CSI papers published: Critical Zone is where much of the world's surface water is generated

CZ-TOP: The Critical Zone as a non-steady state biogeochemical reactor by CSI member Louis A. Derry, email: lad9@cornell.edu

The Critical Zone is where much of the world’s surface water is generated, and processes within the Critical Zone play a large role in determining the flux and composition of stream waters, including “water quality.” The flow of water through the landscape and its chemistry are intimately related, as water takes multiple pathways depending on the structure of the Critical Zone, in turn influencing the type and extent of reaction experienced along the path. New data now available with Critical Zone observing networks represent an opportunity to “look inside” hydrobiogeochemical systems and gain insight into water pathways, transit time scales and reactions that control biogeochemical fluxes.