CAREER: Erosion and Weathering Control of Soil Carbon: Tectonics and Plows

土壤是化学反应器。在这个覆盖地球表面的巨大而多样的坩埚中，矿物与有机物发生了一系列的物理和化学反应。这些反应通过控制土壤中有机碳的寿命，促进了全球碳循环，并控制了大气中的二氧化碳水平。然而，人们对这些反应如何受到这些土壤反应器中矿物质供应的影响知之甚少。这项研究将测试一个假设，即构造作用，通过物理和化学暴露岩石起源的矿物地球的生物活性表面，调节碳矿物的相互作用。相反，在构造平静的地方，人类土地使用起着主导作用，因为犁取代了构造，实际上混合了矿物和有机物，促进了它们的相互作用。本研究最终试图建立和经验测试的梯度从构造活跃的崎岖地形（沿海加州和内华达州加州）构造安静的农业平原（中西部玉米带和大西洋沿海平原）的碳-矿物相互作用的通用模型。这样一个全球性的土壤调查将被整合到一个关于土壤可持续性的体验式学习模块中，该模块是明尼苏达大学环境科学、政策和管理专业所有本科生所需的“环境问题解决”课程。学生将被引导通过协作开发教育材料，并使用这些材料来告知和参与长期土壤可持续性问题的一般公众，以建立他们的土壤可持续性知识库。研究人员还计划修改他的研究生课程土壤形成，以显着提高研究生？进行科学研究的真实的世界经验。

Soils are chemical reactors. In this vast and diverse crucible that covers the earth surface, minerals undergo a series of physical and chemical reactions with organic matter. These reactions, by controlling the longevity of organic carbon in soils, contribute to the global carbon cycle and act as a control on atmospheric CO2 levels. Little is known, however, about how such reactions are influenced by the supply of minerals into these soil reactors. This study will test a hypothesis that tectonic action, by physically and chemically exposing rock-originated minerals to the Earth's biologically active surface, regulates carbon-mineral interactions. Conversely, in tectonically quiet places, human land-use plays a dominant role as plows replace tectonics, physically mixing minerals and organic matter and facilitating their interactions. This study ultimately attempts to build and empirically test a universal model of carbon-mineral interactions over a gradient from tectonically active rugged terrains (Coastal California and Sierra Nevada California) to tectonically quiet agricultural plains (Midwestern Corn Belt and Atlantic Coastal Plains). Such a global survey of soils will be integrated into an experiential learning module on soil sustainability in an "Environmental Problem Solving" course that is required for all undergraduate students majoring in Environmental Science, Policy, and Management at the University of Minnesota. Students will be guided to build their knowledge base on soil sustainability by collaboratively developing educational materials and using the materials to inform and engage the general public on issues of long-term soil sustainability. The researcher also plans to revise his graduate course on soil formation in order to dramatically boost graduate students? real world experience in conducting science.