Abstract
The oceanic nitrogen cycle consists of a web of microbially mediated transformations driven in part by the large range in possible nitrogen oxidation states. Many of these transformations have corresponding isotope fractionation effects, usually leaving the product depleted in 15N (δ15N). Due to the complexity of the nitrogen cycle, observed patterns of isotopic ratio could be expected to defy explanation. However in reality, a few geographically separated processes dominate the larger spatial and temporal scales in the open ocean. These are (1) NO3 - assimilation by phytoplankton, (2) N2 fixation, and (3) denitrification. The latter two have particular importance as the principal source and sink, respectively, of combined nitrogen to the ocean. As such, they together control the oceanic inventory for combined nitrogen which in turn is a factor controlling marine plant production and organic matter flux from the surface to the ocean's interior. Taking into account the effective isotopic fractionation effects for N2 fixation and denitrification, the modern average δ15N for the ocean is a potentially important constraint on the modern marine nitrogen budget. Past variation in these processes can be reconstructed on time scales from decades to millions of years from sediment cores with good preservation of organic matter. In particular, temporally well resolved δ15N records show large variations in the three major water column denitrification regions in response to climate variations. Collectively, these variations in denitrification likely produced significant changes in the oceanic combined nitrogen inventory which appears to be confirmed by global-scale changes in δ15N across the last deglaciation.
Access provided by Autonomous University of Puebla. Download to read the full chapter text
Chapter PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Abbreviations
- ‰:
-
per mil
- δ:
-
“delta” convention for expressing natural variation in isotopic ratio
- δ15NO3 - :
-
δ15N of NO3 -
- ε:
-
isotope fractionation factor
- bp:
-
before present
- ACE:
-
Antarctic climate event
- DIN:
-
dissolved inorganic nitrogen
- D-O:
-
Dansgaard--Oeschger event
- ETNP:
-
Eastern Tropical North Pacific
- ETSP:
-
Eastern Tropical South Pacific
- f:
-
fraction of remaining substrate
- HNLC:
-
high nutrient, low chlorophyll
- kyr:
-
kilo-year (103)
- ka:
-
kilo-annum (103)
- MIS:
-
marine isotope stage
- Myr:
-
mega-year (106)
- N′ or N*:
-
NO3 - concentration anomaly
- OM:
-
organic matter
- OMZ:
-
oxygen minimum zone
- POM:
-
particulate organic matter
- SOM:
-
sedimentary organic matter
- Tg:
-
Teragram (1012)
References
Liu KK (1979) Geochemistry of inorganic nitrogen compounds in two marine environments; the Santa Barbara Basin and the ocean off Peru. Doctoral Thesis, University of California, Los Angeles
Capone DG, Zehr JP, Paerl HW, Bergman B, Carpenter EJ (1997) Science 276:1221
