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8000 yr of black carbon accumulation in a colluvial soil from NW Spain

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Joeri Kaal ,
Antonio Martínez-Cortizas ,
Peter Buurman  and
Felipe Criado Boado
Joeri Kaal*
Affiliation:
Laboratorio de Arqueología del Paisaje (LAr), Instituto de Estudios Gallegos Padre Sarmiento, IEGPS-CSIC-XuGa, Rúa San Roque 2, 15704 Santiago de Compostela, Spain
Antonio Martínez-Cortizas
Affiliation:
Departamento de Edafología y Química Agrícola, Fac. Biología, Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, Campus Universitario Sur, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain
Peter Buurman
Affiliation:
ESS-CC (Earth System Science-Climate Change), Wageningen University, P.O. Box 47, 6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands
Felipe Criado Boado
Affiliation:
Laboratorio de Arqueología del Paisaje (LAr), Instituto de Estudios Gallegos Padre Sarmiento, IEGPS-CSIC-XuGa, Rúa San Roque 2, 15704 Santiago de Compostela, Spain
*
*Corresponding author. Fax: +34 981547104.E-mail address:joeri@samage.net (J. Kaal).
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Abstract

Analytical pyrolysis-GC/MS and solid-state13C NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance) were applied to the NaOH-extractable organic matter fraction of a colluvial soil from Galicia (NW Spain) that represents more than 8500 yr of accumulation. While molecular indicators of vegetation change were looked for, it seemed likely that any such signal was disturbed by the intense fire regime of the area. This conclusion was drawn from (1) the presence of three charcoal layers, (2) the high proportion of aryl C in NMR spectra (non-quantitative) and (3) the prevalence of benzenes and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the chromatograms (38±6% of total identified peak area), also in charcoal-poor samples. If this conclusion is accurate, the area has been subjected to burning episodes for at least 8000 yr. Additionally, the results indicate that biomass burning residues (black carbon; BC) may become NaOH extractable after long periods of degradation in mineral soil. These results add to our knowledge of the long-term fate of BC in soil, which is a potential agent in the global C cycle.

Keywords

Fire recordBlack carbonPyrolysis-GC/MS
Type
Research Article
Information
Quaternary Research , Volume 69 , Issue 1 , January 2008 , pp. 56 - 61
Copyright
Elsevier Inc.

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