Dramatic source-sink transition of N2O in the water level fluctuation zone of the Three Gorges Reservoir during flooding-drying processes.

Biogeochemical cycling of nitrous oxide (N2O), a significant greenhouse gas (GHG), can influence global climate change. The production and emission of N2O mediated by hydrological regimes is particularly active in water level fluctuation zones (WLFZs). However, the hydrological mechanisms affecting N2O transformation and production across the water-sediment micro-interface remain unclear. In this study, intact sediment cores from the WLFZs of the Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR) were incubated for 24 days in a laboratory microcosm to identify the effects of the flooding-drying processes on the yield and emission of N2O. Results showed a source-sink transition of N2O in the first 1.5 days during the flooding period, with the water column subsequently acting as a sink relative to the atmosphere in the following experimental period. The source-sink transition was ascribed to changes in oxygen concentration in the water column and sediment regulation of NO3--N transformation, resulting in denitrification and N2O production. Preliminary estimates on the mass budget of N2O in a typical WLFZs of the TGR showed slight emission fluxes, ranging from 13.08 to 43.08 μmol m-2 from flooding period to drying process. Although these N2O emissions were relatively low, the emission peak detected during the initial period (first 1.5 days) of the flooding phase provides important knowledge on the mitigation of GHG emissions from hydropower sources, which should be incorporated into future reservoir operations.