Sedimentary denitrification sites

The amount of sedimentary denitrification occurring in the ocean today is one of the most poorly quantified terms in the marine combined nitrogen budget. Most modem measurements of denitrification rate have utilized pore-water N03 profiles (estimated from diffusion calculations—reaction models) whole-sediment incubations, either on deck or in situ, or by the isotope paring technique. It appears that shelf and upper slope sediments are quantitatively the most important sites of sedimentary denitrification (Christensen, et al., 1996 Christensen et al., 1987 Devol, 1991 Devol and Christensen, 1993 Gruber and Sarmiento, 1997 Kristensen, et al., 1999 Middelburg et al., 1996). Typical denitrification rates in these areas... 

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