Atmospheric circulation impacts on terrestrial atmospheric nitrogen deposition under growing imbalance of regional nitrogen emissions and deposition

Atmospheric nitrogen deposition has broad implications for global ecosystems and human health. It is largely influenced by local weather conditions and atmospheric transport, which are in turn controlled by large-scale atmospheric circulation patterns. Due to the absence of long-term atmospheric nitrogen deposition data series, the mechanisms of interannual variation of nitrogen deposition are still poorly understood. Here, we investigate relationships between atmospheric nitrogen deposition and atmospheric circulation variability and explore the underlying mechanisms. We find that there is a growing imbalance between regional nitrogen emissions and deposition in global hotspots. Atmospheric nitrogen deposition variations exhibit significant relationships with atmospheric circulation modes, with predominant influences from the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO). Additionally, we captured significant nitrogen deposition anomalies during different phases of ENSO years by altering global temperature, precipitation, and atmospheric circulation. Significant effects of ENSO on atmospheric nitrogen deposition were observed in the Eastern United States, Eastern Europe, and East Asia.