Thermodynamically controlled preservation of organic carbon in floodplains

Boye, Kristin; Noel, Vincent; Tfaily, Malak M.; Bone, Sharon E.; Williams, Kenneth H.; Bargar, John R.; Fendorf, Scott

doi:10.1038/ngeo2940

Thermodynamically controlled preservation of organic carbon in floodplains

Journal Article · Mon May 01 04:00:00 EDT 2017 · Nature Geoscience

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1038/ngeo2940· OSTI ID:1363868

Boye, Kristin ^[1]; Noel, Vincent ^[2]; Tfaily, Malak M. ^[3]; Bone, Sharon E. ^[2]; Williams, Kenneth H. ^[4]; Bargar, John R. ^[2]; Fendorf, Scott ^[5]

SLAC National Accelerator Lab., Menlo Park, CA (United States). Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource; Stanford Univ., CA (United States). Earth System Science Dept.
SLAC National Accelerator Lab., Menlo Park, CA (United States). Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource
Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States). Environmental Molecular Science Lab.
Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). Climate and Ecosystem Sciences Division
Stanford Univ., CA (United States). Earth System Science Dept.

Organic matter decomposition in soils and terrestrial sediments has a prominent role in the global carbon cycle. Carbon stocks in anoxic environments, such as wetlands and the subsurface of floodplains, are large and presumed to decompose slowly. The degree of microbial respiration in anoxic environments is typically thought to depend on the energetics of available terminal electron acceptors such as nitrate or sulfate; microbes couple the reduction of these compounds to the oxidation of organic carbon. But, it is also possible that the energetics of the organic carbon itself can determine whether it is decomposed. We examined water-soluble organic carbon by Fourier-transform ion-cyclotron-resonance mass spectrometry to compare the chemical composition and average nominal oxidation state of carbon—a metric reflecting whether microbial oxidation of organic matter is thermodynamically favourable—in anoxic (sulfidic) and oxic (non-sulfidic) floodplain sediments. We also observed distinct minima in the average nominal oxidation state of water-soluble carbon in sediments exhibiting anoxic, sulfate-reducing conditions, suggesting preservation of carbon compounds with nominal oxidation states below the threshold that makes microbial sulfate reduction thermodynamically favourable. Finally, we show that thermodynamic limitations constitute an important complement to other mechanisms of carbon preservation, such as enzymatic restrictions and mineral association, within anaerobic environments.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Research Organization:: SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory (SLAC), Menlo Park, CA (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER) (SC-23)

Grant/Contract Number:: AC02-76SF00515; AC02-05CH11231

OSTI ID:: 1363868

Alternate ID(s):: OSTI ID: 1773369
OSTI ID: 1368457
OSTI ID: 1458494

Journal Information:: Nature Geoscience, Journal Name: Nature Geoscience Journal Issue: 6 Vol. 10; ISSN 1752-0894

Publisher:: Nature Publishing GroupCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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