Biologically-mediated Weathering of Minerals

Principal investigator: Dr L Benning

Co-Investigators: Prof B Yardley, Dr R Brydson

Sponsor: NERC

Value: £422834.61

Dates: 6th February 2006 to 5th February 2011

Summary

The WUN Weathering Science Consortium is a UK Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) funded grouping of 3 UK Universities in partnership with The British Geological Survey, government agencies and international institutions.

The broad aims of WSC are:

To create a step-change in the international scientific effort to quantify and predict the processes of soil formation and loss, through close collaboration by leading research teams throughout the world that is supported by vigorous dissemination and application to the whole-life management of soil as a finite resource that nourishes the planet's human population and ecosystems.

The consortium seeks to integrate international weathering science and funding with a USA bid for a NSF-supported Critical Zone Exploration Network (CZEN). The CZEN will integrate field, laboratory and modelling research and many other activities from a wide range of natural environments around the Earth.