STC: National Center for Earth-Surface Dynamics

August 1st, 2002 - July 31st, 2013 | PROJECT

The National Center for Earth-surface Dynamics (NCED) is a Science and Technology Center focused on understanding the processes that shape the Earth's surface, and on communicating that understanding with a broad range of stakeholders. NCED's work will support a larger, community-based effort to develop a suite of quantitative models of the Earth's surface: a Community Sediment Model (CSM). Results of the NCED-CSM collaboration will be used for both short-term prediction of surface response to natural and anthropogenic change and long-term interpretation of how past conditions are recorded in landscapes and sedimentary strata. This will in turn help solve pressing societal problems such as estimation and mitigation of landscape-related risk; responsible management of landscape resources including forests, agricultural, and recreational areas; forecasting landscape response to possible climatic and other changes; and wise development of resources like groundwater and hydrocarbons that are hosted in buried sediments. NCED education and knowledge transfer programs include exhibits and educational programs at the Science Museum of Minnesota, internships and programs for students from tribal colleges and other underrepresented populations, and research opportunities for participants from outside core NCED institutions. The Earth's surface is the dynamic interface among the lithosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere, and atmosphere. It is intimately interwoven with the life that inhabits it. Surface processes span environments ranging from high mountains to the deep ocean and time scales from fractions of a second to millions of years. Because of this range in forms, processes, and scales, the study of surface dynamics has involved many disciplines and approaches. A major goal of NCED is to foster the development of a unified, quantitative science of Earth-surface dynamics that combines efforts in geomorphology, civil engineering, biology, sedimentary geology, oceanography, and geophysics. Our research program has four major themes: (1) landscape evolution, (2) basin evolution, (3) biological sediment dynamics, and (4) integration of morphodynamic processes across environments and scales. Each theme area provides opportunities for exchange of information and ideas with a wide range of stakeholders, including teachers and learners at all levels; researchers, managers, and policy makers in both the commercial and public sectors; and the general public.

Project Website(s)

(no project website provided)

Project Products

Big Back Yard Studies: Summer 2006
Big Back Yard Park Crew Summative Evaluation
http://www.nced.umn.edu/
Summative Evaluation of the Science Museum of Minnesota's Big Back Yard

Team Members

Efi Foufoula-Georgiou, Principal Investigator, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities
Christopher Paola, Former Co-Principal Investigator, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities
Gary Parker, Former Co-Principal Investigator, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities

Funders

Funding Source: NSF
Funding Program: STC CLASS OF 2002
Award Number: 0120914
Funding Amount: 37156813

Tags

Audience: Educators | Teachers | General Public | Museum | ISE Professionals | Scientists | Undergraduate | Graduate Students | Youth | Teen (up to 17)
Discipline: Ecology | forestry | agriculture | Engineering | Geoscience and geography | Life science
Resource Type: Project Descriptions
Environment Type: Exhibitions | Laboratory Programs | Museum and Science Center Exhibits | Museum and Science Center Programs | Professional Development | Conferences | Networks | Professional Development and Workshops | Public Programs