Marine biogenic source of atmospheric organic nitrogen in the subtropical North Atlantic
Global models indicate that the human-derived nitrogen emissions that reach the ocean through atmospheric transport and deposition directly impact biology and the oceanic carbon dioxide (CO2) sink. Here, we find that the organic nitrogen in marine aerosols derives predominantly from biological produ...
| Published in: | Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences |
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| Main Authors: | , , , , |
| Format: | Text |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
National Academy of Sciences
2016
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4743774/ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26739561 https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1516847113 |
| Summary: | Global models indicate that the human-derived nitrogen emissions that reach the ocean through atmospheric transport and deposition directly impact biology and the oceanic carbon dioxide (CO2) sink. Here, we find that the organic nitrogen in marine aerosols derives predominantly from biological production in the surface ocean rather than from pollution on land. Our previous work has shown significant anthropogenic influence on North Atlantic nitrate deposition, whereas ammonium cycles dynamically between the upper ocean and lower atmosphere. Collectively, these findings indicate that the ocean is not a passive recipient of anthropogenic nitrogen deposition, as it has previously been considered. This implies that the contribution of atmospheric nitrogen deposition to ocean fertility, oceanic CO2 removal, and nitrous oxide emissions has been overestimated. |
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