Carbon sequestration from molecular to mega scale: The biosphere, the geosphere, and the activity of minerals

Over the vastness of geologic time, an enormous store of carbon has built up in the geosphere giving rise to the oxygen we need to breathe and a climate that has nurtured the rise of thriving human civilization. Earth history reveals biogeochemical revolutions that illustrate a tapestry of controlling processes for sequestering carbon in the geosphere. Today, these natural cycles are increasingly perturbed and Earth is facing unprecedented climate change and sea level rise. Lying at the core is human perturbation of the carbon cycle which we are studying in real-time in an urgent effort to devise solutions. In this talk, we will investigate carbon sequestration from molecular to mega scale in the sedimentary systems of the South China Sea and the eastern Pacific. In the process, we will explore an innovative combination of analytical approaches harnessing radiocarbon geochemistry and amino acid biogeochemistry centered around the novel concept of organomineralogy. Natural processes elucidated through these novel interdisciplinary approaches reveal the importance of organic matter-mineral interactions for modulating the carbon cycle in manifold ways. I aim for these insights to shape the underpinning ideas for bold new research directions in Earth and Ocean Sciences.