Earth Science Programs - Basic Research Opportunities in Earth Science - page 119

BOX A.2. EAR SPECIAL EMPHASIS AREAS AND CROSS-
CUTTING PROGRAMS
Active Tectonics. Supports basic research in tectonically active
systems of the Earth's continental crust.
Continental Margins Research. Supports research on understanding
the interaction of mechanical, chemical, biological, and fluid processes that
govern the initiation, evolution, and destruction of continental margins, as
well as the accumulation of resources in these regions.
Cooperative Studies of the Earth's Deep Interior. Supports
collaborative, interdisciplinary studies of the Earth's interior, including the
character and dynamics of the Earth's mantle and core, their influence on
the evolution of the Earth, and processes operating within the deep interior.
Earth System History. Supports research on understanding the
natural variability of the Earth system (land, ocean, atmosphere), including
the forcing mechanisms, interactions, and feedbacks among its
components, with annual to millennial resolution.
Environmental Geochemistry and Biogeochemistry. Supports
interdisciplinary research on chemical processes that determine the
behavior and distribution of inorganic and organic materials in environments
near the Earth's surface.
International Continental Drilling Program. Supports drilling, on a
global scale, to advance knowledge of the composition, structure, and
processes of the Earth's crust
Life in Extreme Environments. Supports research on microbial life
forms and the extreme environments in which they exist, with the goal of
detecting and understanding the life forms that may exist beyond Earth.
National Earthquake Hazard Reduction Program. Supports
research on earthquake processes as the foundation for applying
earthquake hazard reduction measures.
Water and Energy: Atmospheric, Vegetative and Earth
Interactions. Supports research on the Earth's hydrologic and energy
cycles with the goal of assessing the potential impact of human activities on
these cycles and the climate system in general.
Water and Watersheds. Supports systems-oriented research at the
watershed scale in a multidisciplinary framework, including physical or
engineering, biological, and social sciences.