Low-pressure storms drive nitrous oxide emissions in the Southern Ocean
SMAST East 101-103
: 836 S. Rodney French Boulevard, New Bedford MA 02744
Callie Rumbut
c.rumbut@umassd.edu
https://umassd.zoom.us/j/97440069270
Seminar Announcement
Department of Estuarine and Ocean Sciences
"Low-pressure storms drive nitrous oxide emissions in the Southern Ocean"
Dr. David Nicholson
Associate Scientist, Marine Chemistry & Geochemistry Department, WHOI
Wednesday, October 7, 2026
12:30 - 1:30 pm
SMAST E 101-103 and via Zoom
Abstract:
Nitrous oxide is a potent greenhouse gas and the primary ozone-depleting agent of the 21stcentury, but marine emissions of nitrous oxide remain difficult to constrain due to their spatiotemporal variability. In the Southern Ocean, where extratropical cyclones create conditions conducive to air-sea gas flux, shipboard measurements are unlikely to capture the full extent of nitrous oxide emissions due to the impracticality of sampling said storms. Here, we use machine learning to derive nitrous oxide observations from biogeochemical Argo floats, revealing that low-pressure storms amplify air-sea gradients and create hotspots of emissions. Taking these low-pressure storms into account, rather than assuming 1 atmosphere (the standard condition outside of storms), increases the net annual Southern Ocean nitrous oxide flux by 88%. Our results imply that the Southern Ocean plays a significant role in the global nitrous oxide cycle, and may be a weaker overall sink of greenhouse gases than previously thought.
A published paper on this topic can be found at the following website- https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-026-68744-2
Join Meeting
https://umassd.zoom.us/j/97440069270
Note: Meeting ID and passcode required, email contact to obtain.
For additional information, please contact Callie Rumbut at c.rumbut@umassd.edu