New Technique Could Help Scientists Track Nitrous Oxide Sources

A long-term study in Switzerland reveals the promise of a new method to determine isotopic composition of the potent greenhouse gas.

Nitrous oxide is a powerful greenhouse gas, with nearly 300 times the global warming potential of carbon dioxide. Some sources of nitrous oxide are natural, but several human activities, including fossil fuel combustion and agricultural fertilization, lead to the unintended release of the gas. New research could help improve efforts to track nitrous oxide sources both locally and worldwide. Read more.