Past, Current and Future Processes in the Earth Critical Zone, 2nd Edition

Dear Colleagues,

Following the success of the first edition (Past, Current and Future Processes in the Earth Critical Zone), we are pleased to launch the second edition of this Topic.

The Earth's Critical Zone (ECZ) integrates the surface and near‐surface environment where interactions between the biosphere, pedosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere, and shallow lithosphere play a fundamental role in sustaining life. In this view, there is a need to describe and model the geochemical processes of the ECZ (e.g., rock weathering, sediment-soil formation, element mobility solubility in natural water) at multiple spatial and temporal scales to track the past, current and future status of ecosystems, also in relation to environmental and climate change. The characterization of these processes allows us to face global social challenges such as environmental quality, ecosystems equilibria, human health, sustainable development, availability of resources, and water use and storage. We invite contributions to this multidisciplinary topic dealing with rock weathering, sediment and soil geochemistry, hydrogeology and hydro-geochemistry and more in general Critical Zone-relevant geological processes to steward the life-sustaining ECZ in the past, present and into the future. Emphasis will be given to studies that address issues on:

• low temperature mineralogical and geochemical processes in natural environments;
• isotope fractionations and element partitioning between lithosphere, pedosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere;
• role of the Critical Zone in achieving sustainable development goals;
• impacts of human activities on the Critical Zone processes;
• past and future trends;
• ecosystem health and dynamics;
• paleoecological and geoarchaeological approaches.

Contributions emphasizing innovative methods and approaches, as well as a combination of multiple techniques are welcome, and studies by young scientists are encouraged.

Dr. Gianluca Bianchini
Dr. Claudio Natali
Dr. Chiara Marchina
Dr. Valentina Brombin
Topic Editors