SSS0.4 Critical Zone Observatories to foster Critical zone Science |
Convener: Jérôme Gaillardet | Co-Conveners: Tom Vanwalleghem , Harry Vereecken |
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Critical Zone Observatories (CZOs) are highly instrumented field sites delivering continuously long term data on any compartment of the Critical Zone (CZ), the thin layer at the Earth’s surface, the habitat of living organisms and humanity. In this session, we encourage submissions on studies using CZO facilities to explore the CZ at all spatiotemporal scales, identify its processes, quantify its fluxes, to observe and characterize its land surface and subsurface and to improve models of the Critical Zone. We welcome approaches coupling the different disciplines like hydrology, chemistry, physics, meteorology, soil science, geomorphology or ecology and microbiology. We also welcome initiatives for building collaborative networks of CZOs throughout Europe and worldwide.