Large contributions of soil emissions to the atmospheric nitrogen budget and their impacts on air quality and temperature rise in North China

Summary

Abstract. Soil emissions of nitrogen compounds, including NO and HONO, play a significant role in the atmospheric nitrogen budget. However, HONO has been overlooked in previous research on soil reactive nitrogen (Nr) emissions and their impacts on air quality in China. This study estimates soil NOx and soil HONO emissions (SNOx and SHONO) in North China during July 2018 using an updated soil Nr emissions scheme in a chemical transport model, Unified Inputs (initial and boundary conditions) for Weather Research and Forecasting coupled with Chemistry (UI-WRF-Chem). The effects of soil Nr emissions on O3 pollution, air quality and temperature rise are also studied, with a focus on two key regions, Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei (BTH) and the Fenwei Plain (FWP), known for high soil Nr and anthropogenic