October 10, 2018
Fundamental Understanding of Engineered Nanoparticle Stability in Aquatic Environments
ESM land models need to incorporate deeper soil processes to improve CO2 flux predictions.
The Science
Understanding of terrestrial carbon cycling has relied primarily on studies of top soils that are typically characterized to depths shallower than 0.5 m. The researchers found and quantified 30% of carbon dioxide CO2) annual efflux to atmosphere (60% in winter) originates from below 1 m, contrary to prediction of <1% by the Earth System model (ESM) land models.
The Impact
The team contends that ESM land models need to incorporate these deeper soil processes to improve CO2 flux predictions in semi-arid climate regions.
Summary
Understanding of terrestrial carbon cycling has relied primarily on studies of topsoils that are typically characterized to depths shallower than 0.5 m. At a semi-arid site, instrumented down to 7 m, the researchers measured seasonal- and depth-resolved carbon inventories and fluxes, and groundwater and unsaturated zone flow rates. The researchers identified an unexpected high dissolved organic carbon (DOC) flux from the rhizosphere into the underlying unsaturated zone. Their measurements showed that ~30% of the CO2 efflux to atmosphere (60% in winter) originates from below 1 m, contrary to prediction of <1% by ESM land models. The seasonal DOC influx and favorable temperatures, moisture, and oxygen availability in deeper unsaturated zone sustained the respirations of deeper microbial communities and roots. These conditions are common characteristics of many subsurface environments; thus the team contends that ESM land models need to incorporate these deeper soil processes to improve CO2 flux predictions in semi-arid climate regions.
Principal Investigator
Jiamin Wan
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
jwan@lbl.gov
Program Manager
Paul Bayer
U.S. Department of Energy, Biological and Environmental Research (SC-33)
Environmental System Science
paul.bayer@science.doe.gov
Funding
The project receives support from the Subsurface Biogeochemical Research program of the Office of Biological and Environmental Research, within the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science, under contract DE-AC02- 05CH11231.
References
Wan, J., Y. Kim, M. J. Mulvihill, and T. K. Tokunaga. "Dilution destabilizes engineered ligand-coated nanoparticles in aqueous suspensions." Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 37 (5), 1301–1308 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1002/etc.4103.