Variation characteristics of CO<sub>2</sub> in a newly-excavated soil profile, Chinese Loess Plateau: Excavation-induced ancient soil organic carbon decomposition

Song Chao; Liu Man; Dong Qiu-yao; Zhang Lin; Wang Pan; Chen Hong-yun; Ma Rong

doi:10.19637/j.cnki.2305-7068.2022.01.003

2022 Vol. 10, No. 1

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Song Chao, Liu Man, Dong Qiu-yao, Zhang Lin, Wang Pan, Chen Hong-yun, Ma Rong. 2022. Variation characteristics of CO2 in a newly-excavated soil profile, Chinese Loess Plateau: Excavation-induced ancient soil organic carbon decomposition. Journal of Groundwater Science and Engineering, 10(1): 19-32. doi: 10.19637/j.cnki.2305-7068.2022.01.003

Citation:

Song Chao, Liu Man, Dong Qiu-yao, Zhang Lin, Wang Pan, Chen Hong-yun, Ma Rong. 2022. Variation characteristics of CO₂ in a newly-excavated soil profile, Chinese Loess Plateau: Excavation-induced ancient soil organic carbon decomposition. Journal of Groundwater Science and Engineering, 10(1): 19-32. doi: 10.19637/j.cnki.2305-7068.2022.01.003

Variation characteristics of CO₂ in a newly-excavated soil profile, Chinese Loess Plateau: Excavation-induced ancient soil organic carbon decomposition

1.
Institute of Hydrogeology and Environmental Geology, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Shijiazhuang 050061, China
2.
Key Laboratory of Quaternary Chronology and Hydro-Environmental Evolution, China Geological Survey, Shijiazhuang 050061, China
3.
Institute of Earth Sciences, China University of Geosciences (Beijing), Beijing 100083, China
4.
State Key Laboratory of Hydrology-Water Resources and Hydraulic Engineering, Nanjing Hydraulic Research Institute, Nanjing 210029, China

More Information

Corresponding author: dongqiuyao@mail.cgs.gov.cn

Received Date: 20 March 2021

Accepted Date: 25 December 2021

Publish Date: 15 March 2022

Abstract

Abstract

Soils of the Chinese Loess Plateau (CLP) contain substantial amounts of soil inorganic carbon (SIC), as well as recent and ancient soil organic carbon (SOC). With the advent of the Anthropocene, human perturbation, including excavation, has increased soil CO₂ emission from the huge loess carbon pool. This study aims to determine the potential of loess CO₂ emission induced by excavation. Soil CO₂ were continuously monitored for seven years on a newly-excavated profile in the central CLP and the stable C isotope compositions of soil CO₂ and SOC were used to identify their sources. The results showed that the soil CO₂ concentrations ranged from 830 μL·L⁻¹ to 11 190 μL·L⁻¹ with an annually reducing trend after excavation, indicating that the human excavation can induce CO₂ production in loess profile. The δ¹³C of CO₂ ranged from –21.27 ‰ to –19.22 ‰ (mean: –20.11‰), with positive deviation from top to bottom. The range of δ¹³C_SOC was –24.0‰ to –21.1‰ with an average of –23.1‰. The δ¹³C-CO₂ in this study has a positive relationship with the reversed CO₂ concentration, and it is calculated that 80.22% of the soil CO₂ in this profile is from the microbial decomposition of SOC and 19.78% from the degasification during carbonate precipitation. We conclude that the human excavation can significantly enhance the decomposition of the ancient OC in loess during the first two years after perturbation, producing and releasing soil CO₂ to atmosphere.
- Soil organic matter /
- Human excavation /
- Soil CO₂ /
- Stable carbon isotopic composition /
- China Loess Plateau

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References

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