Given the observed and predicted rates of planetary change, the next decade is particularly crucial for documenting and understanding natural and anthropogenic environmental effects at all spatial scales from the planetary to the microscopic and observations spanning time scales from geologic to those of individual chemical reactions. The disciplines of geobiology and low temperature geochemistry are integral to the overall scientific understanding of, and ultimately prediction of, planetary change. Given the urgency of these issues, identification and prioritization of research directions responsive to these challenges are extremely timely. At the same time, new vistas are opening up in other aspects of geochemistry. For example, there is an important interface between environmental geochemistry and human health that is just coming into focus. To help meet these and many other challenges, exciting new tools are becoming available capable of probing the mechanisms of geochemical and biogeochemical processes. To guide and advance future research programs in these research areas, the PI proposes a "Workshop on Future Directions in Geobiology and Low-Temperature Geochemistry," to be held in Washington DC, at the Geophysical Lab, Carnegie Institution of Washington campus on August 27-28, 2010. Approximately 25-30 scientists spanning a full range of expertise in geobiology and geochemistry will attend. The timing of the proposed workshop is designed to provide input to a National Research Council committee tasked to produce a document characterizing "Basic Research Opportunities in Earth Science" (BROES).
Workshop participants will derive from university and governmental organizations and will bring a breadth of expertise to bear. The potential impact of this workshop can be gauged by the success of a similar effort a decade ago. The earlier workshop titled "Directions and Priorities in Low-Temperature Geochemistry for the year 2000 and the Next Decade" was held in 1999 in Boston Massachusetts. The Boston workshop resulted in input to a previous BROES report, which in turn led to fostering new research directions. These new directions included "Critical Zone Studies" and an enhanced emphasis on geobiology.
A workshop was held 27-28 August, 2010 in Washington DC. Workshop participants included 28 invited researchers from research and academic institutions across the US. Discussion and presentations were captured in written statements composed by subgroups during the workshop. A final report from the workshop was reviewed by workshop participants as well as experts in the field who had not participated previously. The written report was distributed at professional meetings and to individual researchers. The report has informed other scholarly groups working to identify research opportunities at the life-earth interface, particularly in the context of human impacts on climate and ecology. The workshop report highlighted six major findings: 1) Human impacts on geobiological and low-temperature geochemical systems are not well understood and basic research in this area is needed to sustain human well-being. 2) New computers, instruments and molecular biology methods have opened research opportuntities from the atomic to global scale. 3) Understanding Earth's past is needed to understand our future and how humans will impact the planet and its biogeochemical habitat. 4) Researchers working in teams can help society anticipate geobiological and geochemical impacts of environmental change. 5) Better-informed leaders, citizens and young scholars are needed for society to face decisions addressing environmental change. 6) The report calls for a bold initiative in observatory science fueled by strong support in basic research in geobiology and low-temperature geochemistry.
