Production of N2O by ammonia oxidizing bacteria at subfreezing temperatures as a model for assessing the N2O anomalies in the vostok ice core

Vanya Miteva, Todd Sowers, Jean Brenchley

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

32 Scopus citations

Abstract

It was suggested that the abnormally high N2O values found in 130,000-160,000 year-old Vostok ice core samples, characterized by high δ15N and low δ18O values, resulted from in situ microbial N2O production. To substantiate these observations we obtained new geochemical data from the last glacial period and showed the existence of additional small N2O anomalies. To test the hypothesis that microbial metabolism could contribute to these anomalies, we developed protocols for examining the ability of Nitrosomonas cryotolerans cells to produce N2O at subfreezing temperatures. Our results show that these model, frozen cultures produce N2O at temperatures as low as -32°C.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)451-459
Number of pages9
JournalGeomicrobiology Journal
Volume24
Issue number5
DOIs
StatePublished - Jul 2007

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Microbiology
  • Environmental Chemistry
  • General Environmental Science
  • Earth and Planetary Sciences (miscellaneous)

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