scholarly journals Comparison of tropospheric NO<sub>2</sub> vertical columns in an urban environment using satellite, multi-axis differential optical absorption spectroscopy, and in situ measurements

2013 ◽  
Vol 6 (10) ◽  
pp. 2907-2924 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Mendolia ◽  
R. J. C. D'Souza ◽  
G. J. Evans ◽  
J. Brook

Abstract. Tropospheric NO2 vertical column densities have been retrieved and compared for the first time in Toronto, Canada, using three methods of differing spatial scales. Remotely sensed NO2 vertical column densities, retrieved from multi-axis differential optical absorption spectroscopy and satellite remote sensing, were evaluated by comparison with in situ vertical column densities estimated using a pair of chemiluminescence monitors situated 0.01 and 0.5 km a.g.l. (above ground level). The chemiluminescence measurements were corrected for the influence of NOz, which reduced the NO2 concentrations at 0.01 and 0.5 km by an average of 8 ± 1% and 12 ± 1%, respectively. The average absolute decrease in the chemiluminescence NO2 measurement as a result of this correction was less than 1 ppb. The monthly averaged ratio of the NO2 concentration at 0.5 to 0.01 km varied seasonally, and exhibited a negative linear dependence on the monthly average temperature, with Pearson's R = 0.83. During the coldest month, February, this ratio was 0.52 ± 0.04, while during the warmest month, July, this ratio was 0.34 ± 0.04, illustrating that NO2 is not well mixed within 0.5 km above ground level. Good correlation was observed between the remotely sensed and in situ NO2 vertical column densities (Pearson's R value ranging from 0.72 to 0.81), but the in situ vertical column densities were 52 to 58% greater than the remotely sensed columns. These results indicate that NO2 horizontal heterogeneity strongly impacted the magnitude of the remotely sensed columns. The in situ columns reflected an urban environment with major traffic sources, while the remotely sensed NO2 vertical column densities were representative of the region, which included spatial heterogeneity introduced by residential neighbourhoods and Lake Ontario. Despite the difference in absolute values, the reasonable correlation between the vertical column densities determined by three distinct methods increased confidence in the validity of the values provided by each measurement technique.

2013 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 825-866
Author(s):  
D. Mendolia ◽  
R. J. C. D'Souza ◽  
G. J. Evans ◽  
J. Brook

Abstract. Tropospheric NO2 vertical column densities were retrieved for the first time in Toronto, Canada using three methods of differing spatial scales. Remotely-sensed NO2 vertical column densities, retrieved from multi-axis differential optical absorption spectroscopy and satellite remote sensing, were evaluated by comparison with in situ vertical column densities derived using a pair of chemiluminescence monitors situated 0.01 and 0.5 km above ground level. The chemiluminescence measurements were corrected for the influence of NOz, which reduced the NO2 concentrations at 0.01 and 0.5 km by 8 ± 1% and 12 ± 1%, respectively. The average absolute decrease in the chemiluminescence NO2 measurement as a result of this correction was less than 1 ppb. Good correlation was observed between the remotely sensed and in situ NO2 vertical column densities (Pearson R ranging from 0.68 to 0.79), but the in situ vertical column densities were 27% to 55% greater than the remotely-sensed columns. These results indicate that NO2 horizontal heterogeneity strongly impacted the magnitude of the remotely-sensed columns. The in situ columns reflected an urban environment with major traffic sources, while the remotely-sensed NO2 vertical column densities were representative of the region, which included spatial heterogeneity introduced by residential neighbourhoods and Lake Ontario. Despite the difference in absolute values, the reasonable correlation between the vertical column densities determined by three distinct methods increased confidence in the validity of the values provided by each of the methods.


2006 ◽  
Vol 6 (6) ◽  
pp. 12671-12700
Author(s):  
R. J. Leigh ◽  
G. K. Corlett ◽  
U. Frieß ◽  
P. S. Monks

Abstract. A novel system using the technique of concurrent multi-axis differential optical absorption spectroscopy system has been developed and applied to the measurement of nitrogen dioxide in an urban environment. Using five fixed telescopes, slant columns of nitrogen dioxide, ozone, water vapour, and the oxygen dimer, O4, are simultaneously retrieved in five vertically separated viewing directions. The application of this remote sensing technique in the urban environment is explored. Through, the application of several simplifying assumptions a tropospheric concentration of NO2 is derived and compared with an urban background in-situ chemiluminescence detector. The remote sensing and in-situ techniques show good agreement. Owing to the high time resolution of the measurements, the ability to image and quantify plumes within the urban environment is demonstrated. The CMAX-DOAS measurements provide a useful measure of overall NO2 concentrations on a city-wide scale.


2007 ◽  
Vol 7 (18) ◽  
pp. 4751-4762 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. J. Leigh ◽  
G. K. Corlett ◽  
U. Frieß ◽  
P. S. Monks

Abstract. A novel system using the technique of concurrent multi-axis differential optical absorption spectroscopy system has been developed and applied to the measurement of nitrogen dioxide in an urban environment. Using five fixed telescopes, slant columns of nitrogen dioxide, ozone, water vapour, and the oxygen dimer, O4, are simultaneously retrieved in five vertically separated viewing directions. The application of this remote sensing technique in the urban environment is explored. Through the application of several simplifying assumptions a tropospheric concentration of NO2 is derived and compared with an urban background in-situ chemiluminescence detector. Trends derived from remote sensing and in-situ techniques show agreement to within 15 to 40% depending on conditions. Owing to the high time resolution of the measurements, the ability to image and quantify plumes within the urban environment is demonstrated. The CMAX-DOAS measurements provide a useful measure of overall NO2 concentrations on a city-wide scale.


2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (10) ◽  
pp. 5165-5191 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ermioni Dimitropoulou ◽  
François Hendrick ◽  
Gaia Pinardi ◽  
Martina M. Friedrich ◽  
Alexis Merlaud ◽  
...  

Abstract. Ground-based multi-axis differential optical absorption spectroscopy (MAX-DOAS) measurements of aerosols and tropospheric nitrogen dioxide (NO2) were carried out in Uccle (50.8∘ N, 4.35∘ E), Brussels, during 1 year from March 2018 until March 2019. The instrument was operated in both the UV and visible wavelength ranges in a dual-scan configuration consisting of two sub-modes: (1) an elevation scan in a fixed viewing azimuthal direction (the so-called main azimuthal direction) pointing to the northeast and (2) an azimuthal scan in a fixed low elevation angle (2∘). By applying a vertical profile inversion algorithm in the main azimuthal direction and a parameterization technique in the other azimuthal directions, near-surface NO2 volume mixing ratios (VMRs) and vertical column densities (VCDs) were retrieved in 10 different azimuthal directions. The dual-scan MAX-DOAS dataset allows for partly resolving the horizontal distribution of NO2 around the measurement site and studying its seasonal variations. Furthermore, we show that measuring the tropospheric NO2 VCDs in different azimuthal directions improves the spatial colocation with measurements from the Sentinel-5 Precursor (S5P), leading to a reduction of the spread in validation results. By using NO2 vertical profile information derived from the MAX-DOAS measurements, we also resolve a systematic underestimation in S5P NO2 data due to the use of inadequate a priori NO2 profile shape data in the satellite retrieval.


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