ASE & EOS Seminar Series by Prof. Balwant Singh

Prof. Balwant Singh, University of Sydney

Abstract: Soil stores more organic carbon than global vegetation and the atmosphere combined, with an estimated 2400 and 3400 Pg of organic carbon to a depth of 1 m depth. In addition to the organic carbon pool, soil holds 695–748 Pg of inorganic carbon, which mostly exist in the subsurface horizons of arid and semi-arid soils. Soil organic carbon plays multifunctional roles in terrestrial ecosystem functioning, being the dominant energy source for microorganisms, regulating key soil functions, including provision of nutrients, water holding capacity, soil structure, and greenhouse gas emissions. Soil being the largest terrestrial carbon pool, small changes in the flux of soil carbon pool can substantially increase or decrease atmospheric CO2 concentration and thus has potential to accelerate or mitigate global warming. This talk will explore the processes and mechanisms of organic carbon and mineral associations in soils in relation to carbon sequestration in soils. The factors that affect the mineral-carbon association in soils will also be discussed using laboratory and field examples. In addition, among the negative emission technologies for CO2 reduction from the atmosphere, enhanced rock weathering has gained significant attention from researchers recently, and the talk will present an update on this aspect.

Bio: Dr Balwant Singh is Professor of Soil Science at the University of Sydney. He has over 40 years of research and teaching experience in Australia, India, the UK and the USA. His research interests include understanding the structural and chemical properties of soil clay minerals, adsorption reactions of trace elements at the mineral-water interface, phytoremediation of toxic elements, biochar and organic carbon interaction with soil minerals, and micronutrients availability in soils.

Dr Singh is a co-author of globally popular ‘Environmental Soil Chemistry’ textbook. He has also co-edited two books (Biochar: A Guide to Analytical Methods and Synchrotron-based techniques in Soils and Sediments) and over 250 research papers and book chapters. Elsevier, Burlington, USA.

He is a fellow of five scientific societies and recipient of various awards including Marion L. and Chrystie M. Jackson Mid-Career Clay Scientist Award by Clay Minerals Society and The Marion L. and Chrystie M. Jackson Soil Science Award by the Soil Science Society of America. He has served as a Chair of the Soil Mineralogy Commission of International Union of Soil Sciences and President of the Australian Clay Minerals Society. He has been a Co-Editor-In-Chief of Soil Research journal since 2014.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Topic: ASE & EOS Seminar Series

Time: Mar 24, 2026, Tuesday, 12:30 - 1:30 pm Singapore

Location: ASE Lab/Lecture 1 (N1.1-B2-01b)

Virtual access:

https://ntu-sg.zoom.us/j/85984894336?pwd=Ai9Bnz0vjLmjtxePrR41sK4hgUJeZ6.1

Meeting ID: 859 8489 4336

Passcode: 667424

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Asian School of the Environment (ASE), ASE Lab/Lecture 1 (N1.1-B2-01b), 59 Nanyang Drive, Jurong, Singapore

Concerts, fests, parties, meetups - all the happenings, one place.

Get App