Characteristics of Soil NO Emissions in the Yangtze River Delta Region for Year 2018

Abstract

Soil NO emissions represent an important source of atmospheric nitric oxide (NO) and play an important role in atmospheric chemistry. Based on the latest BDSNP algorithm, this study estimated the soil NO emissions over the Yangtze River Delta region for the year 2018 and further analyzed the associated temporal and spatial variations and uncertainties. The results showed that the annual soil NO emissions in 2018 over the YRD region was 213.6 kt, accounting for 7.3% of the total anthropogenic NOx emissions. Areas with high emissions were mainly concentrated in northern Anhui Province and most parts of Jiangsu Province. In terms of monthly variations, soil NO emissions peaked in June, accounting for 19.9% of the annual emissions and 19.7% of anthropogenic NOx emissions in June. In terms of daily variations, soil NO emissions peaked around 16:00 and accounted for 5.5% of daily emissions. Soil NO emissions came from three components:soil background, nitrogen fertilizer application, and nitrogen deposition. Nitrogen fertilizer application was the main source of soil NO emissions, accounting for up to 77.8%. With the in-depth reduction in NOx emissions from motor vehicles and industries, the importance of soil NO emissions will become increasingly prominent.