Karl D, Michaels A, Bergman B, Capone D, Carpenter E, Letelier R, Lipschultz F, Paerl H, Stal L (2002) Biogeochemistry 57–58:47
Raven JA (1988) New Phytol 109:279
Kustka A, Sanudo-Wilhelmy S, Carpenter EJ, Capone DG, Raven JA (2003) J Phycol 39:12
Falkowski PG (1997) Nature 387:272
Sanudo-Wilhelmy SA, Kustka AB, Gobler CJ, Hutchins DA, Yang M, Lwiza K, Burns J, Capone DG, Raven JA, Carpenter EJ (2001) Nature 411:66
Mills MM, Ridame C, Davey M, La Roche J, Geider RJ (2004) Nature 429:292
Berman-Frank I, Cullen JT, Shaked Y, Sherrell RM, Falkowski PG (2001) Limnol Oceanogr 46:1249
Redfield A (1934) James Johnstone Memorial Volume, p 176
Gruber N, Sarmiento JL (1997) Glob Biogeochem Cycle 11:235
Deutsch C, Gruber N, Key RM, Sarmiento JL, Ganachaud A (2001) Global Biogeochem Cycle 15:483
Hansell DA, Bates NR, Olson DB (2004) Mar Chem 84:243
Bates NR, Hansell DA (2004) Mar Chem 84:225
Macko SA, Fogel ML, Hare PE, Hoering TC (1987) Chem Geol 65:79
Hoering T, Ford HT (1960) J Am Chem Soc 82:376
Delwiche CC, Zinke PJ, Johnson CM, Virginia RA (1979) Bot Gaz 140 (Suppl):s65
Mariotti A, Mariotti F, Amarger N, Pizelle G, Ngambi J-M, Champigny M-L, Moyse A (1980) Physiol Veg 18:163
Minagawa M, Wada E (1986) Mar Chem 19:245
Carpenter EJ, Harvey HR, Fry B, Capone DG (1997) Deep-Sea Res I 44:27
Sigman DM, Altabet MA, McCorkle DC, Francois R, Fischer G (2000) J Geophys Res-Oceans 105:19599
Sigman DM, Altabet MA, Michener R, McCorkle DC, Fry B, Holmes RM (1997) Mar Chem 57:227
Sigman DM, Casciotti KL, Andreani M, Barford C, Galanter M, Bohlke JK (2001) Anal Chem 73:4145
Casciotti KL, Sigman DM, Hastings MG, Bohlke JK, Hilkert A (2002) Anal Chem 74:4905
Richards FA (1965) In: Riley JP, Skirrow G (eds) Chemical Oceanography. Academic Press, London, p 611
Cohen Y, Gordon LI (1978) Deep-Sea Res 25:509
Christensen JP, Murray JW, Devol AH, Codispoti LA (1987) Glob Biogeochem Cycle 1:97
Deuser WG, Ross EH, Mlodzinska ZJ (1978) Deep Sea Res 25:431
Codispoti LA, Richards FA (1976) Limnol Oceanogr 21:379
Codispoti LA, Packard TT (1980) J Mar Res 38:453
Kuypers MMM, Sliekers AO, Lavik G, Schmid M, Jorgensen BB, Kuenen JG, Sinninghe Damsté JS, Strous M, Jetten MSM (2003) Nature 422:608
Dalsgaard T, Canfield DE, Petersen J, Thamdrup B, Acuna-Gonzalez J (2003) Nature 422:606
Codispoti L, Brandes J, Christensen J, Devol A, Naqvi S, Paerl H, Yoshinari T (2001) In: Gili J, Pretus J, Packard T (eds) A Marine Science Odyssey into the 21st Century (Scientia Marina), vol 65 (Suppl 2), p 85
Christensen JP, Smethie JW, Devol AH (1987) Deep-Sea Res 34:1027
Devol AH (1991) Nature 349:319
Brandes JA, Devol AH (2002) Glob Biogeochem Cycle 16:67
Miyake Y, Wada E (1971) Rec Oceanog Works Japan 11:1
Wellman RP, Cook FD, Krouse HR (1968) Science 161:269
Cline JD, Kaplan IR (1975) Mar Chem 3:271
Barford CC, Montoya JP, Altabet MA, Mitchell R (1999) Appl Environ Microbiol 65:989
