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Insight into nitrous oxide production processes in the western North Pacific based on a marine ecosystem isotopomer model

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Abstract

A marine ecosystem model that incorporates nitrous oxide (N2O) production processes (i.e., ammonium oxidation during nitrification and nitrite reduction during nitrifier denitrification) and N isotopomers was developed to estimate the sea–air N2O flux and to quantify N2O production processes. This model was applied to water above the depth of 220 m at two contrasting time series sites, a subarctic station (K2) and a subtropical station (S1) in the western North Pacific. The model was validated with observed N concentration and N isotopomer data sets, and successfully simulated the higher N2O concentrations, higher δ15N values, and higher site preference values for N2O at K2 compared with S1. The annual mean N2O emissions were estimated to be 32.3 mg N m−2 year−1 at K2 and 2.7 mg N m−2 year−1 at S1. The results of case studies based on this model estimated the ratios of in situ biological N2O production to nitrate production during nitrification to be ~0.22 % at K2 and ~0.06 % at S1. It is also suggested that N2O was mainly produced via ammonium oxidation at K2, but was produced via both ammonium oxidation and nitrite reduction at S1. A large fraction (~80 %) of the ammonium oxidation at K2 was carried out by archaea in the subsurface water. Isotope tracer incubation experiments using an archaeal activity inhibitor supported this hypothesis.

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Acknowledgments

We thank the late Dr. T. Saino (Principal Investigator of the K2S1 Project) and the scientists, technicians, and crew of the R/V Mirai, JAMSTEC, for seawater sampling and providing the hydrographic and nutrient data at K2 and S1. We also thank two anonymous reviewers for their constructive comments. This work was supported by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) KAKENHI Grants 24740365, 25281013, and 23224013, and the Swiss National Science Foundation Grant PBNEP2-142954. Figures 4, 5, 6, and 7 were drawn using the GFD Dennou Club Library.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biogeochemistry, Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology, 2-15 Natsushima-cho, Yokosuka, 237-0061, Japan

    Chisato Yoshikawa, Nanako O. Ogawa, Hisami Suga & Naohiko Ohkouchi

  2. Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Tokyo Institute of Technology, G1-25, 4259 Nagatsuta-cho, Midori-ku, Yokohama, 226-8503, Japan

    Hitomi Abe, Florian Breider, Keichi Kuzunuki, Sakae Toyoda & Naohiro Yoshida

  3. Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology, 3173-25 Showa-machi, Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama, 236-0001, Japan

    Maki N. Aita

  4. Faculty of Science and Technology, Sophia University, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, 102-8554, Japan

    Sebastian O. Danielache

  5. Mutsu Institute for Oceanography, Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology, 690 Kitasekine, Sekine, Mutsu, 035-0022, Japan

    Masahide Wakita

  6. Department of Environmental Geochemical Cycle Research, Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology, 2-15 Natsushima-cho, Yokosuka, 237-0061, Japan

    Makio C. Honda

  7. Earth-Life Science Institute, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, 152-8551, Japan

    Naohiro Yoshida

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  1. Chisato Yoshikawa
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  2. Hitomi Abe
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  3. Maki N. Aita
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  7. Nanako O. Ogawa
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  8. Hisami Suga
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  9. Naohiko Ohkouchi
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  10. Sebastian O. Danielache
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  11. Masahide Wakita
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  12. Makio C. Honda
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  13. Naohiro Yoshida
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Correspondence to Chisato Yoshikawa.

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Yoshikawa, C., Abe, H., Aita, M.N. et al. Insight into nitrous oxide production processes in the western North Pacific based on a marine ecosystem isotopomer model. J Oceanogr 72, 491–508 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10872-015-0308-2

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