Abstract
Denitrification rates in the East/Japan Sea (EJS) were examined with extended Optimum Multi-Parameter (eOMP) analysis. The potential denitrification locations expected from the eOMP analysis occurred only in the Ulleung Basin (UB) and near the Tatar Strait (TtS) of the Eastern Japan Basin (EJB). Estimated denitrification rates were ~0.3-3 and ~4-11 μmol N m^(-2) d^(-1) in the UB and in the EJB, respectively. These rates agree with previous published results. The EJS's rates were lower than reported for other marginal seas. However, considering the rapid EJS response to climate change, we predict that denitrification may be enhanced in the near future.
Highlights
The East/Japan Sea (EJS) is a semi-enclosed marginal sea in the northwestern North Pacific Ocean that exhibits many dynamic characteristics, e.g., deep-water formation, subpolar front, eddy, and gyre circulation (Talley et al 2006)
The extended Optimum Multi-Parameter (eOMP) analysis suggested that the eight locations (ΔNdeni > 0), intersected collectively from cases 1 - 4, were locations where bottom water denitrification may occur in EJS (Fig. 2)
Overall the denitrification spatial distribution estimated from the eOMP analysis was similar to that from the nitrate profile analysis (Kim et al 2012), and the estimated denitrification is higher in the Eastern Japan Basin (EJB) than in the Ulleung Basin (UB)
Summary
The East/Japan Sea (EJS) is a semi-enclosed marginal sea in the northwestern North Pacific Ocean that exhibits many dynamic characteristics, e.g., deep-water formation, subpolar front, eddy, and gyre circulation (Talley et al 2006). The EJS is often referred to as a “Miniature Ocean” (Kim et al 2001). Denitrification (NO3- → NO2- → N2O/N2), which occurs in low oxygen environments, is the most significant mechanism responsible for nitrogen loss in the ocean environment (Brandes et al 2007). Denitrification has not been considered a significant process in the EJS nitrogen cycle because of high oxygen concentrations, which would not be conducive to conventional denitrification in this region. The EJS uniquely shows that dissolved oxygen concentrations are greater than 220 μmol kg-1 at 1000 m depth in the North Pacific Ocean (see Fig. 1 of Talley et al 2006)
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