Millennial-scale hydroclimate control of tropical soil carbon storage

Hein, Christopher J.; Usman, Muhammed; Eglinton, T. I.; Haghipour, Negar

doi:10.1038/s41586-020-2233-9

Cited by 57 publications

(50 citation statements)

References 53 publications

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“…The tropical seas may have played an important role in modulating global climate during the Quaternary through several different mechanisms (e.g., Beaufort et al., 2001; Jacobel et al., 2017; Wan et al., 2017; Winckler et al., 2016; Xu et al., 2018, 2020). In the study area, terrigenous organic carbon burial in the sea associated with physical erosion in the Himalayan and Tibetan highlands and chemical weathering in the Himalayan and Tibetan lowlands have often been assumed to be the two dominant processes involved in buffering the atmospheric CO 2 concentration and climate during the Neogene, although the relative importance of each mechanism is still under debate (France‐Lanord & Derry, 1997; Galy et al., 2007; Hein et al., 2020; Wan et al., 2017). By combining previous results and new data on sedimentary source and sink processes in the study area (Tables 1–3), we assess how these processes have controlled inputs of terrestrial detritus, nutrients, and organic matter, marine productivity, and organic carbon burial and evaluate their significance with respect to the Quaternary carbon cycle and climate variation.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…(2007), and Hein et al. (2020). Here, these theories and data are extrapolated to discuss variations in the abovementioned proxies, together with their controlling mechanisms and paleoenvironmental significance, since ∼700 ka over orbital timescales.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 96%

“…New data and published results for IODP Site U1456 with different time intervals of 2.9-9.2 kyr (Cai et al, 2018(Cai et al, , 2019Chen, Xu et al, 2019Khim et al, 2018;Kim et al, 2018;Tripathi et al, 2017), together with those in 12 selected reference sediment cores with generally large fluvial discharges originating from the Himalaya and Tibetan Plateau or abundant eolian dust supplies from surrounding landmasses, continuous sedimentation, and high-resolution age model and sampling interval (An et al, 2011;Clemens et al, 1996;Fauquembergue et al, 2019;Gebregiorgis et al, 2018;Joussain et al, 2016;Lee et al, 2020;Liu et al, 2004Liu et al, , 2019Wan et al, 2017;Wang et al, 2005;Weber et al, 2018;Yu et al, 2019Yu et al, , 2020, were synthesized for the following discussion. In particular, the detailed processes related to the Himalayan highland erosion and lowland weathering, as well as their potential significance for terrestrial organic carbon transfer, delivery, and deposition in the Bay of Bengal during the Neogene over tectonic timescales and since 18 ka over millennial timescales, have been well constrained by France-Lanord and Derry (1997), Galy et al (2007), and Hein et al (2020). Here, these theories and data are extrapolated to discuss variations in the abovementioned proxies, together with their controlling mechanisms and paleoenvironmental significance, since ∼700 ka over orbital timescales.…”

Section: Tablementioning

confidence: 99%

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Enhancements of Himalayan and Tibetan Erosion and the Produced Organic Carbon Burial in Distal Tropical Marginal Seas During the Quaternary Glacial Periods: An Integration of Sedimentary Records

Wan

Colin

et al. 2021

JGR Earth Surface

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The Himalayan and Tibetan highlands (mountains), with high rates of physical erosion, are extreme settings for earth surface processes, generating one of the largest recent terrigenous detritus and organic carbon discharges to the ocean. However, their significance with respect to the global carbon and climate cycles during the Quaternary is still unclear, especially in quantitative terms. Here, we present comprehensive records of continental erosion and weathering, terrestrial supply, marine productivity, and organic carbon burial in the distal Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal, and southern South China Sea since ∼700 ka over orbital timescales. These records exhibit periodicities corresponding to sea level and Indian summer monsoon intensity changes. During glacial periods, the enhanced highland surface erosion and activation of deep-sea channels significantly increased inputs of terrigenous detritus, nutrients, and organic carbon into the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal, whereas strengthened continental shelf surface weathering and organic matter preservation occurred in the South China Sea. Conclusively, our integrative proxies in the study area demonstrate, for the first time, pronounced glacial burial pulses of organic carbon (∼1.12 × 10 12 mol/yr), dominantly originating from the highland surface erosion and marine productivity. Together with the increased silicate weathering on the exposed tropical continental shelves and in the tropical volcanic arcs, the enhanced burial flux of organic carbon in the tropical marginal seas, therefore, highlights the large contributions that tropical regions can make within the glacial-interglacial carbon inventory of the ocean and atmosphere and thus cause significant negative feedback on the global climate. Plain Language Summary Anthropogenic emissions of the greenhouse gas CO 2 are significantly changing the global climate and environment, resulting in a warmer state for which there is no historical analog. Marine records hold valuable lessons for the future of our warming world, as marine sediments are an important reservoir of the global organic carbon and then modulate release of CO 2 into the atmosphere. Currently, the major river systems originating from the Himalaya and Tibetan Plateau discharge ∼25% of the global fluvial sediment flux to the ocean, acting as an important source of continental organic carbon at tectonic and current timescales. Our integrative mineralogicalgeochemical study demonstrates the enhanced highland (mountain) erosion and activation of deep-sea channels, increased supplies of the produced materials, strengthened marine productivity, and effective preservation of organic carbon in the deep Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal during cold periods. In contrast, strengthened chemical decomposition of silicates on the exposed continental shelf was coeval with increased organic carbon storage in the deep South China Sea. The study area contributed ∼1/4 of the current global marine burial flux of organic carbon during sea-level lowstands and thus represents a ...

