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Seasonal variations in natural abundance of 15N in particles sinking to the deep Sargasso Sea

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Abstract

Temporal variations in 15N natural abundance have been used to study both nitrogen cycling and particle dynamics in the ocean1. Changes in the δ15N (1,000×[(15N/14N)sample/(15N/14N)atmospheric N2−1]) of particulate matter are related, in part, to variations in the input of nitrogen to the euphotic zone that have been observed to regulate the downward transport of particles2. Here we report the first long-term data set for seasonal variations in the δ15 N of sinking particulate matter sampled using a sediment trap. These variations co-vary with the magnitude of the particle flux. We propose that the δ15N of sinking particles is a monitor for NO−3 flux into the euphotic zone during the formation of these particles on a timescale directly related to the magnitude of the particle flux.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Woods Hole Oceanographie Institution, Woods Hole, Massachusetts, 02543, USA

    Mark A. Altabet & Werner G. Deuser

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  1. Mark A. Altabet
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  2. Werner G. Deuser
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Altabet, M., Deuser, W. Seasonal variations in natural abundance of 15N in particles sinking to the deep Sargasso Sea. Nature 315, 218–219 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1038/315218a0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/315218a0

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