The near surface represents a critical interface between the bio, hydro and geospheres. Mass and energy movement across the surface influences the carbon, water, and biogeomchemical cycles. Better understanding of these fundamental processes has direct and immediate applications to many environmental issues such as climate change, water recharge, flooding, and contaminant transport.

Nevada is a leader in arid ecosystem and subsurface science research using strong teams of researchers at UNLV, UNR, and DRI.  SEPHAS brings to Nevada a unique meso-scale research facility to further bridge existing eco-scale and laboratory (down to nano-scale) research efforts, giving Nevada the extraordinary capacity to address many basic scientific questions and address practical problems unique to Nevada and other arid and semi-arid states in the southwest.

This unique facility will have the ability to individually address a broad spectrum of important processes and questions related to the role of physical heterogeneity and scaling in subsurface sciences including plant root/water retention interaction, thermal, solute gas and colloidal transport, and microbially-coupled geochemical processes. This facility located close to two UCCSN Campuses, will provide a competitive edge to scientists competing for funding across a broadly defined spectrum of geosciences research, and become an excellent educational tool for future Nevada scientists.

Underground Facility in Boulder City, Nevada

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