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Continental United States Atmospheric Wet Calcium Deposition and Soil Inorganic Carbon Stocks
Author(s) -
Goddard Megan A.,
Mikhailova Elena A.,
Post Christopher J.,
Schlautman Mark A.,
Galbraith John M.
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
soil science society of america journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.836
H-Index - 168
eISSN - 1435-0661
pISSN - 0361-5995
DOI - 10.2136/sssaj2008.0004
Subject(s) - mollisol , environmental science , vertisol , leaching (pedology) , deposition (geology) , soil carbon , total organic carbon , soil horizon , soil science , environmental chemistry , soil water , chemistry , geology , geomorphology , sediment
Organic and inorganic soil C pools are major components of the global C budget, yet they are still poorly estimated and understood. This study ranked atmospheric wet Ca 2+ deposition from 1994 to 2003 within the continental United States by soil order using spatial analysis of Ca 2+ wet deposition data and a state soil geographic database. The total average annual atmospheric wet deposition (AAAWD) of Ca 2+ within the continental United States was 8.6 × 10 8 kg, which would be equivalent to the theoretical formation of 2.6 × 10 8 kg C as soil inorganic C (SIC), barring losses from erosion and deep leaching. The soil orders receiving the highest area‐normalized total AAAWD of Ca 2+ were: (i) Alfisols (172 kg km −2 Ca 2+ ), (ii) Mollisols (170 kg km −2 Ca 2+ ), (iii) Histosols (168 kg km −2 Ca 2+ ), and (iv) Vertisols (157 kg km −2 Ca 2+ ). Barring losses from erosion and leaching, these Ca 2+ wet deposition fluxes would equate to the theoretical formation of the following amounts of area‐normalized total C equivalents in the pedon: (i) Alfisols, 52 kg C km −2 ; (ii) Mollisols, 51 kg C km −2 ; (iii) Histosols, 50 kg C km −2 ; and (iv) Vertisols, 47 kg C km −2 The sequestration of SIC has been shown to be important in soil orders of nonarid regions, particularly in Mollisols and Alfisols.