Terrestrial nitrous oxide cycles and atmospheric effectsThe basic processes that cause N2O emission from soils are briefly discussed, and the rate of the processes is shown to vary widely in space and time, depending on soil, climate, and agrotechnical conditions. Although significant amounts of N2O are indeed emitted from the land, the complexity of the soil processes involved and the wide variation of measured rates still prevents the quantitative evaluation, global budgeting, and reliable prediction of atmospheric N2O. Increased atmospheric N2O abundance increases the levels of odd-nitrogen in the stratosphere, which, in turn, decreases the stratospheric ozone density via a catalytic cycle. Using appropriate atmospheric models and current chemical kinetic data, it has been found that the dependence of ozone reduction on N2O increase is nearly linear; a simulated doubling of N2O leads to a predicted decrease of about 14 percent in total ozone column density. A 10 percent increase in N2O yields a predicted increase in nonmelanoma skin cancer of several percent, and a possible raising of surface temperature of 0.03 K.
Document ID
19840035154
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Whitten, R. C. (NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA, United States)
Lawless, J. G. (NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA, United States)
Banin, A. (NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA, United States)