New Research Opportunities in the Earth Sciences

The report describes opportunities for increased cooperation in these new and emerging areas between EAR and other government agency programs, industry, and international programs, and suggests new ways that EAR can help train the next generation of Earth scientists, support young investigators, and increase the participation of underrepresented groups in the field.

The National Research Council (NRC) report Basic Research Opportunities in Earth Science (BROES) described how basic research in the Earth sciences serves five national imperatives:
1) discovery, use, and conservation of natural resources;
2) characterization and mitigation of natural hazards;
3) geotechnical support of commercial and infrastructure development;
4) stewardship of the environment; and
5) terrestrial surveillance for global security and national defense.

CONTENTS
SUMMARY
1 EARTH SCIENCES IN THE 21ST CENTURY
Funding Trends in the Earth Sciences
The Committee’s Approach
2 NEW RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES IN THE EARTH SCIENCES
The Early Earth
Thermo-Chemical Internal Dynamics and Volatile Distribution
Faulting and Deformation Processes
Interactions among Climate, Surface Processes, Tectonics, and Deep Earth Processes
Co-evolution of Life, Environment, and Climate
Coupled Hydrogeomorphic-Ecosystem Response to Natural and Anthropogenic Change
Biogeochemical and Water Cycles in Terrestrial Environments and Impacts of Global Change
Recent Advances in Geochronology
3 FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Long-Term Investigator-Driven Science
The Early Earth
Thermo-Chemical Internal Dynamics and Volatile Distribution
Faulting and Deformation Processes
Interactions among Climate, Surface Processes, Tectonics, and Deep Earth Processes
Co-evolution of Life, Environment, and Climate
Coupled Hydrogeomorphic-Ecosystem Response to Natural and Anthropogenic Change
Biogeochemical and Water Cycles in Terrestrial Environments and Impacts of Global Change
Facilities for Geochronology
Interagency and International Partnerships and Coordination
Training the Next Generation and Diversifying the Researcher Community
REFERENCES
APPENDIXES
A List of Background Materials
B List of Contributors
C Committee and Staff Biographies