Global N2O cycles--terrestrial emissions, atmospheric accumulation and biospheric effects

Abstract

Tropospheric nitrous oxide concentration has increased by 0.2-0.4% per year over the period 1975 to 1982, amounting to net addition to the atmosphere of 2.8-5.6 Tg N2O-N per year. This perturbation, if continued into the future, will affect stratospheric chemical cycles, and the thermal balance of the Earth. In turn it will have direct and indirect global effects on the biosphere. Though the budget and cycles of N2O on Earth are not yet fully resolved, accumulating information and recent modelling efforts enable a more complete evaluation and better definition of gaps in our knowledge.