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Nitrous oxide (N2O) is a strong greenhouse gas and stratospheric ozone‐depleting substance. Around 20% of global emissions stem from the ocean, but current estimates and future projections are uncertain due to poor spatial coverage over large areas and limited understanding of drivers of N2O dynamics. Here, we focus on the extensive and particularly data‐lean Arctic Ocean shelves north of Siberia that experience rapid warming and increasing input of land‐derived nitrogen with permafrost thaw. We combine water column N2O measurements from two expeditions with on‐board incubation of intact sediment cores to assess N2O dynamics and the impact of land‐derived nitrogen. Elevated nitrogen concentrations in water column and sediments were observed near large river mouths. Concentrations of N2O were only weakly correlated with dissolved nitrogen and turbidity, reflecting particulate matter from rivers and coastal erosion, and correlations varied between river plumes. Surface water N2O concentrations were on average close to equilibrium with the atmosphere, but varied widely (N2O saturation 38%–180%), indicating strong local N2O sources and sinks. Water column N2O profiles and low sediment‐water N2O fluxes do not support strong sedimentary sources or sinks. We suggest that N2O dynamics in the region are influenced by water column N2O consumption under aerobic conditions or in anoxic microsites of particles, and possibly also by water column N2O production. Changes in biogeochemical and physical conditions will likely alter N2O dynamics in the Siberian Arctic Ocean over the coming decades, in addition to reduced N2O solubility in a warmer ocean. Plain Language Summary: Nitrous oxide (N2O) is a strong greenhouse gas and can reduce the stratospheric ozone layer. Around 20% of global N2O emissions come from the ocean. These estimates are uncertain due to scarce data from large areas and a limited understanding of controls on N2O production and consumption. Here, we focus on the shallow but large continental shelves of the Arctic Ocean north of Siberia. This area is rapidly warming, and receives land‐derived nitrogen from rivers and coastal erosion that is expected to increase with permafrost thaw. We analyzed N2O concentrations in the water column during two expeditions, and performed incubations with intact sediment cores to measure N2O release from sediment to water. Our data show that concentrations of dissolved nitrogen in the water and of total nitrogen in sediments increase toward large river mouths. Concentrations of N2O were weakly correlated with a range of parameters including dissolved inorganic nitrogen and turbidity, with high variability among river plumes. On average, water‐air N2O fluxes were low, but strong N2O sources and sinks were observed locally. An increase in water temperature could substantially reduce N2O solubility in the ocean water, and add to biogeochemical and physical changes that could alter N2O production itself. Key Points: We studied N2O dynamics on the vast Siberian Arctic Ocean shelves that experience strong warming and nitrogen input from land permafrostN2O was variably influenced by dissolved nitrogen and turbidity from land, and likely consumed in the water columnSurface water N2O was on average in equilibrium with the atmosphere, but strong local sources and sinks were observed [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to ecological theory, two species cannot occupy the same niche. Using nitrogen isotope analyses (δ15N) of amino acids, we tested the extent to which two sympatric deposit‐feeding amphipods, Monoporeia affinis and Pontoporeia femorata, partition their trophic resources. We found that trophic position (TP) and resynthesis index (∑V; a proxy for degradation status of ingested material prior to assimilation by the consumer) differ between species. The surface‐feeding M. affinis had higher TP and intermediate ∑V, both pointing to a large contribution of metazoans in its diet. P. femorata, which feeds in the subsurface layers, had lower TP and a bimodal distribution of the ∑V values, supporting previous experimental evidence of a larger feeding niche. We also evaluated whether TP and ∑V values have consequences for amphipod fecundity and embryo viability and found that embryo viability in M. affinis was negatively linked to TP. Our results indicate that the amino acid‐δ15N data paired with information about reproductive status are useful for detecting differences in the trophic ecology of sympatric amphipods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rationale The environmental occurrence of chlorinated acetic acids (CAAs) has been extensively studied, but the sources and transport are still not yet fully understood. A promising approach for source apportionment and process studies is the isotopic characterization of target compounds. We present the first on-line stable chlorine isotope analysis of CAAs by use of gas chromatography/quadrupole mass spectrometry (GC/qMS). Methods Following approved procedures for concentration analysis, CAAs extracted into MTBE were methylated to GC-amenable methyl esters (mCAAs). These mCAAs were then analyzed by GC/qMS for their stable chlorine isotope composition using a sample/standard-bracketing approach (CAA standards in the range δ37Cl −6.3 to −0.2 ‰, Standard Mean Ocean Chloride). Results Cross-calibration of the herein presented method with off-line reference methods (thermal ionization and continuous-flow GC isotope ratio mass spectrometry; TI-MS and CF-GC/IRMS, respectively) shows good agreement between the methods (regression slope for GC/qMS vs reference method data sets: 0.92 ± 0.29). Sample amounts as small as 10 pmol Cl can herewith be analyzed with a precision of 0.1 to 0.4 ‰. Conclusions This method should be useful for environmental studies of CAAs at ambient concentrations in precipitations (<0.06 to 100 nmol L-1), surface waters (<0.2 to 5 nmol L-1) and soil (<0.6 to 2000 nmol kg-1 dry soil) where conventional off-line methods cannot be applied. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Black carbon (BC) aerosols affect climate, especially in high aerosol loading regions such as South Asia. A key uncertainty for the climate effects of BC is the evolution of light‐absorbing properties in the atmosphere. Here, we present a year‐round comparison of the mass absorption cross section (MAC; 678 nm) of BC in air (PM10) and rain, for samples collected at the Maldives Climate Observatory at Hanimaadhoo. We develop a filter‐loading correction scheme for estimating BC absorption on filters used in high‐volume samplers. The year‐round average MAC678 of BC in the rain is almost twice (13.3 ± 4.2 m2/g) compared to the PM10 aerosol (7.2 ± 2.6 m2/g). A possible explanation is the elevated ratio of organic carbon (OC) to BC observed in rain particulate matter (9.4 ± 6.3) compared to in the aerosols (OC/BC 2.6 ± 1.4 and water‐insoluble organic carbon/BC 1.2 ± 0.8), indicating a coating‐enhancement effect. In addition to BC, we also investigated the MAC365 of water‐soluble brown carbon in PM10 (0.4 ± 0.4 m2/g, at 365 nm). In contrast to BC, MAC365brown carbon relates to air mass history, showing higher values for samples from air originating over the South Asian landmass. Furthermore, calculated washout ratios are much lower for BC compared to OC and inorganic ions such as sulfate, implying a longer atmospheric lifetime for BC. The wet deposition flux for BC during the high loading winter was 3 times higher than during the wet summer, despite much less precipitation in the winter. Key Points: Year‐round black carbon mass absorption cross sections were simultaneously constrained for rainwater and aerosolsThe mass absorption cross section of black carbon in rainwater was twice as large as in PM10 aerosolsThe washout ratio for black carbon is an order of magnitude lower than, for example, organic and sulfate, suggesting greater atmospheric longevity [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]