Global Atmospheric Nitrogen Deposition Grids from 1860 to 2050

Nine global gridded maps estimate atmospheric deposition of total inorganic nitrogen (N), NHx, and NOy for 1860, 1993, and a 2050 projection. The dataset was generated by NASA using the TM3 global chemistry-transport model with a 5x3.75-degree spatial resolution, downscaled to 50km sub-grids. It provides a 190-year perspective on nitrogen deposition changes driven by historical emissions and IPCC scenario projections.

Use Cases

• Mapping spatial and temporal variability in nitrogen deposition using the gridded values for N, NHx, and NOy.
• Analyzing regional heterogeneity in deposition over continents and marine regions using the ESRI-derived boundaries.
• Projecting future atmospheric nitrogen loading under IPCC scenarios using the 2050 model outputs.
• Studying the alteration of nitrogen deposition patterns from the pre-industrial era (1860) to the present (1993).

Strengths

• Provides a long-term temporal perspective with data points spanning 190 years from 1860 to a 2050 projection.
• Uses a peer-reviewed global 3D chemistry-transport model (TM3) with specific 5x3.75-degree spatial resolution.
• Contains nine distinct data files for three nitrogen species across three time points, enabling comparative analysis.

Limitations

• Key metadata conflicts exist: the last_updated date is inconsistently reported as both 2050-12-31 and 2026-03 13 across platforms.
• Specific row counts, file sizes, and detailed column names are not provided by any source.
• Spatial resolution is coarse (5x3.75 degrees), limiting fine-scale local analysis despite 50km sub-gridding.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Collection Method

Generated using the global three-dimensional chemistry-transport model TM3, with input from nitrogen emissions estimates and IPCC projection scenarios.

Time Range

1860 to 2050

Freshness

2026-03-13 02:13:16.646325

Geography

Global