Brandes JA, Devol AH, Yoshinari T, Jayakumar DA, Naqvi SWA (1998) Limnol Oceanogr 43:1680
Altabet MA, Murray DW, Prell WL (1999) Paleoceanography 14:732
Voss M, Dippner JW, Montoya JP (2001) Deep Sea Res II 48:1905
Brandes JA, Devol AH (1997) Geochim Cosmochim Acta 61:1793
Sigman DM, Robinson R, Knapp AN, Geen AV, McCorkle DC, Brandes JA, Thunell RC (2003) Geochem Geophys Geosyst 4:1
Wada E, Hattori A (1978) Geomicrobio J 1:85
Wada E (1980) In: Goldberg ED, Horibe Y (eds) Isotope Marine Chemistry. Uchida Rokakuho, Tokyo, p 375
Montoya JP, McCarthy JJ (1995) J Plank Res 17:439
Waser NA, Yin K, Yu Z, Tada K, Harrison PJ, Turpin DH, Calvert SE (1998) Mar Ecol Prog Ser 169:29
Needoba JA, Sigman DM, Harrison PJ (2004) J Phycol 40:517
Needoba JA, Harrison PJ (2004) J Phycol 40:505
Martin JH, Gordon RM, Fitzwater S, Broenkow WW (1989) Deep-Sea Res 36:649
Sigman DM, Boyle EA (2000) Nature 407:859
Chavez FP, Buck KR, Coale KH, Martin JH, DiTullio GR, Welschmeyer NA, Jacobson AC, Barber RT (1991) Limnol Oceanogr 36:1816
Sigman DM, Altabet MA, McCorkle DC, Francois R, Fischer G (1999) Glob Biogeochem Cycle 13:1149
Altabet MA, Francois R (2001) Deep-Sea Res II 48:4247
Checkley DM Jr, Entzeroth LC (1985) J Plank Res 7:553
Checkley DM Jr, Miller CA (1989) Deep-Sea Res 36:1449
DeNiro MJ, Epstein S (1981) Geochim Cosmochim Acta 45:341
Minagawa M, Wada E (1984) Geochim Cosmochim Acta 48:1135
Macko SA, Fogel Estep ML, Engel MH, Hare PE (1986) Geochim Cosmochim Acta 50:2143
McClelland JW, Montoya JP (2002) Ecology 83:2173
Saino T, Hattori A (1985) In: Sigleo AC, Hattori A (eds) Marine and Estuarine Geochemistry. Lewis Publishers, Chelsea, MI, p 697
Altabet MA (1988) Deep-Sea Res 35:535
Altabet MA (2001) Limnol Oceanogr 46:368
Altabet MA (1989) Limnol Oceanogr 24:1185
Altabet MA, Deuser WG, Honjo S, Stienen C (1991) Nature 354:136
Sweeney RE, Kaplan IR (1980) Mar Chem 9:81
Macko, Estep (1984) Org Geochem 6:787
Lehmann MF, Bernasconi SM, Barbieri A, McKenzie JA (2002) Geochim Cosmochim Acta 66:3573
Kendall C (1998) In: Kendall C, McDonnell JJ (eds) Isotope Tracers in Catchment Hydrology. Elsevier, Amsterdam, p 519
Lehmann MF, Sigman DM, Berelson WM (2004) Mar Chem 88:1
Yoshida N (1988) Nature 335:528
Cifuentes LA, Fogel ML, Pennock JR, Sharp JH (1989) Geochim Cosmochim Acta 53:2713
Horrigan SG, Montoya JP, Nevins JL, McCarthy JJ (1990) Est Coast Shelf Sci 30:393
Casciotti KL, Sigman DM, Ward BB (2003) 20:335
Goreau TJ, Kaplan WA, Wofsy SC, McElroy MB, Valois FW, Watson SW (1980) Appl Env Microbiol 40:526
Lipschultz F, Zafiriou OC, Wofsy SC, McElroy MB, Valois FW, Watson SW (1981) Nature 294:41
Nevison CD, Weiss RF, Erickson DJ (1995) J Geophys Res—Oceans 100:15809
Suntharalingam P, Sarmiento JL, Toggweiler JR (2000) Glob Biogeochem Cycle 14:353
Yoshinari T, Altabet MA, Naqvi SWA, Codispoti L, Jayakumar A, Kuhland M, Devol A (1997) Mar Chem 56:253
