EXPLORE THE CRITICAL ZONE THROUGH THE CZO NETWORK

Earth’s Critical Zone extends from the top of the tree canopy to the base of the groundwater lens. Nearly all terrestrial life inhabits the CZ. It is a zone of important physical and chemical transformations, the place where rainwater becomes drinking water, and the source of food for all human communities. The NSF-funded Critical Zone Observatories have engaged in multidisciplinary study of the CZ for nearly a decade. More recently, the nine CZOs and a coordinating National Office have worked together to create the CZO Network (www.criticalzone.org). The CZOs are designed to observe and measure a suite of common parameters on varying geological substrates and within different ecological contexts. At the same time, each individual observatory has a unique mission and focus.

Through the CZO Network a wide range of educational opportunities is available for K-12, undergraduate and graduate students. The goal of the CZO education program is to create a network of observatories that will become living laboratories for undergraduate and graduate students through coursework and research. The CZO National Office is a central clearinghouse for student opportunities within the CZO network. Data collected at each CZO is available through the CZONO web portal for use by learners in any location. Undergraduate field courses have been developed across the CZO network, among them, courses in hydrogeophysics, snow hydrology, geomorphology, and field hydrology. Summer opportunities include REU and RECCS programs. Curricular materials that take advantage of CZO Network resources have been assembled to form an on-line undergraduate course through the InTeGrate project (http://serc.carleton.edu/integrate/index.html), and course materials contributed by each observatory for a reviewed collection of educational resources at all levels (http://criticalzone.org/national/education-outreach/resources/). Through these initiatives undergraduate students have the opportunity to engage in experiential learning that is truly interdisciplinary in nature, examining Earth processes through the lens of the Critical Zone.