PNNL

Abstract

The multifaceted interactions between soil organic matter and mineral surfaces and these interactions respond to environmental change is critical to understand carbon and mineral biogeochemical cycling. The attachment of soil organic matter to mineral surfaces is generally considered to result in greater persistence of those compounds in the environment, while recent research has shown that this is not always the case. These interactions can be highly dynamic and are subject to varying biogeochemical conditions. Recent studies, from both experimental and modeling approaches, suggest that specific types of organic molecules are more likely to form associations with oxy-hydroxide and clay mineral surfaces. Additionally, certain mineral surfaces are more reactive, increasing stability of organic molecules, leading to their accelerated oxidation and decomposition, or impacting their transport through the environment. This special issue welcomes submissions that contribute to this rapidly evolving understanding through novel experiment and/or modeling approaches and challenge our existing conceptual models of soil organic matter and mineral surface interactions.