plus 3 additional months for publication and dissemination) study by the National Research Council on Challenges and Opportunities in Earth Surface Processes. Funding will be used to support meeting and travel costs for the committee appointed by the National Research Council (NRC) to address the statement of task, for NRC staff costs to support this project, and for report preparation and printing.
Earth's surface is a dynamic interface where physical, chemical, biological, and human processes cause and are affected by forcings in the Earth System. This impact-feedback loop occurs over a wide range of temporal and spatial scales. It binds the Earth's surface to a host of scientific and societal issues, and within this context, the committee will (1) assess the state-of-the-art of the disciplinary field of Earth surface processes and the fundamental research questions in the field; (2) identify rate-limiting challenges or opportunities for making significant advances in the field; and (3) identify the necessary intellectual collaborations and high-priority needs to meet these challenges. Simply put, the proposed activity will be a touchstone and call to action to advance understanding of Earth surface processes.
Broader Impact Earth's surface plays host to processes that factor into a wide array of scientific and societal issues. Improved understanding of these processes will advance our predictive and interpretive capabilities to address societal issues on the one hand, and open up new avenues for further basic research on the other. The study will present an opportunity to emphasize the importance of human and biotic influences on Earth surface processes and present a holistic view of the research agenda needed to maximize the efficacy of work in this field over the next decade or more. The report will be widely disseminated to a range of target audiences that includes the relevant technical communities (e.g., at research conferences and workshops) as well as interested non-technical people (e.g., congressional staff).
