Nitrate transport velocity data in the global unsaturated zones

Abstract

Nitrate pollution in groundwater, which is an international problem, threatens human health and the environment. It could take decades for nitrate to transport in the groundwater system. When understanding the impacts of this nitrate legacy on water quality, the nitrate transport velocity (vN) in the unsaturated zone (USZ) is of great significance. Although some local USZ vN data measured or simulated are available, there has been no such a dataset at the global scale. Here, we present a Global-scale unsaturated zone Nitrate transport Velocity dataset (GNV) generated from a Nitrate Time Bomb (NTB) model using global permeability and porosity and global average annual groundwater recharge data. To evaluate GNV, a baseline dataset of USZ vN was created using locally measured data and global lithological data. The results show that 94.50% of GNV match the baseline USZ vN dataset. This dataset will largely contribute to research advancement in the nitrate legacy in the groundwater system, provide evidence for managing nitrate water pollution, and promote international and interdisciplinary collaborations.