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 96%

Section: Tablementioning

confidence: 99%

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Enhancements of Himalayan and Tibetan Erosion and the Produced Organic Carbon Burial in Distal Tropical Marginal Seas During the Quaternary Glacial Periods: An Integration of Sedimentary Records

Wan

Colin

et al. 2021

JGR Earth Surface

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“…These relations decisively increase our understanding of general patterns contributing to stabilizing C in the soil at scales relevant for C management. By definition, the HLZ classification cannot go beyond climate control, but the latest literature ( Kramer and Chadwick , 2018; Rasmussen et al., 2018; Hein et al., 2020; von Fromm et al., 2020) indicates that multiple controls on SOC persistence vary systematically with climate. HLZ is a good fit to separate SOC stocks into clearly distinguishable and process‐oriented zones, varying in their mechanisms to mediate SOC persistence.…”

Section: Beyond Climate Control Of Soc Stocksmentioning

confidence: 99%

New uses for old tools: Reviving Holdridge Life Zones in soil carbon persistence research

Jungkunst

Goepel

Horvath

et al. 2021

J. Plant Nutr. Soil Sci.

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Growing evidence suggests that climate classification facilitates the identification of zones that either agree or disagree with processes explaining soil organic carbon (SOC) persistence. Already forty years ago, Post et al. (1982) posited that the strict temperature and precipitation‐based classification defining the Holdridge Life Zones (HLZ) provides a descriptive tool to guide our understanding of the heterogeneous distribution of global SOC stocks. Here we argue that this classification has the potential for describing SOC persistence by linking top‐down and bottom‐up approaches from different scales, which allows selection of individual regional relevancies necessary to manage and track the fate of our largest terrestrial carbon (C) reservoir.

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“…Several studies have shown that soils comprise a significant, and often the dominant, component of terrestrial organic carbon exported in the suspended load of rivers to lake and ocean sediments (e.g., Tao et al, 2015;Vonk et al, 2019;Hein et al, 2020).…”

Section: Implications For Application Of Gdgts As Molecular Proxies Amentioning

confidence: 99%

Millennial-age GDGTs in forested mineral soils: <sup>14</sup>C-based evidence for stabilization of microbial necromass

Gies¹,

Hagedorn²,

Lupker³

et al. 2020

Preprint

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Abstract. Understanding controls on the persistence of soil organic matter (SOM) is essential to constrain its role in the carbon cycle and inform climate-carbon cycle model predictions. Emerging concepts regarding formation and turnover of SOM imply that it is mainly comprised of mineral-stabilized microbial products and residues, however, direct evidence in support of this concept remains limited. Here, we introduce and test a method for isolation of isoprenoid and branched glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers (GDGTs) – diagnostic membrane lipids of archaea and bacteria, respectively – for subsequent natural abundance radiocarbon analysis. The method is applied to depth profiles from two Swiss pre-alpine forested soils. We find that the ∆14C values of these microbial markers markedly decrease with increasing soil depth, indicating turnover times of millennia in mineral subsoils. The contrasting metabolisms of the GDGT-producing microorganisms indicates it is unlikely that the low ∆14C values of these membrane lipids reflect heterotrophic acquisition of 14C-depleted carbon. We therefore attribute the 14C-depleted signatures of GDGTs to their physical protection through association with mineral surfaces. These findings thus provide strong evidence for the presence of stabilized microbial necromass in forested mineral soils.

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Millennial-scale hydroclimate control of tropical soil carbon storage

Cited by 57 publications

References 53 publications

Enhancements of Himalayan and Tibetan Erosion and the Produced Organic Carbon Burial in Distal Tropical Marginal Seas During the Quaternary Glacial Periods: An Integration of Sedimentary Records

Enhancements of Himalayan and Tibetan Erosion and the Produced Organic Carbon Burial in Distal Tropical Marginal Seas During the Quaternary Glacial Periods: An Integration of Sedimentary Records

New uses for old tools: Reviving Holdridge Life Zones in soil carbon persistence research

Millennial-age GDGTs in forested mineral soils: <sup>14</sup>C-based evidence for stabilization of microbial necromass

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Millennial-scale hydroclimate control of tropical soil carbon storage

Cited by 57 publications

References 53 publications

Enhancements of Himalayan and Tibetan Erosion and the Produced Organic Carbon Burial in Distal Tropical Marginal Seas During the Quaternary Glacial Periods: An Integration of Sedimentary Records

Enhancements of Himalayan and Tibetan Erosion and the Produced Organic Carbon Burial in Distal Tropical Marginal Seas During the Quaternary Glacial Periods: An Integration of Sedimentary Records

New uses for old tools: Reviving Holdridge Life Zones in soil carbon persistence research

Millennial-age GDGTs in forested mineral soils: &lt;sup&gt;14&lt;/sup&gt;C-based evidence for stabilization of microbial necromass

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Millennial-age GDGTs in forested mineral soils: <sup>14</sup>C-based evidence for stabilization of microbial necromass