Introduction CaCO3 in nature Calcium challenge Carbon challenge Conclusions

Water and Element Cycles

Calcium carbonate in terrestrial environments

- Biogeosciences lab -

Institute of Earth Surface DynamicsUniversity of Lausanne

eric.verrecchia@unil.ch

Publications available at ResearchGate

January 19th, 2015

Introduction CaCO3 in nature Calcium challenge Carbon challenge Conclusions

What are the Biogeosciences ?

A definition of biogeosciences (NSF, 2000)

Living organisms affect the chemical and physical composition ofthe atmosphere, oceans, and solid Earth. Similarly, the physicalsystems of the Earth have major impacts on individual organismsas well as entire ecosystems. Changes in either system are reflectedphysically, chemically, and biologically. These changes occur acrossan extensive range of spatial and temporal scales.

The study of how these systems interact and develop togetherthrough time is known as biogeosciences.

Introduction CaCO3 in nature Calcium challenge Carbon challenge Conclusions

The team

1 MA : Dr Guillaume Cailleau

1 Researcher - lab manager (from ”decharge decanale”; 50%) : DrLaurent Decrouy

1 Scientific collaborator (50% 06.15 - shared with P. Junier,UNINE) : Andrea Lohberger

1 SNF Postdoc (shared with P. Junier, UNINE) : Dr Vincent Herve

3 SNF PhD students : Nathalie Diaz and Fabienne Dietrich ; AnaeleSimon (co-advisor with P. Junier, UNINE)

1 PhD student ”Etat” : Magali Matteodo (co-advisor with P. Vittoz)

1 PhD student (co-advisor with S. Lane) : Nico Batz

1 PhD student from the Confederation : Finaritra Randevoson

6-eq MSc students

1 PO : Eric Verrecchia

Introduction CaCO3 in nature Calcium challenge Carbon challenge Conclusions

Calcium carbonate in nature

Introduction CaCO3 in nature Calcium challenge Carbon challenge Conclusions

Calcium carbonate in nature

Schaetzl and Anderson (2005)

Introduction CaCO3 in nature Calcium challenge Carbon challenge Conclusions

Calcium carbonate in nature

Calcium carbonate in soils (Gile et al., 1966 ; Machette, 1985 ; Schaetzl and Anderson, 2005 ; Monger, 2014)

Introduction CaCO3 in nature Calcium challenge Carbon challenge Conclusions

Calcium carbonate in nature

CaCO3

Calcium carbonate in terrestrial environments

Calcium Carbon

Introduction CaCO3 in nature Calcium challenge Carbon challenge Conclusions

Calcium topics

1 Calcium pathways and cycle in terrestrial environments

2 Calcium relationships with soil dynamics

3 Calcium relationships with organisms

4 Calcium sources in pedogenic carbonates

5 Calcium sources in the oxalate-carbonate pathway

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Scientific fields and main methods

Scientific fields

1 Biogeochemistry

2 Geology of dust

3 Geology of weathering

4 Geomicrobiology

5 Geomorphology

Tools

1 Stable isotopes

2 Major and trace elements

3 Lab sedimentology (e.g. XRD)

4 Soil (sub)micromorphology

5 Data processing/monitoring

6 Microcosms (collaboration)

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Examples using isotope biogeochemistry

An example of strontium isotope geochemistry to trace

calcium sources in pedogenic carbonate (in prep.)

An example of calcium isotope geochemistry to evaluate

calcium kinetics in pedogenic carbonate (in prep.)

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Carbon topics

1 Carbon cycle in terrestrial and natural environments

2 Cmin relationships with soil dynamics

3 Corg and CMin relationships with life

4 Carbon sources in pedogenic carbonates

5 Carbon sources in the oxalate-carbonate pathway

Introduction CaCO3 in nature Calcium challenge Carbon challenge Conclusions

Scientific fields and main methods

Scientific fields

1 Biogeochemistry

2 Geomicrobiology

3 Geomorphology

4 Plant-Soil interactions

5 Soil science

Tools

1 Stable isotopes

2 Major and trace elements

3 RockEval pyrolysis

4 Spectroscopy

5 Soil (sub)micromorphology

6 Data processing/monitoring

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An example using a multidisciplinary approach

Hasinger et al. (2015) Geoderma

Introduction CaCO3 in nature Calcium challenge Carbon challenge Conclusions

Take-away message

Evolution of the landscape

(geomorphology - sedimentology)Origin of parent material

(sedimentology)

Origin of dust

(sedimentology - dating)

Soil formation

(soil science)

Origin of quartz

(sedimentology - dating)

Origin and dynamics of carbon

(biogeochemistry - isotopes - dating)

Origin and dynamics of calcium

(biogeochemistry - isotopes)

Role of life in nodulization process

(biogeochemistry - soil micromorphology - geomicrobiology)

When did

nodulization occur ?

(U-Th and 14C dating)

A multiscalar and multidisciplinary approach

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Collaborations inside and outside the IDYST

BGS

Isotopes(TV)

Env. geochem.(JP)

Plant science(PV, AG)

Geomorph.(SL)

WeatheringDating

(FH, PV)IDYST

Microscopy(PV, POB)

XRD XRFPyRE

(JCL, TA)Microprobes

(FB, LB)ICP-MS

(AU)

ISTE

Geomicrobiology(PJ) UNINE

Ox-carb pathway(Univ. Antatanarivo,

Madagascar)

U-Th, 14C dating - African geology(IRD - Univ. N’Gaoudéré

France, Cameroon)

Biomineralization(UPMC, France)

MC-ICP-MSELSTE

Geology of dust, calcretes(BGUN, IGS, Israel)

Calcretes(VTRC, Botswana)

Carbonate in loess(CUNI, Czech Rep.)

Soil micromorphology(UNIMI, Italy)

Future developments at IDYST : remote sensing, data processing, biogeochemical cycles, CO2 valorization

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Target questions for the future

What are the pathways used by calcium between reservoirsand ecosystem compartments ?

How do calcium dynamics influence soil evolution and soilcarbon dynamics (including the question of terrestrial carbonsinks) ?

How does terrestrial, and especially pedogenic, calciumcarbonate form ?

How, and to what extent, does life contribute to its genesis ?

What is the role of parent rock in soil organic carbon

dynamics ?

Introduction CaCO3 in nature Calcium challenge Carbon challenge Conclusions