[Terrapreta] Long term durability of Low Temp Chars

[Sean K. Barry]

Hi AJH

Carbon dating of "chunks" of charcoal still in the soil can tell about the surviving "fixed" carbon in the charcoal vs. other organic carbon matter.
EPRIDA has scanning electron micrographs of charcoal bits from Terra Preta.  It still shows the structure of the original cell walls from the plant that was pyrolized to make the charcoal.  That same charcoal bit is dated back 2500+ years.  I don't think that it is doubted that anything less than a very high percentage of the original charcoal matter that was put into the soil over some thousands of years ago, is not still there.

SKB
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