The oscillations of N2O decomposition over Cu-ZSM-5 are investigated by considering the relationship of activation energy and coverage of copper. It is found that the bifurcation point is 146 kJ mol(-1), close to the theoretical calculation barrier and the experimental apparent activation barrier. Then adding a stochastic component to activation energy leads to a broader range of parameters that support oscillation, a form of fluctuation-driven oscillation (FDO). The signal-to-noise ratio of FDO reaches a maximum at the particular noise intensity. The presence of FDO makes the stochastic model show oscillations at a more extended region than the deterministic one. (c) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.