Award Abstract #0120914
STC: National Center for Earth-Surface Dynamics

NSF Org:	EAR Division of Earth Sciences
Initial Amendment Date:	September 13, 2002
Latest Amendment Date:	September 26, 2008
Award Number:	0120914
Award Instrument:	Cooperative Agreement
Program Manager:	H. Richard Lane EAR Division of Earth Sciences GEO Directorate for Geosciences
Start Date:	August 1, 2002
Expires:	July 31, 2012 (Estimated)
Awarded Amount to Date:	$27221016
Investigator(s):	Efi Foufoula-Georgiou efi@tc.umn.edu (Principal Investigator) Christopher Paola (Former Principal Investigator) Gary Parker (Former Co-Principal Investigator)
Sponsor:	University of Minnesota-Twin Cities 200 OAK ST SE MINNEAPOLIS, MN 55455 612/624-5599
NSF Program(s):	CATALYZING INTERDISCIP ACTIVIT, SEDIMENTARY GEO & PALEOBIOLOGY, GEOMORPHOLOGY & LAND USE DYNAM, INFORMAL SCIENCE EDUCATION, STC CLASS OF 2002, ENVIR SOCIAL & BEHAVIOR SCIENC, GEOLOGY & PALEONTOLOGY
Field Application(s):	0000099 Other Applications NEC
Program Reference Code(s):	SMET, OTHR, 9177, 7459, 7213, 0000
Program Element Code(s):	7698, 7459, 7458, 7259, 7213, 5209, 1571

ABSTRACT

National Center for Earth-surface Dynamics

Gary Parker, Efi Foufoula-Georgiou, Christopher Paola

OIA-0120914, University of Minnesota

ABSTRACT

The National Center for Earth-surface Dynamics (NCED) is a Science and Technology Center focused on understanding the processes that shape the Earth's surface, and on communicating that understanding with a broad range of stakeholders. NCED's work will support a larger, community-based effort to develop a suite of quantitative models of the Earth's surface: a Community Sediment Model (CSM). Results of the NCED-CSM collaboration will be used for both short-term prediction of surface response to natural and anthropogenic change and long-term interpretation of how past conditions are recorded in landscapes and sedimentary strata. This will in turn help solve pressing societal problems such as estimation and mitigation of landscape-related risk; responsible management of landscape resources including forests, agricultural, and recreational areas; forecasting landscape response to possible climatic and other changes; and wise development of resources like groundwater and hydrocarbons that are hosted in buried sediments. NCED education and knowledge transfer programs include exhibits and educational programs at the Science Museum of Minnesota, internships and programs for students from tribal colleges and other underrepresented populations, and research opportunities for participants from outside core NCED institutions.

The Earth's surface is the dynamic interface among the lithosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere, and atmosphere. It is intimately interwoven with the life that inhabits it. Surface processes span environments ranging from high mountains to the deep ocean and time scales from fractions of a second to millions of years. Because of this range in forms, processes, and scales, the study of surface dynamics has involved many disciplines and approaches. A major goal of NCED is to foster the development of a unified, quantitative science of Earth-surface dynamics that combines efforts in geomorphology, civil engineering, biology, sedimentary geology, oceanography, and geophysics. Our research program has four major themes: (1) landscape evolution, (2) basin evolution, (3) biological sediment dynamics, and (4) integration of morphodynamic processes across environments and scales. Each theme area provides opportunities for exchange of information and ideas with a wide range of stakeholders, including teachers and learners at all levels; researchers, managers, and policy makers in both the commercial and public sectors; and the general public.



NCED is headquartered at St. Anthony Falls Laboratory, University of Minnesota. Participating institutions are the University of Minnesota, the Science Museum of Minnesota, Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College, the University of California at Berkeley, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Princeton University. To learn more about NCED, including opportunities to participate, please contact us at St. Anthony Falls Laboratory or via the NCED website: www.nced.edu.

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