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Sinking organic matter spreads the nitrogen isotope signal of pelagic denitrification in the North Pacific

Sinking organic matter spreads the nitrogen isotope signal of pelagic denitrification in the North Pacific
Sinking organic matter spreads the nitrogen isotope signal of pelagic denitrification in the North Pacific
Culture studies of denitrifying bacteria predict that denitrification will generate equivalent gradients in the ?15N and ?18O of deep ocean nitrate. A depth profile of nitrate isotopes from the Hawaii Ocean Time-series Station ALOHA shows less of an increase in ?18O than in ?15N as one ascends from abyssal waters into the denitrification-impacted mid-depth waters. A box model of the ocean nitrate N and O isotopes indicates that this is the effect of the low latitude nitrate assimilation/regeneration cycle: organic N sinking out of the surface spreads the high-?15N signal of pelagic denitrification into waters well below and beyond the suboxic zone, whereas the nitrate ?18O signal of denitrification can only be transmitted by circulation in the interior.
0094-8276
L08605
Sigman, Daniel M.
b7945f7b-3945-4082-9204-feb1eb8cfed7
DiFiore, Peter J.
050220d5-2a7b-423d-856b-0a0c0c77101b
Hain, Mathis P.
d31486bc-c473-4c34-a814-c0834640876c
Deutsch, Curtis
67b5db82-9f06-4fbd-8e35-9b3d6de02c9c
Karl, David M.
c462949a-fd21-40c5-968a-61d5ec967858
Sigman, Daniel M.
b7945f7b-3945-4082-9204-feb1eb8cfed7
DiFiore, Peter J.
050220d5-2a7b-423d-856b-0a0c0c77101b
Hain, Mathis P.
d31486bc-c473-4c34-a814-c0834640876c
Deutsch, Curtis
67b5db82-9f06-4fbd-8e35-9b3d6de02c9c
Karl, David M.
c462949a-fd21-40c5-968a-61d5ec967858

Sigman, Daniel M., DiFiore, Peter J., Hain, Mathis P., Deutsch, Curtis and Karl, David M. (2009) Sinking organic matter spreads the nitrogen isotope signal of pelagic denitrification in the North Pacific. Geophysical Research Letters, 36 (8), L08605. (doi:10.1029/2008GL035784).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Culture studies of denitrifying bacteria predict that denitrification will generate equivalent gradients in the ?15N and ?18O of deep ocean nitrate. A depth profile of nitrate isotopes from the Hawaii Ocean Time-series Station ALOHA shows less of an increase in ?18O than in ?15N as one ascends from abyssal waters into the denitrification-impacted mid-depth waters. A box model of the ocean nitrate N and O isotopes indicates that this is the effect of the low latitude nitrate assimilation/regeneration cycle: organic N sinking out of the surface spreads the high-?15N signal of pelagic denitrification into waters well below and beyond the suboxic zone, whereas the nitrate ?18O signal of denitrification can only be transmitted by circulation in the interior.

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More information

Published date: April 2009
Organisations: Paleooceanography & Palaeoclimate

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 358658
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/358658
ISSN: 0094-8276
PURE UUID: e979b733-6338-46ba-b05f-1b5ccd3397d9

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Date deposited: 09 Oct 2013 15:18
Last modified: 14 Mar 2024 15:07

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Contributors

Author: Daniel M. Sigman
Author: Peter J. DiFiore
Author: Mathis P. Hain
Author: Curtis Deutsch
Author: David M. Karl

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