Popp BN, Westley MB, Toyoda S, Miwa T, Dore JE, Yoshida N, Rust TM, Sansone FJ, Russ ME, Ostrom NE, Ostrom PH (2002) Glob Biogeochem Cycle 16:12
Yoshida N, Toyoda S (2000) Nature 405:330
Goldman JC (1979) Microb Ecol 5:153
Goldman JC, McCarthy JJ (1978) Limnol Oceanogr 23:695
Quigg A, Finkel ZV, Irwin AJ, Rosenthal Y, Ho T, Reinfelder JR, Schofield O, Morel FMM, Falkowski PG (2003) Nature 425:291
Klausmeier CA, Litchman E, Daufresne T, Levin SA (2004) Nature 429:171
White AE, Letelier RM, Spitz YH (2003) J Phycol 39:59
Villareal T, Carpenter E (2003) Microb Ecol 45:1
Broecker WS (1982) Prog Oceanogr 11:151
Petit JR, Jouzel J, Raynaud D, Barkov NI, Barnola JM, Basile I, Beders M, Chappellaz J, Davis M, Delaygue G, Delmotte D, Kotlyakov VM, Legrand M, Lipenkov VY, Lorius C, Pepin L, Ritz C, Saltzman E, Stievenard M (1999) Nature 399:429
Knox F, McElroy M (1984) J Geophys Res 89:4629
Sarmiento J, Toggweiler R (1984) Nature 308:621
Sieganthaler, Wenk (1984) Nature 308:624
Martin JH (1990) Paleoceanogr 5:1
Francois R, Altabet MA, Yu E-F, Sigman D, Bacon MP, Frank M, Bohrmann G, Barielle G, Labeyrie L (1997) Nature 389:929
Sigman DM, Altabet MA, Francois R, McCorkle DC, Gaillard JF (1999) Paleoceanogr 14:118
McElroy M (1983) Nature 302:328
Anschutz P, Sundby B, Lefrancois L, Luther GW, Mucci A (2000) Geochim Cosmochim Acta 64:751
Altabet MA, Curry WB (1989) Glob Biogeochem Cycle 3:107
Eppley RW, Peterson BJ (1979) Nature 282:677
Altabet MA, McCarthy JJ (1985) Deep-Sea Res 32:755
Crosta X, Shemesh A (2002) Palaeoceanogr 17:10
Sachs JP, Repeta DJ, Goericke R (1999) Geochim Cosmochim Acta 63:1431
Sachs JP, Repeta DJ (1999) Science 286:2485
Keil RG, Fogel ML (2001) Limnol Oceanogr 46:14
Altabet MA, Francois R, Murray DW, Prell WL (1995) Nature 373:506
Altabet M, Higginson M, Murray DW (2002) Nature 415:159
Ganeshram RS, Pedersen TF, Calvert SE, Murray JW (1995) Nature 376:755
Ganeshram RS, Pedersen TF, Calvert SE, McNeill GW, Fontugne MR (2000)Paleoceanogr 15:36
Kienast SS, Calvert SE, Pedersen TF (2002) Paleoceanogr 17:1055
Dansgaard W, Clausen HB, Gundestrup N, Hammer CU, Johnsen SF, Kristinsdottir PM, Reeh N (1982) Science 218:1273
Higginson MJ, Altabet MA, Murray DW, Murray RW, Herbert TD (2004) Geochim Cosmochim Acta 68:3807–3826, DOI: 10.1016=j.gca.2004.03.015
Morford JL, Emerson S (1999) Geochim Cosmochim Acta 63:1735
Hendy IL, Kennett JP (2003) Quat Sci Rev 22:673
Raymo ME, Nisancioglu K (2003) Paleoceanogr. 18:1011
Ohkouchi N, Eglinton TI, Keigwin LD, Hayes JM (2002) Science 298:1224
Kanfoush SL, Hodell DA, Charles CD, Janecek TR, Rack FR (2003) Palaeogeogr Palaeoclim Palaeoecol 182:329
Codispoti LA, Elkins JW, Yoshinari T, Friederich GE, Sakamoto CM, Packard TT (1992) In: Desai BN (ed) Oceanography of the Indian Ocean. Oxford and IBH Publishing Co., New Dehli, p 271
Suthhof A, Ittekkot V, Gaye-Haake B (2001) Glob Biogeochem Cycle 15:637
