Microbe-mineral-organic matter interfaces at pore to pedon scales

Since 2007, the U.S. National Science Foundation has been funding interdisciplinary research in Earth surface science, with a particular focus on the critical zone, which emphasizes the intersection of hydrology, geochemistry, geomorphology, biology and soil science. The open system conceptualization of the critical zone provides a useful perspective into soil biogeochemistry, including interactions among microbes, minerals and organic matter. These studies highlight the fact that mineral surfaces are not a passive stage for microbial growth and OM stabilization, but rather that they too undergo transformations at the time scales of organic matter turnover that are relevant to carbon stabilization and destabilization processes.