Articles | Volume 7, issue 2
https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-7-347-2021
https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-7-347-2021
Original research article
 | 
06 Jul 2021
Original research article |  | 06 Jul 2021

Geogenic organic carbon in terrestrial sediments and its contribution to total soil carbon

Fabian Kalks, Gabriel Noren, Carsten W. Mueller, Mirjam Helfrich, Janet Rethemeyer, and Axel Don

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Cited articles

Amiotte Suchet, P., Probst, J. L., and Ludwig, W.: Worldwide distribution of continental rock lithology: Implications for the atmospheric/soil CO2 uptake by continental weathering and alkalinity river transport to the oceans, Global Biogeochem. Cy., 17, 1038, https://doi.org/10.1029/2002GB001891, 2003. 
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Artinger, R., Buckau, G., Kim, J., Geyer, S., and Wolf, M.: Influence of sedimentary organic matter on dissolved fulvic acids in groundwater, Significance for groundwater dating with 14C in dissolved organic matter, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), 57–72, 1996. 
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Bertrand, I., Delfosse, O., and Mary, B.: Carbon and nitrogen mineralization in acidic, limed and calcareous agricultural soils: Apparent and actual effects, Soil Biol. Biochem., 39, 276–288, 2007. 
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Short summary
Sedimentary rocks contain organic carbon that may end up as soil carbon. However, this source of soil carbon is overlooked and has not been quantified sufficiently. We analysed 10 m long sediment cores with three different sedimentary rocks. All sediments contain considerable amounts of geogenic carbon contributing 3 %–12 % to the total soil carbon below 30 cm depth. The low 14C content of geogenic carbon can result in underestimations of soil carbon turnover derived from 14C data.