Climate Variability and Change—Hydrological Impacts (Proceedings of the Fifth FRIEND World
Conference held at Havana, Cuba, November 2006), IAHS Publ. 308, 2006, 591–595.
Wet and dry deposition of atmospheric nitrogen in three
hydrographic basins in Cuba
OSVALDO CUESTA-SANTOS, ARNALDO COLLAZO,
MARIA GONZALEZ &
ANTONIO WALLO
Atmospheric Environment Research
Center, Meteorological Institute of Cuba, Aptdo 17032, Havana 17, PC 11700,
Cuba
osvaldo.cuesta@insmet.cu
Abstract Acid deposition remains an important environmental issue in Europe and
North America. Furthermore, it is emerging in new geographical areas, including
parts of South/Central America. In these areas, emissions of nitrogen oxides
are increasing rapidly as industrialization proceeds and the use of fossil
fuels increases. In Cuba, main atmospheric nitrogen deposition compounds
varies approximately from 19.3 to 71.2 kg-N ha-1 year-1
in rural areas. The oxidized nitrogen forms being provided 34% as average and
wet deposition depends on the Cuba tropical rain climate features. The NH3
and ammonium are the most important elements in Cuban tropical conditions. This
paper is showing more relevant results about main compounds of atmospheric
nitrogen in Cuba and its potential impact on environment.
Key words acid deposition; nitrogen compounds;
wet deposition; oxidized nitrogen