Massive atmospheric nitrate accumulation in a continental interior desert, northwestern China

摘要: Large-scale nitrate deposits are rare on Earth’s surface due to the high solubility of minerals. Exceptions found in extremely old (to 14 m.y.) and hyperarid deserts such as Atacama Desert northern Chile, or McMurdo Dry Valleys Antarctica. The both these regions has been determined originate from atmospheric oxidation NOx. Here we report a new type massive deposit, with resources equivalent deposits, Turpan-Hami area, northwestern China. This deposit is characterized by (1) location center large continent; (2) young age (Pleistocene); (3) general enrichment near rather than at depth; (4) spatial variability nitrogen triple oxygen isotope composition within this arid region, δ15N ranging 0.7‰ 27.6‰, δ18O 30.2‰ 46.7‰, Δ17O 5.9‰ 20.7‰. closely between those Mojave (southwestern United States) Desert, suggesting that low-middle latitudes (i.e., non-polar sites) have receiving deposition similar composition; local regional differences can be attributed postdepositional processes, namely difference aridity associated microbial activities.