Nitrification rates and 15N abundances of N2O and NO3− in the western North Pacific (original) (raw)

Nature volume 342, pages 895–897 (1989) Cite this article

Abstract

NITROUS oxide plays an important part in atmospheric chemistry; it is a 'greenhouse' gas and has the potential to destroy ozone. Concentrations of N2O in surface waters of the oceans are generally close to equilibrium with the atmosphere, but sub-surface sea water is supersaturated with N2O1–5. The oceans are now regarded as a source4 for atmospheric N2O by production through the oxidation of ammonium ('nitrification')1,3, except in extremely oxygen-deficient waters6. Nevertheless, the possibility that N2O might be produced through the reduction of nitrate ('denitrification') cannot be ruled out5,7. The distribution of 15N in atmospheric and oceanic N2O can be used to investigate the behaviour of N2O in the oceans8,9. Here we report simultaneous measurements of the nitrification rates and nitrogen isotope data for N2O and NO3– produced in the western North Pacific Ocean. The amount of N2O produced by nitrification is much lower than that expected from the production of NO3–. The N2O in the oxygen-deficient layer is more enriched in 15N than NO3–. These results imply that the contribution of nitrification to the production of N2O is lower than previously thought and that denitrification is primarily responsible for the production of N2O.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Subscribe to this journal

Receive 52 print issues and online access

$199.00 per year

only $3.83 per issue

Buy this article

USD 39.95

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Additional access options:

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Yoshinari, T. Mar. Chem. 4, 189–202 (1976).
    Article CAS Google Scholar
  2. Elkins, J. W., Wofsy, S. C., McElroy, M. B., Kolb, C. E. & Kaplan, W. A. Nature 275, 602–606 (1978).
    Article ADS CAS Google Scholar
  3. Cohen, Y. & Gordon, L. I. Deep Sea Res. 25, 509–524 (1978).
    Article ADS CAS Google Scholar
  4. Cohen, Y. & Gordon, L. I. J. geophys. Res. 84, 347–353 (1979).
    Article ADS CAS Google Scholar
  5. Pierotti, D. & Rasmussen, R. A. Tellus 32, 56–72 (1980).
    Article ADS CAS Google Scholar
  6. McElroy, M. B., Elkins, J. W., Wofsy, S. C. & Yung, Y. L. Rev. Geophys. Space Phys. 14, 143–150 (1976).
    Article ADS CAS Google Scholar
  7. Hahn, J. Denitrification, Nitrification and Atmospheric Nitrous Oxide (ed. Delwiche, C. C.) 191–240 (Wiley-lnterscience, New York, 1981).
    Google Scholar
  8. Yoshida, N. & Matsuo, S. Geochem. J. 17, 231–239 (1983).
    Article CAS Google Scholar
  9. Yoshida, N., Hattori, A., Saino, T., Matsuo, S. & Wada, E. Nature 307, 442–444 (1984).
    Article ADS CAS Google Scholar
  10. Cohen, Y. Analyt. Chem. 49, 1238–1240 (1977).
    Article CAS Google Scholar
  11. Liu, K. K. thesis, Univ. California (1979).
  12. Hashimoto, L. K., Kaplan, W. A., Wofsy, S. C. & McElroy, M. B. Deep Sea Res. 30, 575–590 (1983).
    Article ADS CAS Google Scholar
  13. Weiss R. F. & Price, B. A. Mar. Chem. 8, 347–359 (1980).
    Article CAS Google Scholar
  14. Yoshida, N. Nature 335, 528–529 (1988).
    Article ADS CAS Google Scholar
  15. Wada, E., Koike, I. & Hattori, A. Mar. Biol. 29, 119–124 (1973).
    Article Google Scholar
  16. Miyazaki, T. E., Wada, E. & Hattori, A. Deep Sea Res. 20, 571–577 (1973).
    CAS Google Scholar
  17. Miyazaki, T. E., Wada, E. & Hattori, A. Mar. Sci. Commun. 1, 381–394 (1975).
    CAS Google Scholar
  18. Hattori, A., Goering, J. J. & Boisseau, D. B. Mar. Sci. Commun. 4, 138–151 (1978).
    Google Scholar
  19. Olson, R. J. J. Mar. Res. 39, 203–226; 39, 227–238 (1981).
    CAS Google Scholar
  20. Ward, B. B. & Zafiriou, O. C. Deep Sea Res. 35, 1127–1142 (1988).
    Article ADS CAS Google Scholar
  21. Goreau, T. J. et al. Appl. envir. Microbiol. 40, 526–532 (1980).
    CAS Google Scholar
  22. Lipschultz, F. et al. Nature 294, 641–643 (1981).
    Article ADS CAS Google Scholar
  23. Alldredge, A. L. & Cohen, Y. Science 235, 689–691 (1987).
    Article ADS CAS Google Scholar
  24. Yoshida, N. thesis, Tokyo Inst. Technology (1984).
  25. Strickland, J. D. H. & Parsons, T. R. A Practical Handbook of Seawater Analysis. Bull Fisheries Res. Board Can. No. 167 (1972).

Download references

Author information

Author notes

  1. Hajime Morimoto
    Present address: Canon Corporation, Shimomaruko, Ohta-ku, Tokyo, 146, Japan
  2. Sadao Matsuo
    Present address: Department of Chemistry, University of Electro-Communication, Chofu, Tokyo, 182, Japan
  3. Akihiko Hattori
    Present address: The Research Institute for Information and Knowledge, Kanagawa University, Rokkakubashi, Yokohama, 221, Japan

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Earth Sciences, Toyama University, Gofuku, Toyama, 930, Japan
    Naohiro Yoshida & Mitsuhiro Hirano
  2. Department of Chemistry, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Ookayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, 152, Japan
    Hajime Morimoto & Sadao Matsuo
  3. Ocean Research Institute, University of Tokyo, Nakano-ku, Tokyo, 164, Japan
    Isao Koike, Toshiro Saino & Akihiko Hattori
  4. Mitsubishi-Kasei Institute of Life Sciences, 11 Minamiooya, Machida-shi, Tokyo, 194, Japan
    Eitaro Wada

Authors

  1. Naohiro Yoshida
  2. Hajime Morimoto
  3. Mitsuhiro Hirano
  4. Isao Koike
  5. Sadao Matsuo
  6. Eitaro Wada
  7. Toshiro Saino
  8. Akihiko Hattori

Rights and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Yoshida, N., Morimoto, H., Hirano, M. et al. Nitrification rates and 15N abundances of N2O and NO3− in the western North Pacific.Nature 342, 895–897 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1038/342895a0

Download citation

This article is cited by