Studies of Soil Formation and Weathering in the Critical Zone includes the land surface, vegetation, and water bodies, and extends through the pedosphere, unsaturated vadose zone, and saturated groundwater zone. An array of important physical, chemical, and biological interfacial processes and reactions occur in the critical zone over a range of spatial and temporal scales. These processes impact mass and energy exchange necessary for biomass productivity, chemical recycling, and water storage. The symposium will explore research needs and opportunities involving four major questions: What processes in the Critical Zone control fluxes of carbon, particulates, and atmospherically reactive trace gases between the land surface and the atmosphere and how do these processes change over different timescales?; How do important biogeochemical processes and mechanisms at Critical Zone interfaces govern long-term sustainability of soil and water resources?; How do chemical and physical weathering processes impact the establishment of the Critical Zone and how is this weathering perturbed by global environmental change?

S05 Pedology