Articles | Volume 12, issue 24
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-12-7483-2015
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-12-7483-2015
Research article
 | 
21 Dec 2015
Research article |  | 21 Dec 2015

Nitrogen cycling in the deep sedimentary biosphere: nitrate isotopes in porewaters underlying the oligotrophic North Atlantic

S. D. Wankel, C. Buchwald, W. Ziebis, C. B. Wenk, and M. F. Lehmann

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ED: Publish subject to minor revisions (Editor review) (10 Nov 2015) by Steven Bouillon
AR by Scott Wankel on behalf of the Authors (11 Nov 2015)  Author's response   Manuscript 
ED: Publish subject to technical corrections (26 Nov 2015) by Steven Bouillon
AR by Scott Wankel on behalf of the Authors (02 Dec 2015)  Manuscript 
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Short summary
In the sediments underlying the global oligotrophic ocean, low levels of microbial activity persist, despite low input of organic matter from surface ocean productivity. Using measured nitrogen and oxygen isotopes of porewater nitrate we estimate the magnitude and extent of microbial nitrogen cycling. We find evidence for the overlap of both denitrification as well as autotrophic pathways such as nitrification and nitrogen fixation, pointing to a relatively large role for subsurface autotrophy.
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