Past, Current and Future Processes in the Earth Critical Zone

Dear Colleagues,

The Earth's Critical Zone (ECZ) integrates the surface and near‐surface environment where interactions between 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 relations to environmental and climate changes. The characterization of these processes allows 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 special issue 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, in the current day and into the future. Emphasis will be given to studies that address issues about:

• 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;
• ecosystems health and dynamics.

Contributes emphasizing innovative methods and approaches, as well as combination of multiple techniques are welcome, and researches by young scientists are encouraged.

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