Workshop
Using Observation Networks to Advance Earth System Understanding: State of the Art, Data-Model Integration, and Frontiers
Joint CZO, LTER, NEON, & ISMC Workshop
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- 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;
- advance data integration into future model frameworks across networks and sites, thinking specifically about continental scales; and
- 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)
13 February 2018
Introductions, charrettes, network overviews
9:00 – 10:15 AM — Jim Tang, Julia Jones, Kris Van Looy, Roland Baatz, Pam Sullivan, Lejo Flores, Lee Stanish, Samantha Weintraub
10:30 AM – 12:00 PM — Peter Groffman, Praveen Kumar, Hank Loescher, Steffen Zacharias
12:00 – 13:00 PM — Lunch
Model Conceptual Frameworks
1 – 1:15 PM — Julia Jones, Conceptual frameworks as a tool for integration in networks
1:15 – 1:50 PM — Lightning talks
- Yiqi Luo, Interactively operating observation and prediction
- Tamara Harms (LTER), Stability of aquatic ecosystems estimated from long-term data
- Sydne Record (NEON), Among-species overlap in rodent body size distributions predicts species richness along a temperature gradient
- Yaniv Olshansky (CZO), Pore water geochemical response to meteoric drivers
- Kate Gongadze (ISMC), Model Integration in the Loess Plateau of China
- Maria Chapela Lara (CZO), The Luquillo Critical Zone Observatory: a hot and wet end-member of critical zone evolution
- Julia Jones (LTER), Climate change stories in LTER: the power of synthesis
Model Structures
2 – 2:15 PM — Jiri Simunek, HYDRUS models to evaluate processes in the critical zone
2:15 – 2:50 PM — Lightning talks
- Carina Furusho (ISMC), Continental scale 20-year simulation with fully coupled Terrestrial System Modelling Platform
- Dong Kook Woo (CZO), High-resolution 3D model, Dhara, for characterizing surface and subsurface processes in hybrid CPU-GPU parallel architecture.
- Michael Dietze (NEON), The PEcAn project: Accessible Community Tools for Model-Data Integration
- Salvatore Calabrse (CZO), Dynamic coupling of soil iron and carbon cycles
- Claudia Cagnarini (ISMC), Process validation with data from the Wales monitoring program
- Hang Wen (CZO), Understanding Watershed Hydrogeochemistry Using an Integrated Hydrobiogeochemical Model RT-Flux-PIHM
- Peter Groffman (LTER), Conceptual models for human-dominated systems
Data Availability and Accessibility
3:15 – 3:30 PM — Christine Laney, Using observation network data in research
3:30 – 4:05 PM — Lightning talks
- Greg Tucker (CZO), Modeling surface processes with CSDMS
- Will Wieder (LTER), Network opportunities to synthesize soil organic matter observations, manipulations & models
- Daniel Potma Goncalves (IMSC), Improving soil carbon storage modelling in tropical and subtropical environments
- Eugenie Euskirchen (LTER), Integrating plant trait data across high latitude ecosystems to inform dynamic vegetation models
- María Suárez Muñoz (iLTER), Local scale process-based models to aid environmental decision making: Simulating forest pest behavior in Sierra Nevada LTER site
- Ben Ruddell (NEON), Information flow process networks for observatories at all scales
- Michael Mirtl (iLTER), Whole-system Approach for In-situ research on Life Supporting systems in the anthropocene (WAILs)
Lightning talks: Data/Model Integration
4:15 – 4:30 PM — Jan Vanderborght, Evapotranspiration: from measurement to model input
4:30 – 5:05 PM — Lightning talks
- Debjani Sihi (IMSC), Achieving ISMC mission by leveraging CZO-LTER-NEON activities
- Andrew Fox (NEON), Linking site-level biogeochemistry data and Earth System Models
- Roland Baatz (iLTER), Using observatory data for generating ecosystem reanalysis
- Michael Dietze (NEON), The Near-Term Ecological Forecasting Initiative (NEFI)
- Yuting He (CZO), Observing and simulating spatial variations of carbon fluxes and stocks in complex terrain
- Charles Abolt (ISMC), Accurate simulation of the soil thermal regime in an Arctic peatland using physical parameters inferred from field samples
- Ravindra Dwivedi (CZO), Hydrogeochemical functioning of fractured bedrock aquifers and their contribution to streamflow in a high elevation mountainous catchment
Watch the presentations and discussion from Day 1
Video 1: 10:30 AM - 3:30 PM
Video 2: 3:30 PM - 5:30 PM
14 February 2018
8:00 – 8:30 AM — Arrival and networking
8:30 – 9:00 AM — Follow up from previous day
9:00 – 10:15 AM — Discussion in 4 groups: Model Concepts and Model Structures
Focus discussions on scientific and technical challenges, as well as opportunities for advancing knowledge and promoting synthesis, among LTER, NEON, CZO, and IMSC.
10:15 – 10:30 AM — Break
10:30 – 11:30 AM — Discussion in 4 groups: Data Accessibility and Data-Model Integration
Focus discussions on scientific and technical challenges, as well as opportunities for advancing knowledge and promoting synthesis, among LTER, NEON, CZO, and IMSC.
11:30 AM – 12:00 PM — Morning session recap
12:00 – 13:00 PM — Lunch
13:00 – 17:30 PM — Groups self-assemble and meet - shared interest in synergistic projects, working toward a target deliverable
You may want to keep these questions in mind as you discuss the scientific and programmatic paths forward
- How can we promote continued dialogue among the networks in the future?
- What synthesis research projects could we initiate?
- How can we improve data access and data sharing across the networks?
- What cross-network activities should we propose for the future and who will lead these?
- What strategies and programmatic structures can we develop to facilitate building the joint user communities and support joint science efforts, e.g., RCN, joint advisory boards, modeling boards, data and data products forums, annual cross-network meeting, joint website, etc.
15 February 2018
8:30 – 9:00 AM — Arrival and networking
9:00 – 10:00 AM — Reports from Day 2 Project Groups, ~ 15-min each
10:00 – 11:00 AM — Group Discussion, Maximum impact, Feedback to NSF
11:00 AM – 12:00 PM — Solidify writing teams, Primary outlines, Schedule for writing tasks
12:00 – 12:30 — Closing session
12:30 PM — Meeting Officially Closes. Participants welcome to stay, continue working together in NITA Conference Room or elsewhere
Watch the presentations and discussion from Day 3