Kienast M (2000) Paleoceanogr 15:244
Higginson MJ, Maxwell JR, Altabet MA (2003) Mar Geol 201:223
Holmes ME, Schneider RR, Muller PJ, Segl M, Wefer G (1997) Paleoceanogr 12:604
Schubert CJ, Stein R, Calvert SE (2001) Paleoceanogr 16:199
Martinez P, Bertrand P, Calvert S, Pedersen T, Shimmield G, Lallier-Verges E, Fontugne M (2000) J Mar Res 58:809
Nakatsuka T, Harada N, Matsumoto E, Handa N, Oba T, Ikehara M, Matsuoka H, Kimoto K (1995) Geophys Res Lett 22:2525
Nakatsuka T, Watanabe K, Handa N, Matsumoto E, Wada E (1995) Paleoceanogr 10:1047
Nelson JR, Beers JR, Eppley RW, Jackson GA, McCarthy JJ, Soutar A (1987) Cont Shelf Res 7:307
Haug GH, Pedersen TF, Sigman DM, Calvert SE, Nielsen B, Peterson LC (1998) Paleoceanogr 13:427
Altabet MA, Pilskaln C, Thunell R, Pride C, Sigman D, Chavez F, Francois R (1999) Deep-Sea Res 46:655
Voss M, Altabet MA, Bodungen BV (1996) Deep-Sea Res II 43:33
Velinsky DJ, Fogel MF (1999) Mar Chem 67:3
Holmes ME, Muller PJ, Schneider RR, Segl M, Patzold J, Wefer G (1996) Mar Geol 134:1
Thunell RC, Kepple AB (2004) Glob Biogeochem Cycle 18:1001
Nakatsuka T, Handa N (1997) J Oceanogr 53:105
Pantoja S, Repeta DJ, Sachs JP, Sigman DM (2002) Deep-Sea Res I 49:1609
Antia AN, Maassen J, Herman P, Voss M, Scholten J, Groom S, Miller P (2001) Deep-Sea Res II 48:14
Kerherve P, Minagawa M, Heussner S, Monaco A (2001) Oceanol Acta 24S:S77
Karl D, Letelier R, Tupas L, Dore J, Christian J, Hebel D (1997) Nature 388:533
Fry B, Jannasch HW, Molyneaux SJ, Wirsen CO, Muramoto JA, King S (1991) Deep-Sea Res A 38:S1003
Liu K-K, Kaplan IR (1989) Limnol Oceanogr 34:820
Smith SL, Henrichs SM, Rho T (2002) Deep-Sea Res II 49:6031
Wong GTF, Chung S-W, Shiah F-K, Chen C-C, Wen L-S, Liu K-K (2002) Geophys Res Lett, 29:1029
Robinson RS, Brunelle BG, Sigman DM (2004) Paleoceanogr 19:3001
Indermuhle A, Monnin E, Stauffer B, Stocker TF, Wahlen M (2000) Geophys Res Lett 27:735
Acknowledgments
The author thanks Peng Feng and Rehka Singh for technical assistance in generating much of the data presented, Matt Higginson for thoughtful discussions and data analysis, Joe Montoya, Dave Murray, and Tim Herbert for on-going collaborations. The US NSF has provided the bulk of the support for the author's research group.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Rights and permissions
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Altabet, M.A. Isotopic Tracers of the Marine Nitrogen Cycle: Present and Past. In: Volkman, J.K. (eds) Marine Organic Matter: Biomarkers, Isotopes and DNA. The Handbook of Environmental Chemistry, vol 2N. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/698_2_008
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/698_2_008
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-540-28401-7
Online ISBN: 978-3-540-32987-9
eBook Packages: Earth and Environmental ScienceEarth and Environmental Science (R0)