Features of the humification process in soils of Thala Hills, Enderby land, East Antarctica: Insights from 13C-NMR spectroscopy

In East Antarctica, ice-free areas (oases) exhibit a wide range of environmental conditions that influence soil development. Exploring the interactions between biological and abiotic factors, along with the composition and behavior of soil organic matter, offers valuable insights into how Antarctic ecosystems react to environmental stresses. This study examined the biogeochemical characteristics and molecular composition of soil organic matter in Cryosols of the Thala Hills oasis, Enderby Land, East Antarctica. The soils studied are generally shallow, with mostly coarse textures, slightly acidic to near-neutral pH levels (from 5.40 to 6.87), and very low organic carbon content in most of the samples (TOC