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Encyclopedia of Geochemistry pp 326–331Cite as

Critical Zone

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Part of the book series: Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series ((EESS))

Synonyms

Earth’s critical zone

Definition

The critical zone, the near-surface terrestrial environment from the bottom of circulating groundwater to the top of vegetation, hosts the complex interactions involving rock, soil, water, air, and living organisms that regulate life-sustaining resources.

Introduction

The term “critical zone” was first applied to the surface terrestrial environment by Dr. Gail Ashley (1998) in a presentation at the Geological Society of America. In her work, Dr. Ashley introduced the concept of the critical zone when she wrote that a “holistic approach is needed to understand the three-dimensional complex linkages involving physical, chemical, and biological processes” and a study of geologic and surface processes that are “crucial for life” (Ashley 1998). In 2001, the United States National Research Council’s Committee on Basic Research Opportunities in the Earth Sciences noted the future importance of the critical zone concept as integrative of disciplines...

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dept. of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA

    Justin B. Richardson

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  1. Justin B. Richardson
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Justin B. Richardson .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA

    William M. White

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Richardson, J.B. (2018). Critical Zone. In: White, W.M. (eds) Encyclopedia of Geochemistry. Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-39312-4_355

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