4.2.5 Dominant Drivers of Seasonal-Spatial GHG Variability in the nBUS
Our further investigation into the seasonal fluctuations of N2O unveiled nitrification as the dominant process driving N2O production during both winter and summer seasons (Figure 10, Sabbaghzadeh et al., 2021). Notably, we observed a simultaneous decline in nutrients and N2O levels in the Lüderitz dataset during winter. This reduction in N2O under low oxygen concentrations may indicate a transition from a phase of net N2O production to net N2O consumption, aligning with earlier studies (Cohen, 1978; Grundle et al., 2017). Upon closer examination, we observed that the slopes do not undergo significant meridional and seasonal changes in the transition from Kunene to Walvis Bay. However, in the case of Lüderitz, there is a discernible variation.