The ORNL DAAC announces the release of a data set prepared by Elisabeth Holland and colleagues titled "Global N Cycle: Fluxes and N2O Mixing Ratios Originating from Human Activity."
Nitrogen is a major nutrient in terrestrial ecosystems and an important catalyst in tropospheric photochemistry. Over the last century human activities have dramatically increased inputs of reactive nitrogen (the combination of oxidized, reduced, and organically bound nitrogen) to the Earth system. Nitrogen cycle perturbations have compromised air quality and human health, acidified ecosystems, and degraded and eutrophied lakes, estuaries, and coastal waters.
To quantify the changes to the global N cycle, the data providers have assembled N2O mixing ratios and N fluxes from various sources, including fertilizer and manure production and fossil fuel emissions.
For further information about this data set and other climate-related data maintained by the ORNL DAAC, see our Climate Collections page.