High-resolution spatiotemporal dynamics of nitrous oxide and methane in fjords under global change

Emissions of the potent climate-forcing trace gases nitrous oxide (N2O) and methane (CH4) are far from being resolved, especially in remote marine areas such as fjords. This project will test whether eutrophication enhances gas emissions, by revealing fluxes of N2O and CH4 from fjords along nutrient pollution gradients.

The work is organized in three work packages:
(1) determine seasonal variation in N2O and CH4 emissions in fjords
(2) resolve spatial patterns of N2O and CH4 benthic and pelagic cycling
(3) create fjord budgets for extrapolating the obtained fluxes globally

Underway laser detectors, stable isotope tracers and molecular tools will be used to resolve emissions, geochemical pathways and microbial drivers. This will allow to construct the first global assessment of the importance of fjords in oceanic trace gas budgets.