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ABSTRACT Nitrous oxide is a potent atmospheric greenhouse gas1 that contributes to ozone destruction2. Biological processes such as nitrification and denitrification are thought to drive

nitrous oxide production in soils, which comprise the largest source of nitrous oxide to the atmosphere1. Here we present measurements of the concentration and isotopic composition of

nitrous oxide in soil pore spaces in samples taken near Don Juan Pond, a metabolically dormant hypersaline pond in Southern Victoria Land, Antarctica in 2006, 2007 and 2008, together with

_in situ_ fluxes of nitrous oxide from the soil to the atmosphere. We find fluxes of nitrous oxide that rival those measured in fertilized tropical soils3. Laboratory experiments—in which

nitrite-rich brine was reacted with a variety of minerals containing Fe(II)—reveal a new mechanism of abiotic water–rock reaction that could support nitrous oxide fluxes at Don Juan Pond.

Our findings illustrate a dynamic and unexpected link between the geosphere and atmosphere. Access through your institution Buy or subscribe This is a preview of subscription content, access

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Log in * Learn about institutional subscriptions * Read our FAQs * Contact customer support SIMILAR CONTENT BEING VIEWED BY OTHERS DENITRIFICATION IS THE MAJOR NITROUS ACID PRODUCTION

PATHWAY IN BOREAL AGRICULTURAL SOILS Article Open access 05 March 2021 BEDROCK WEATHERING CONTRIBUTES TO SUBSURFACE REACTIVE NITROGEN AND NITROUS OXIDE EMISSIONS Article 05 April 2021

COUPLED ABIOTIC-BIOTIC CYCLING OF NITROUS OXIDE IN TROPICAL PEATLANDS Article 06 October 2022 REFERENCES * Forster, P. et al. in _IPCC Climate Change 2007: The Physical Science Basis.

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nitrous oxide at natural abundance levels. _Limnol. Oceanogr._ 8, 54–66 (2010). Google Scholar  Download references ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This research was supported by the US National Science

Foundation’s Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems Program (ANT-0739516 to S.B.J., V.A.S. and M.T.M.) and the McMurdo Microbial Observatory program (MCB-0237576 to M.T.M. and MCB-0237335 to

J.C.P.). We thank K. Welsh (MCM) and K. Hunter (UGA) for quantifying concentrations of dissolved inorganic nitrogen species; M. McIlvin and C. Frame (WHOI) for assistance with the N and O

isotopic analyses; and C. Meile for helpful discussions. AUTHOR INFORMATION AUTHORS AND AFFILIATIONS * Department of Marine Sciences, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602-2626, USA

Vladimir A. Samarkin, Marshall W. Bowles & Samantha B. Joye * Department of Microbiology, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Illinois 62902, USA Michael T. Madigan * Department of

Marine Chemistry and Geochemistry, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, Massachusetts 02543, USA Karen L. Casciotti * Department of Land Resources and Environmental Sciences,

Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana 59717, USA John C. Priscu * Exobiology Division, NASA Ames, Moffett Field, California 94035, USA Christopher P. McKay Authors * Vladimir A.

Samarkin View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar * Michael T. Madigan View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed 

Google Scholar * Marshall W. Bowles View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar * Karen L. Casciotti View author publications You can also search for

this author inPubMed Google Scholar * John C. Priscu View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar * Christopher P. McKay View author publications You

can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar * Samantha B. Joye View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar CONTRIBUTIONS V.A.S., M.T.M.,

M.W.B., and J.C.P. conducted the fieldwork; V.A.S. and S.B.J. designed experiments and V.A.S. and M.W.B. carried them out; K.L.C. led the natural abundance nitrogen isotopic analyses and

interpretation; C.P.M. provided insight to the Mars nitrogen cycle; S.B.J. wrote the paper and all authors commented on it. CORRESPONDING AUTHOR Correspondence to Samantha B. Joye. ETHICS

DECLARATIONS COMPETING INTERESTS The authors declare no competing financial interests. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION Supplementary Information (PDF 815 kb) RIGHTS AND

PERMISSIONS Reprints and permissions ABOUT THIS ARTICLE CITE THIS ARTICLE Samarkin, V., Madigan, M., Bowles, M. _et al._ Abiotic nitrous oxide emission from the hypersaline Don Juan Pond in

Antarctica. _Nature Geosci_ 3, 341–344 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1038/ngeo847 Download citation * Received: 23 November 2009 * Accepted: 22 March 2010 * Published: 25 April 2010 * Issue

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