ARCHIVED CONTENT: In December 2020, the CZO program was succeeded by the Critical Zone Collaborative Network (CZ Net) ×

General Public

The CZOs strive to educate the general public.

Study of the Critical Zone is a new and evolving realm of science - by necessity, the CZO education and outreach effort has focused on the Earth science community. Nonetheless, the CZOs strive to educate the general public, for example through our presence at the second U.S. Science and Technology Exposition in Washington, D.C. during April 2012. Our exhibit booth included a variety of pamphlets as well as hands-on activities: geologists demonstrated various processes of weathering and erosion, ecologists showed how to determine the leaf-area index of a forest, and hydrologists used on-line tools to show how land use change affects hydrologic characteristics of a landscape.

Eric Carpenter (CU-Boulder), education and outreach specialist for the Boulder Creek CZO, leads students through a hands-on learning exercise relating glaciation to erosion and sedimentation during the U.S. Science and Technology Expo in Washington, D.C. during April 2012.

Educational Resources (examples for general public)

  • Grades 3 - 16

    Technical tools of real and virtual fieldwork

    All Disciplines

    Virtual Fieldwork & Activity +

    Preview

    National

  • × Screenshot of a webpage including a Google Street View spherical panorama of a highly instrumented tree at the Southern Sierra Critical Zone Observatory.

    Grades 3 - 16

    Technical tools of real and virtual fieldwork

    All Disciplines

    Virtual Fieldwork • Activity • Project

    See an annotated list of technical tools for creating Virtual Fieldwork Experiences about a site. Tools include smartphone apps for capturing imagery and other data as well as accessing information (ie geologic maps). Desktop and web-based software is also included, as is some hardware.

    Educational Objectives

    Users will both create and access media to explain why a site looks the way it does.

    Visit this resource

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    Audience: K-12 • General Public • Higher Education • Research Community

    Observatory: National CZO

    Author: Don Haas (PRI)


  • Grades 9 - 14

    What is the Critical Zone?

    All Disciplines

    Information & Video

    Preview

    Cross-CZO

  • × Illustration of the Critical Zone, showing a slice of Earth's near surface pulled out of the ground.  Labels are shown for air, biota, soil, water, and rock. Image credit: After Chorover et al, 2007. Catalina-Jemez CZO (artwork by R. Kindlimann).

    Grades 9 - 14

    What is the Critical Zone?

    All Disciplines

    Information • Video

    A short web page that answers questions like: what is the Critical Zone? Why it is so important? Why does it need to be studied? The page includes text, images, and video.

    Educational Objectives

    Be able to discuss where the Critical Zone fits on Earth's surface and its importance to Humans and all life. 

    Visit this resource

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    Audience: K-12 • General Public • Higher Education

    Observatory: National CZO • Boulder CZO • Calhoun CZO • Catalina-Jemez CZO • Christina CZO • Eel CZO • IML CZO • Luquillo CZO • Reynolds CZO • Shale Hills CZO • Sierra CZO

    Author: CZO National Office

  • Grades 9 - 12

    What is the Eel River Critical Zone Observatory?

    Biology/Ecology +

    Information

    Preview

    Eel

  • × Image from ERCZO cartoon

    Grades 9 - 12

    What is the Eel River Critical Zone Observatory?

    Biology/Ecology • Geomorphology • Outreach/EducationResearch

    Information

    An illustrated introduction to the Eel River Critical Zone Observatory in the Angelo Coast Range Reserve.

    Educational Objectives

    After reading this cartoon, students will be able to:

    • Identify the Eel River Watershed on a map of California
    • Understand why the Critical Zone is of interest to scientists
    • Explain the role the Critical Zone plays in supporting healthy trees and river ecosystems 
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    Audience: K-12 • General Public

    Observatory: Eel CZO

    Author: Justin Richardson (UMass Amherst), Bill Dietrich (UC Berkeley), Alana McGillis (www.alanamcgillis.com)


  • Grades 6 - 14

    CZ Science Cafe Series

    All Disciplines +

    Video

    Preview

    Catalina-Jemez

  • × Jon Chorover (U of Arizona) presenting 'Introduction to the Critical Zone' during the 2015 Critical Zone Science Cafe Series.

    Grades 6 - 14

    CZ Science Cafe Series

    All Disciplines • SoilScience/Pedology • Biology/Molecular • Hydrology

    Video

    Watch fascinating, public lectures from four Catalina-Jemez CZO researchers. The 30-minute lectures are part of the Critical Zone Science Cafe Series from Fall 2015, in Tucson, AZ.

    Educational Objectives

    Viewers will be able to describe:

    • The concept of the CZ
    • The role of microbes in the CZ
    • The role of soil in the CZ
    • The role of water in the CZ
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    Audience: K-12 • General Public

    Observatory: Catalina-Jemez CZO

    Author: Jon Chorover (U of Arizona), Craig Rasmussen (U of Arizona), Rachel Gallery (U of Arizona) and Tom Meixner (U of Arizona)


    Funding: The Catalina-Jemez Critical Zone Observatory in collaboration with the University of Arizona Flandrau Science Center & Planetarium.

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Events

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