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Essays

Vol. 158 No. 2 (2025): Rendiconti. Mathematics and Natural Sciences Class

Adventures in the Critical Zone: a life at the interface

  • Antonello Provenzale
DOI
https://doi.org/10.3280/rndoa2025oa21162
Submitted
ottobre 1, 2025
Published
2026-02-17

Abstract

The Critical Zone is a thin layer going from the bottom of the surface aquifer to the top of vegetation canopy, where all physical, chemical, geological and biological processes sustaining terrestrial ecosystems take place. This layer includes soil, water, living organisms, gases and rocks, which together generate a complex system where geosphere and biosphere dynamics are inextricably linked. The good health of the Critical Zone is related to the integrity of such dynamics and it is essential for our own survival. Here I describe how this essential component of our planet is measured and modelled, with the ultimate goal of supporting the most appropriate conservation and management actions.

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