Findings and Recommendations - Basic Research Opportunities in Earth Science - page 100

• sequencing genetic materials, and computers for analyzing large databases
of genomic information, as well as for analyses of surface and
mineralogical characteristics by high-resolution techniques such as atomic
force microscopy. Open-path CO 2 , organic, and inorganic carbon
analyzers will be needed for studies of carbon sequestration in soils. Field
equipment to preserve the redox state of soils and sediments sampled from
aqueous environments will be needed for geochemical interpretation of
metal toxicity, fate, and transport.
• Computers and access to computing facilities : Innovations in Internet
connectivity, multimedia information processing, digital libraries, and
visualization techniques are needed to expedite the collection,
dissemination, and processing of heterogeneous streams of data from an
expanding array of observatories. Improvements in modeling will require
high-speed access to distributed computing facilities, algorithms that
utilize computational grids, and structures for developing community
models.
A second stress arising within the I&F program concerns the operation and
maintenance of instrumentation. An example relevant to large-scale facilities is
the maintenance and modernization of the Global Seismic Network (GSN). The
GSN is critical for many aspects of Earth science, but support for these purposes
has historically been problematic. A long-term strategy is an important issue for
NSF and USGS, particularly since a substantial shortfall in funding
(approximately $3 million) for the USGS component already exists.
Although the I&F program has been very effective in allocating equipment
to individual principal investigators, it places a lower priority on funding the
operation and maintenance of equipment after it is purchased. As currently
implemented, the program gives technician support to individual laboratories for a
maximum of five years. Full technician costs are rarely funded through the
disciplinary programs after this period. As a result, EAR principal investigators
have been forced to seek ongoing support from other sources, such as contract
work or institutional discretionary funds, with mixed success. The lack of
continuity in laboratory operation and technical staffing is a growing problem.
Academic researchers find it increasingly difficult to keep expensive equipment
operating efficiently and to hire and retain highly qualified technicians and
engineers, who often seek greater security and higher pay in positions outside
universities.
As equipment and personnel costs rise, researchers are turning toward
multiuser instrumental facilities. Community-based facilities can increase the
efficiency and reduce the burden of maintaining expensive equipment at many
universities, and they form a basis for establishing community priorities. Indeed,
several workshop reports emphasized the desirability of