Using Observation Networks to Advance Earth System Understanding: State of the Art, Data-Model Integration, and Frontiers

Through a community process, this workshop aimed to:

1. identify the current state-of-the-science to model physical, chemical and ecological processes at and below the Earth’s surface, its strengths, limitations and frontiers;
2. advance data integration into future model frameworks across networks and sites, thinking specifically about continental scales; and
3. further build integrative user communities.

Desired Outcomes

• Build new bridges between networks and user communities
• Publish paper(s) on frontiers and challenges in this area
• Prepare proposal(s) for follow-up grants and/or workshops
• Identify high-priority tools and functions for data-model platform(s)

Meeting Summary 

Terrestrial observation networks help reveal the structure and function of ecosystems and detect change in near Earth surface processes. In the US, the Long Term Ecological Research network (LTER) studies how ecological systems function, the Critical Zone Observatory network (CZO) investigates how geological and geochemical processes shape Earth’s surface, and the National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) provides standardized monitoring data to assess ecological change.

In order to tackle our most pressing environmental challenges, it is necessary to synthesize and leverage insights from across these different observatory networks, taking full advantage of the varied disciplinary and spatio-temporal scales. Moreover, to fully exploit data resources and improve environmental projections, observatory data must be better linked with models.

In February 2018, researchers from the US-LTER, CZO, NEON, International and European LTER networks, and the International Soil Modeling Consortium (ISMC) met in Boulder CO to (i) identify current state-of-the-science in conceptual and numerical models of physical, chemical and ecological processes from the network perspectives; (ii) discuss how to advance data integration into future model frameworks; and (iii) build integrative user communities. Participants were well-represented across gender, discipline, and career stage, with early career scientists making up more than half the attendees.

The meeting was organized around four broad themes: Conceptual Models, Model Structures, Data Accessibility, and Data-Model Integration. A major point of discussion was the potential scientific gains from bridging CZO perspectives, which more heavily emphasize subsurface geo-chemical processes, with LTER perspectives, which are more focused on above-ground ecological dynamics. Input from international colleagues helped catalyze this discussion as non-US observatory networks tend more in this integrated direction. However, participants pointed out several hurdles to collaboration between US networks, from differences in conceptual frameworks and approaches to variations in data management strategies that make it difficult to use multi-network data for synthesis and modeling.

A goal of the meeting was to identify synergistic projects that could exemplify cross-network collaborative approaches and address novel research questions. Four specific ideas were raised: using conceptual models developed by LTER and CZO to help frame monitoring efforts like NEON; applying dimensionless numbers (ex: diversity indices, Damkohler numbers) to cross-network synthesis; using ecosystem re-analysis to combine observatory network data with models to re-construct past variables and aid future projections; and leveraging the different networks to shed light on soil carbon understanding and modeling. During the meeting, participants formed project teams, outlined next steps, and made plans to produce publications on each topic.

To further build integrative user communities, participants suggested the organization of follow-up sessions at meetings and conferences, creation of Memorandums of Understanding among the networks, formation of a cross-network biogeochemical modeling group, construction of a platform to connect modelers to data (ISMC initiative), and more training for students with exposure to both data and models.

This was only the beginning of a larger conversation and all hoped to expand these efforts with follow-on activities. The first and last days were live-streamed and video recording of the sessions are posted to the meeting webpage (below and in the Workshop Materials linked at right). The meeting was organized by Samantha Weintraub, Jim Tang, Hank Loescher, Kris Van Looy, Roland Baatz, Peter Groffman, Julia Jones, Pamela Sullivan, Lejo Flores, Michael Young, Harry Vereecken, Praveen Kumar, and Lee Stanish.

Meeting Products

• Weintraub et al. 2019. Leveraging Environmental Research and Observation Networks to Advance Soil Carbon Science. JGR Biogeosciences. https://doi.org/10.1029/2018JG004956
• NEON Observatory Blog article Building Ties Across Disciplines and Observatory Networks to Advance Earth System Understanding

Meeting Outline

Day 1 - Keynotes and lightning talks; focus on identifying key issues and scientific direction.

Day 2 - Breakouts to synthesize paths for key topics and frontier activities.

Day 3, morning - Bring together all breakouts and develop an action plan, which will likely include white papers, journal articles, and other engagement activities.

Day 3, afternoon - Reserved for attendees that wish to continue to work together.

Please see Workshop Materials (right) for a detailed meeting schedule. 

Pre-meeting Webinars

To build community involvement and input, a series of Charrettes (interactive webinars) will be held from Nov 2017-Feb 2018. Those who have been invited to attend the workshop, as well as others interested in the topic, are highly encouraged to attend. 

Charrette #1 – Integration of terrestrial observational networks: Opportunity for improvement of Earth system dynamics modeling (Webinar) Wednesday, November 8th, 9 am Mountain Time.

Note, this charrette highlighted ideas from a manuscript recently submitted to Earth System Dynamics - join the interactive public discussion until 18 Dec 2017.

Charrette #2 –  Harmonizing scale and process representation across the ecosystem of critical zone-oriented models and opportunities for cross-network synthesis (Webinar), Wednesday, December 6th, 9 am Mountain Time.

Charrette #3 – Data Resources and Accessibility Across Observation Networks and Platforms (Webinar), Wednesday, January 17th. 10 am Mountain Time

Science Coordinating Team 

Roland Baatz, Kris Van Looy, and Harry Vereecken (Forschungszentrum Juelich); Jim Tang (Marine Biology Lab); Pamela Sullivan (University of Kansas); Michael Young (University of Texas); Peter Groffman (CUNY, Cary Inst.); Julia Jones (Oregon State University); Praveen Kumar (Univ. of Illinois); Lejo Flores (Boise State University); Hank Loescher, Samantha Weintraub, and Lee Stanish (Battelle NEON)