Modern analogs for ammonia flux from terrestrial hydrothermal features to the Archean atmosphere

Abstract

The isotopic composition of nitrogen in the rock record provides valuable evidence of reactive nitrogen sources and processing on early Earth, but the wide range of δ15N values (− 10.2 to + 50.4‰) leads to ambiguity in defining the early Precambrian nitrogen cycle. The high δ15N values have been explained by large fractionation associated with the onset of nitrification and/or fractionation produced by ammonia-ammonium equilibrium and water–air flux in alkaline paleolakes. Previous flux sensitivity studies in modern water bodies report alkaline pH is not a prerequisite and temperature can be the dominate parameter driving water–air flux. Here, I use the chemical and physical components of 1022 modern hydrothermal features to provide evidence that water–air NH3 flux produced a significant source of fixed nitrogen to early Earth’s atmosphere and biosphere. With regard to the modeled average NH3 flux (2.1 kg N m−2 year−1) and outlier removed average flux (1.2 kg N m−2 year−1), the Archean Earth’s surface would need to be 0.0092, and 0.017% terrestrial hydrothermal features, respectively, for the flux to match the annual amount of N produced by biogenic fixation on modern Earth. Water–air NH3 flux from terrestrial hydrothermal features may have played a significant role in supplying bioavailable nitrogen to early life.