Nitrous Oxide

Nitrous oxide (N2O) is produced by biological processes in oceans and soils by anthropogenic processes, including industrial combustion, exhaust gas of internal combustion vehicles, etc. Is destroyed photochemically in the upper atmosphere.

Sources: naturally occurring in oceans and rainforests. Anthropogenic sources, production of nylon and nitric acid, agricultural practices, cars with three-way catalytic converters, and burning of biomass fuels.

Sink: photolytic reactions, consumption by soils can be a small sink but has not been well evaluated.

Nitrous oxide increase in the atmosphere (Miller, 1991)

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