Primary Convener:
Brianna Finley, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

Convener:
Romy Chakraborty, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

Early Career Convener:
Brianna Finley, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

Chair:
Brianna Finley, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Romy Chakraborty, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

What governs the persistence or turnover of organic matter (OM) in belowground environments remains a key question across biogeochemical, hydrogeochemical, and geomicrobiological fields. This session invites contributions that examine molecular, microbial, kinetic and abiotic controls on OM dynamics in soils, sediments, and aquatic systems. We welcome studies on OM origin, composition, and microbial processing — including necromass production and transformation — as well as interactions with minerals, redox conditions, sorption dynamics, and other geochemical or physicochemical factors. Submissions may span experimental, observational, or modeling approaches and include methods such as molecular or multi-omics characterization, isotopic tracing, spectroscopy, imaging, and data-driven or mechanistic modeling. By drawing together research across disciplines and scales, this session aims to advance a mechanistic understanding of OM fate and function in the critical zone and subsurface environments.

Index Terms
0414 Biogeochemical cycles, processes, and modeling
0428 Carbon cycling
0463 Microbe|mineral interactions
0470 Nutrients and nutrient cycling

Neighborhoods:
3. Earth Covering