EarthScope. This major NSF initiative, already in the advanced planning
stage, will deploy four new observational systems: (1) USArray, for highresolution seismological imaging of the structure of the crust and mantle beneath
North America; (2) San Andreas Fault Observatory at Depth, for probing and
monitoring the San Andreas Fault by deep drilling into the fault zone; (3) Plate
Boundary Observatory, for measuring deformations of the western United States
using strainmeters and ultraprecise geodesy; and (4) InSAR, for using satellitebased interferometric synthetic aperture radar to map surface deformations.
EarthScope will contribute substantially to understanding the active tectonics and
evolution of the continents, earthquake and volcanic hazards, and basic
geodynamic processes operating in the Earth’s deep interior. The scientific vision
and goals of EarthScope are well articulated and have been developed with a high
degree of community involvement.
• The committee strongly endorses the four observational components of the
EarthScope initiative.
Existing programmatic elements within EAR furnish the mechanisms to
support the basic science required for a successful EarthScope initiative, but only
if funding is adequately augmented for basic disciplinary and multidisciplinary
research.
Natural Laboratories. Demands are rising for EAR investments in natural
laboratories, where terrestrial processes and systems can be studied through
detailed field observations and in situ measurements in specially designated
areas. This type of cooperative research is particularly suitable for studies of the
Critical Zone, in which techniques from several disciplines must be coordinated
to collect data sets that are spatially dense and temporally extended.
• EAR should establish an Earth Science Natural Laboratory (ESNL)
Program, open to all problem areas and disciplines, with the objective of
supporting long-term, multidisciplinary research at a number of promising
sites within the United States and its territories.
Special Areas of Multidisciplinary Research. In addition to major facilityoriented initiatives, the committee suggests that EAR initiate fixed-term
programs in two research areas—microorganisms in the environment and
planetary science—that offer particular promise for significantly advancing
scientific understanding through multidisciplinary studies:
• EAR should seek new resources to promote integrative studies of the way
in which microorganisms interact with the Earth’s surface environment,
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
7
About this PDF file: This new digital representation of the
original work has been recomposed from XML files created
from the original paper book, not from the original
typesetting files. Page breaks are true to the original; line lengths,
word breaks, heading styles, and other typesetting-specific
formatting, however, cannot be retained,
and some typographic errors may have been accidentally inserted.
Please use the print version of this publication as the authoritative
version for attribution.
stage, will deploy four new observational systems: (1) USArray, for highresolution seismological imaging of the structure of the crust and mantle beneath
North America; (2) San Andreas Fault Observatory at Depth, for probing and
monitoring the San Andreas Fault by deep drilling into the fault zone; (3) Plate
Boundary Observatory, for measuring deformations of the western United States
using strainmeters and ultraprecise geodesy; and (4) InSAR, for using satellitebased interferometric synthetic aperture radar to map surface deformations.
EarthScope will contribute substantially to understanding the active tectonics and
evolution of the continents, earthquake and volcanic hazards, and basic
geodynamic processes operating in the Earth’s deep interior. The scientific vision
and goals of EarthScope are well articulated and have been developed with a high
degree of community involvement.
• The committee strongly endorses the four observational components of the
EarthScope initiative.
Existing programmatic elements within EAR furnish the mechanisms to
support the basic science required for a successful EarthScope initiative, but only
if funding is adequately augmented for basic disciplinary and multidisciplinary
research.
Natural Laboratories. Demands are rising for EAR investments in natural
laboratories, where terrestrial processes and systems can be studied through
detailed field observations and in situ measurements in specially designated
areas. This type of cooperative research is particularly suitable for studies of the
Critical Zone, in which techniques from several disciplines must be coordinated
to collect data sets that are spatially dense and temporally extended.
• EAR should establish an Earth Science Natural Laboratory (ESNL)
Program, open to all problem areas and disciplines, with the objective of
supporting long-term, multidisciplinary research at a number of promising
sites within the United States and its territories.
Special Areas of Multidisciplinary Research. In addition to major facilityoriented initiatives, the committee suggests that EAR initiate fixed-term
programs in two research areas—microorganisms in the environment and
planetary science—that offer particular promise for significantly advancing
scientific understanding through multidisciplinary studies:
• EAR should seek new resources to promote integrative studies of the way
in which microorganisms interact with the Earth’s surface environment,
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
7
About this PDF file: This new digital representation of the
original work has been recomposed from XML files created
from the original paper book, not from the original
typesetting files. Page breaks are true to the original; line lengths,
word breaks, heading styles, and other typesetting-specific
formatting, however, cannot be retained,
and some typographic errors may have been accidentally inserted.
Please use the print version of this publication as the authoritative
version for attribution.