Nitrous oxide variability at sub-kilometre resolution in the Atlantic sector of the Southern Ocean
The Southern Ocean is an important region for global nitrous oxide (N 2 O) cycling. The contribution of different source and sink mechanisms is, however, not very well constrained due to a scarcity of seawater data from the area. Here we present high-resolution surface N 2 O measurements from the At...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Text |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
2018
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-2017-73 https://www.biogeosciences-discuss.net/bg-2017-73/ |
| Summary: | The Southern Ocean is an important region for global nitrous oxide (N 2 O) cycling. The contribution of different source and sink mechanisms is, however, not very well constrained due to a scarcity of seawater data from the area. Here we present high-resolution surface N 2 O measurements from the Atlantic sector of the Southern Ocean, taking advantage of a relatively new underway setup allowing for collection of data during transit across mesoscale features such as frontal systems and eddies. Covering a range of different environments and biogeochemical settings, N 2 O saturations and sea-to-air flux were highly variable: Saturations ranged from 96.5 % at the sea ice edge in the Weddell Sea to 126.1 % across the Polar Frontal Zone during transit to South Georgia. Negative sea-to-air fluxes of up to −1.3 µmol m −2 d −1 were observed in the Subantarctic Zone and highest positive fluxes of 14.5 µmol m −2 d −1 in Stromness Bay, coastal South Georgia. |
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