Earth Surface Dynamics
The U.S. Carbon Cycle Science Program (CCSP) is an interagency partnership that draws on the expertise and ongoing research in seven agencies, with the objective of developing a whole-system predictive capability for the global carbon system. The ultimate goal is to provide integrated estimates of carbon sources and sinks, with a focus in FY 2000 on implementing activities to determine the magnitude, location, and cause of the North American terrestrial sink. The program will develop the understanding of how sinks might be enhanced and how they might change in the future, information that is of critical importance to potential decisions to manage the carbon system.
USGS research is conducted in cooperation and partnership with other agencies and academic collaborators. In direct support of the Carbon Cycle Science Program, the USGS activities include the following:
Carbon sequestration in sediments - Redeposition of eroded soils and sediments and their associated organic carbon is sequestering large quantities of carbon, buried at the base of slopes and in wetlands, riparian areas, reservoirs, etc. Field-based measurements and modeling are developing a quantitative understanding of the role of land-use change and associated erosion and sedimentation processes on carbon storage and nutrient cycles within the Mississippi Basin. Rates of organic carbon accumulation, erosion, and burial are being used to develop whole-basin models of these dynamic relationships.
- Mississippi Basin Carbon Project Fact Sheet
- Mississippi Basin Carbon Project Science Plan
- Carbon Cycle in Lakes of the Upper Mississippi Basin
Landscape dynamics and vegetation change - Research examines the long-term dynamics of vegetation change and the impact of climate. A detailed history of vegetation change in the Western U.S. is being constructed based on the paleobotanical record of pollen and plant tissues preserved in packrat middens and buried in sediments. Large data sets and techniques are being developed to model and forecast the effects of possible future climate change on vegetation at regional and global scales. Models will be enhanced in the future to include the associated soil carbon.
Fate of Carbon in Northern Landscapes - Cold region forests (boreal ecosystems) contain large carbon reserves that are today highly susceptible to changes in climate. Soils and wetlands comprise more than 2/3 of the boreal C reserves, and changes in fire and seasonal temperatures may cause changes in ecosystem structure, permafrost recovery, nutrient cycling, and carbon exchange. Central to the fate of these C reserves is the interaction between fire occurrence and permafrost changes in the surface layers. Process studies and modeling are being expanded to better understand the historic and modern interactions among climate, surface temperature and moisture, fire, and terrestrial carbon sequestration.
Exchanges of Greenhouse Gases, Water Vapor, and Heat at the Earth's Surface - Atmospheric turbulence transports greenhouse gases (notably: carbon dioxide (CO2), methane, and nitrous oxide), water vapor, and heat between Earth's land and water surfaces and the overlying atmosphere. These exchanges influence climate, viability of ecosystems, distribution of biomes, and the quantity of both surface- and ground-water. USGS researchers and their collaborators are directly measuring the exchanges of greenhouse gases, water vapor, and heat to better understand interactions between Earth's surface and atmosphere.
Monitoring and Modeling Carbon Distribution and Flux - Carbon plays a fundamental role in regulating the climate of the Earth system. Yet much about how carbon cycles through the environment–particularly the terrestrial environment–remains poorly quantified. The USGS is applying its expertise in satellite remote sensing, biogeochemical modeling, analysis of large spatial data sets, and geographic information systems applications to develop a quantitative understanding of the terrestrial carbon cycle. This understanding will be the basis for tools to help policy makers and resource managers evaluate the carbon consequences of land management options, including implications for climate change mitigation strategies.
U.S. Department of the Interior | U.S. Geological Survey
URL: http://geochange.er.usgs.gov/carbon/
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Page Last modified: Mon 10-Apr-2006 18:04:59 MDT
