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Incorporation of nitrogen compounds into sea ice from atmospheric deposition

journal contribution
posted on 2023-05-17, 19:34 authored by Nomura, D, Andrew McMinnAndrew McMinn, Hattori, H, Aoki, S, Fukuchi, M
Temporal measurements of temperature, salinity, water–oxygen isotopic ratio and nutrient concentrations at Saroma-ko Lagoon, southern Sea of Okhotsk, were made in February–March 2008 to examine the processes by which nitrogen compounds from the atmosphere were incorporated via snowfall into sea ice. Granular ice made up more than half the ice thickness, and the mass fraction of snow in the snow-ice layer on top of the ice ranged from 0.8% to 46.9%. The high concentrations of NO3 + NO2 and NH4+ observed in the snow and snowice throughout the study period were likely due to the proximity of the study site, in northern Japan, to the east coast of the Asian continent. Pollutants containing high NO3 and NH4+ concentrations are transported from East Asia and deposited in snowfall over the sea ice in the southern part of the Sea of Okhotsk. Compared with NO3 + NO2 and NH4+ concentrations, PO43− concentrations in the snow and snow-ice were low. The strong correlation between the NO3 + NO2 and NH4+ concentrations in the snow-ice and the mass fraction of snow indicates that the nitrogen compounds on top of the sea ice were controlled mainly by the snow contribution to the sea ice when snow-ice predominated. Our results indicate that chemical cycles in sea ice can be affected by polluted precipitation (snow) originating from a nonpolar sea.

History

Publication title

Marine Chemistry

Volume

127

Pagination

90-99

ISSN

0304-4203

Department/School

Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies

Publisher

Elsevier Science Bv

Place of publication

PO Box 211, Amsterdam, Netherlands, 1000 Ae

Rights statement

Copyright 2011 Elsevier

Repository Status

  • Restricted

Socio-economic Objectives

Biodiversity in Antarctic and Southern Ocean environments

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