DISSERTATION RESEARCH: Determining the source of atmospheric nitrogen through the analysis of nitrogen and oxygen isotopes in passively collected dry deposition

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This doctoral dissertation improvement project will test a method to identify the source areas for nitrogen being deposited as dry deposition in the surrounding landscape. Stable isotopes of nitrogen in dry deposition can be used as a fingerprint to identify possible source areas, but to date it has been unclear whether the isotopic composition of nitrogen that is collected by passive filters is altered significantly during the collection process. This project will test this widely used methodology and determine whether isotopic composition of nitrogen collected on filters can be used to identify the original source areas.Nitrogen emissions to the atmosphere and subsequent deposition to the landscape has increased significantly over the past several decades, leading to nitrogen leaching off the landscape into waterways and coastal oceans where it causes algal blooms and other environmental problems. Understanding the source areas of nitrogen that is ultimately deposited in specific locations is an important tool in mitigating this environmental problem.