Pyrolysis GC/MS data of soil organic matter from glacier foreland of Midtre Lovénbreen, Svalbard

Since soil organic matter (SOM) is a mixture of materials showing various turnover time. Therefore, density-size based SOM fractionation and pyrolysis-Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (py-GC/MS) were used to understand SOM characteristics.

Firstly, SOM was separated soil into the free light fraction (FLF) and the heavy fraction (HF). Secondly, the HF was further separated as the sand-size fraction and silt and clay-size fraction based on size. Before analyzing molecular compositions of SOM fractions, the sand-sized and silt and clay sized fractions were treated with hydrofluoric acid to increase carbon concentration by removing mineral particles.