Molecular-level studies of soil organic matter structure and interactions with clay mineral surfaces

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Soil organic matter (SOM) is considered to be the world's most underrated resource. SOM is central to: element cycling on the planet, soil fertility and health, environmental sustainability, and stores two thirds of the terrestrial global carbon. In our changing world, there are several uncertainties pertaining to the fate of SOM. For example, SOM is both a sink and a source of atmospheric CO2 (and other greenhouse gases) but scientists anticipate that as temperatures increase, SOM will transition into a major source of atmospheric CO2, especially in polar regions where SOM, which has been locked in permafrost is becoming more available for biogeochemical cycling. Despite all of these concerns and the significant role of SOM in every terrestrial process known to mankind, SOM is vastly uncharacterized at the molecular-level. The chemical heterogeneity of SOM confounds the measurement, quantification and structural elucidation of SOM. This is because SOM is a collection of plant and microbial products at various stages of decomposition and transformation. Moreover, the use of advanced analytical methods are required to improve the fundamental understanding of SOM processes in the environment. The proposed research will directly examine the nature and age of preserved SOM through time and space; and provide an unprecedented insight into the processes of SOM preservation and biogeochemical cycling in a changing world. This research represents a unique opportunity to combine the most advanced molecular approaches in science together to directly address one of the world's most understated problems. This research will support the detailed and novel study of SOM and will support extensive field collection and laboratory analysis of a globally unique collection of samples and provide a fundamental understanding of the world's most underrated natural resources. This research will unequivocally provide detailed information about SOM preservation in the environment and provide a unique insight into SOM dynamics at the molecular-level.