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

土壤有机质(SOM)被认为是世界上最被低估的资源。SOM是地球上元素循环、土壤肥力和健康、环境可持续性的核心，并储存了全球陆地碳的三分之二。在我们不断变化的世界中，关于高级官员会议的命运存在几个不确定因素。例如，土壤有机质既是大气二氧化碳(和其他温室气体)的汇，也是来源，但科学家预计，随着气温的升高，土壤有机质将转变为大气二氧化碳的主要来源，特别是在极地地区，被锁定在永久冻土中的土壤有机质正变得更容易进行生物地球化学循环。尽管有所有这些担忧，SOM在人类已知的每一个陆地过程中都扮演着重要的角色，但SOM在分子水平上还没有得到充分的描述。SOM的化学异质性给SOM的测定、定量和结构鉴定带来了混乱。这是因为SOM是处于不同分解和转化阶段的植物和微生物产物的集合。此外，需要使用先进的分析方法来提高对环境中SOM过程的基本理解。这项拟议的研究将通过时间和空间直接考察保存下来的有机质的性质和年龄；并提供前所未有的洞察，了解不断变化的世界中有机质保存和生物地球化学循环的过程。这项研究代表着一个独特的机会，可以将科学中最先进的分子方法结合在一起，直接解决世界上最低调的问题之一。这项研究将支持对土壤有机质的详细和新颖的研究，并将支持对全球独一无二的样本收集的广泛实地收集和实验室分析，并提供对世界上最被低估的自然资源的基本了解。这项研究将明确地提供关于环境中土壤有机质保存的详细信息，并在分子水平上提供对土壤有机质动态的独特见解。

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.