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Implications of Deep Nitrite in the Ulleung Basin

울릉 분지 저층수의 아질산염

  • Lee, Tong-Sup (Division of Earth Environmental System, Pusan National University) ;
  • Kim, Il-Nam (Division of Earth Environmental System, Pusan National University) ;
  • Kang, Dong-Jin (Research Institute of Oceanography, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Seoul National University) ;
  • Kim, Dong-Seon (Marine Environment Research Department, KORDI)
  • 이동섭 (부산대학교 지구환경시스템학부) ;
  • 김일남 (부산대학교 지구환경시스템학부) ;
  • 강동진 (서울대학교 지구환경과학부/해양연구소) ;
  • 김동선 (한국해양연구원 해양환경연구본부)
  • Published : 2007.08.31

Abstract

Presence of bottom water nitrite in the Ulleung Basin was remarkable because it is totally unexpected phenomenon at such an oxygen-rich environment. Yet no scientific explanation was set forward. Of several plausible explanations, following the Ockham's suggestion, a leaching of nitrite as an intermediate product of denitrification in the top sediment at the slope is most agreeable to given environmental settings. There seems no complementary process to make up the loss of N in the Ulleung Basin, which seems contribute to the characteristically low N:P ratio in the deep waters. If warming proceeds that weakens the thermohaline circulation, a current biological pump may stall and the phytoplankton assemblage might replaced drastically. If so this will pause an utmost challenge to the ecosystem of the East/Japan Sea. Still there remains a contradictory sedimentary signature that requests further explanation regarding the N (or organic C)-cycle such as extraordinarily high organic carbon content despite abundant oxidants in the overlying waters.

울릉분지의 일부 저층수에서 아질산염의 존재가 확인된 것은 용존산소가 매우 풍부한 환경에서 예상되지 않던 결과로서 괄목할만한 사실이었지만 과학적으로 설명되지 않았다. 오캄의 제안에 따르면 가능한 몇 가지 설명 가운데 대륙사면 표층 퇴적물 안에서 일어나는 탈질산화의 중간산물로써 해수로 유출되는 것이 제반 여건과 가장 잘 부합된다. 그런데 울릉분지에서는 이런 탈질산화에 따른 무기질소의 손실을 보상하는 특별한 방법이 존재하지 않은 것으로 보이며 이는 현재 심해수의 낮은 질소: 인의 비와 일맥상통한다. 여기에 열염순환을 약화시키는 온난화의 효과가 가중될 경우 현재의 생물펌프가 위축될지 또는 현재 식물플랑크톤 군집을 대체하는 새로운 군집으로 바뀌게 될지도 모른다. 그 경우 이는 동해 생태계가 직면하게 될 심각한 도전이 될 것이다. 한편으로는 수중에 산화제가 풍부함에도 불구하고 표층 퇴적물의 유기탄소함량이 아주 높게 나타나서 울릉분지에서 질소(유기물)의 순환에 대해 풀리지 않는 문제가 여전히 남아있다.

Keywords

References

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