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

土壤是化学反应。在这个覆盖着地球表面的巨大而多样的熔炉中，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，关于这些土壤反应堆中矿物质的供应是如何影响这些反应的，人们知之甚少。这项研究将检验一种假设，即构造作用通过物理和化学方式将岩石起源的矿物暴露在地球生物活跃的表面，调节碳-矿物的相互作用。相反，在构造安静的地方，人类对土地的利用起着主导作用，因为犁取代了构造，在物理上混合了矿物和有机物，促进了它们的相互作用。这项研究最终试图建立一个通用的碳-矿物相互作用模型，并对从构造活跃的崎岖地形(加利福尼亚州沿海和内华达山脉)到构造平静的农业平原(中西部玉米带和大西洋海岸平原)的梯度上的碳-矿物相互作用进行实证测试。这样的全球土壤调查将被整合到明尼苏达大学环境科学、政策和管理专业的所有本科生必修的“环境问题解决”课程中的土壤可持续性体验学习模块中。将指导学生通过合作开发教育材料并使用这些材料在土壤长期可持续性问题上向公众提供信息和参与，从而建立他们的土壤可持续性知识基础。这位研究人员还计划修改他的土壤形成方面的研究生课程，以显著提高研究生？在指导科学方面的真实世界经验。

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.