Background-like nitrate in desert air

The atmospheric nitrogen cycle is a key process driving the earth's environmental evolution. Current model studies require knowledge of NOx soil emissions from various land types, but desert emissions remain unquantified or are not addressed with high confidence. Our measurements at two observatories in Taklimakan desert during a dust episode showed an approximately stable and dust-independent nitrate in the air. Its concentration estimated from PM2.5, PM10 and TSP samples under non-dust, floating dust and dust storm conditions was 3.81 ± 1.24 μg m−3, 2.95 ± 0.69 μg m−3, 4.99 ± 1.71 μg m−3, respectively, despite the more-than-one-order difference of dust loading. This concentration was much larger than that in remote marine and tropical forest air. Comprehensive investigation revealed a similar presence of nitrate in other desert air. The nitrate was hypothesized to be the consequence of the conversion of NOx released from desert soils. These results indicate a background-like nitrate and active reactions of nitrogen compounds in desert air.