Sustaining Life
Water is at the nexus of the energy-environment relationship, and water scarcity involves the inherent trade-offs between the production of food, goods, and services and the maintenance of natural ecosystems.
Flowing throughout the Earth
Water is essential to the health of people and communities, ecosystems, regional and national economies, and the security of nations, supporting personal health, food production, manufacturing, energy generation, recreation, and a spectrum of other socially-valued ecosystem services.
Likewise, the biogeochemical cycles, such as nutrients and carbon, which are circulated through water, terrestrial ecosystems, and the atmosphere are essential to our world's health.
Population growth, development, and environmental changes put increasing stresses on water resources throughout the world. The challenges of droughts, floods, and degraded water quality—which serve to underscore our dependence on a balanced quantity and adequate quality of water—exasperate population challenges.
Additionally, changes to our ecosystem place stressors on biogeochemical cycles.
Water and Biogeochemical Cycles Research
Featured IEE Researchers
More Researchers by Topic
Find more researchers studying water and biogeochemical cycles by clicking on any of the following topics:
Water Quality Watershed Nutrients Wastewater Runoff Hydrology Soil Wetlands Carbon Cycle Ocean Circulation Water Pollution
Water and Biogeochemical Cycles News
Featured Stories
Research links shale gas, legacy energy development to groundwater contamination
| psu.edu
Mentions: Susan Brantley
Materials faculty part of two new DOE Energy Frontier Research Centers
| psu.edu
Mentions: Michael Hickner, Ralph Colby, Ismaila Dabo, Susan Trolier-McKinstry
Water Consortium
A new University-wide water initiative has been launched, called the Penn State Water Consortium, involving faculty and staff engaged in research, teaching, and outreach. The Consortium is currently in development.
Penn State has a long and rich history of engaged, innovative, and impactful water and water-related research. This portfolio of work encompasses the natural, social, and health sciences, engineering, policy and law, communications, the arts, and more.
