Arnab Kumar Pal

Academic Background

About me

I am Arnab Kumar Pal, and have defended my PhD thesis titled " Critical Zone Evaluation of a Tropical Hillslope Using Remote Sensing and Geophysical Methods" under the guidance of Dr. Archana M Nair, Department of Civil Engineering at Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati (IIT Guwahati). I joined IIT Guwahati in July 2016 for my MTech with MHRD fellowship. I have joined and continued my PhD from the same institute since July 2018 till July 2025.

Now I am working as a project scientist in National Institute of Hydrology in a consultancy project from 21st April, 2025. 

 Significance of Work

The Earth's Critical Zone (CZ) is a crucial and dynamic layer of the Earth that spans from the top of the canopy height upto the top of unweathered bedrock (Parsekian et al., 2015; Guo and Lin, 2016; Pal et al., 2021; Kumar et al., 2022). It is the zone where complex interactions occur among the atmosphere, lithosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere, making it essential for supporting life and sustaining ecosystems (Brantley et al., 2006; Lin, 2010). Researchers provided multiple CZ definitions, emphasising its heterogeneous nature and the intricate relationships between its components. Lin (2010) defined CZ as the region where the atmosphere, lithosphere, and hydrosphere intersect, highlighting its interdisciplinary nature. In contrast, the National Research Council (NRC) of the United States defined CZ as a near-surface environment where interactions between rocks, soil, water, air, and living organisms play a crucial role in regulating natural habitats and influencing the availability of resources necessary for supporting life (National Research Council, 2001; Pal et al., 2022b). In recent times, population expansion, land use and land cover changes, and environmental changes on a global scale have put stress on the CZ, impacting the overall health and sustainability of ecosystems (Aguilar et al., 2020). The complexity and dynamic behaviour of the CZ, particularly its feedback mechanisms, must be understood, predicted, and managed to solve these issues to promote sustainable development (Lin, 2010).