scholarly journals Comparison of operational satellite SO<sub>2</sub> products with ground-based observations in northern Finland during the Icelandic Holuhraun fissure eruption

2015 ◽  
Vol 8 (6) ◽  
pp. 2279-2289 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. Ialongo ◽  
J. Hakkarainen ◽  
R. Kivi ◽  
P. Anttila ◽  
N. A. Krotkov ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Quality ◽  
Satellite Data ◽  
A Priori ◽  
Exceptional Case ◽  
Fissure Eruption ◽  
Volcanic Plume ◽  
Volcanic Emissions ◽  
Ozone Monitoring Instrument ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Total Column

Abstract. This paper shows the results of the comparison of satellite SO2 observations from OMI (Ozone Monitoring Instrument) and OMPS (Ozone Mapping Profiler Suite) with ground-based measurements during the Icelandic Holuhraun fissure eruption in September 2014. The volcanic plume reached Finland on several days during the month of September. The SO2 total columns from the Brewer direct sun (DS) measurements in Sodankylä (67.42° N, 26.59° E), northern Finland, are compared to the satellite data. The operational satellite SO2 products are evaluated for high latitude conditions (e.g. large solar zenith angle, SZA). The results show that the best agreement can be found for lowest SZAs, close-to-nadir satellite pixels, cloud fraction below 0.3 and small distance between the station and the centre of the pixel. Under good retrieval conditions, the difference between satellite data and Brewer measurements remains mostly below the uncertainty on the satellite SO2 retrievals (up to about 2 DU at high latitudes). The satellite products assuming a priori profile with SO2 predominantly in the planetary boundary layer give total column values with the best agreement with the ground-based data. The analysis of the SO2 surface concentrations at four air quality stations in northern Finland shows that the volcanic plume coming from Iceland was located very close to the surface. This is connected to the fact that this was a fissure eruption and most of the SO2 was emitted into the troposphere. This is an exceptional case because the SO2 volcanic emissions directly affect the air quality levels at surface in an otherwise pristine environment like northern Finland. The time evolution of the SO2 concentrations peaks during the same days when large SO2 total column values are measured by the Brewer in Sodankylä and enhanced SO2 signal is visible over northern Finland from the satellite maps. Thus, the satellite retrievals were able to detect the spatiotemporal evolution of the volcanic plume as compared to the surface observations. Furthermore, direct-broadcast SO2 satellite data (from both OMI and OMPS instruments) are compared for the first time against ground-based observations.

scholarly journals Validation of satellite SO<sub>2</sub> observations in northern Finland during the Icelandic Holuhraun fissure eruption

2015 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 599-621 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. Ialongo ◽  
J. Hakkarainen ◽  
R. Kivi ◽  
P. Anttila ◽  
N. A. Krotkov ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Quality ◽  
Satellite Data ◽  
A Priori ◽  
Exceptional Case ◽  
Fissure Eruption ◽  
Volcanic Plume ◽  
High Latitudes ◽  
Ozone Monitoring Instrument ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Total Column

Abstract. This paper shows the validation results of the satellite SO2 observations from OMI (Ozone Monitoring Instrument) and OMPS (Ozone Mapping Profiler Suite) during the Icelandic Holuhraun fissure eruption in September 2014. The volcanic plume reached Finland on several days during the month of September. The SO2 total columns from the Brewer direct sun (DS) measurements in Sodankylä (67.42° N, 26.59° E), northern Finland, are compared to the satellite data. Challenging retrieval conditions at high latitudes (like large solar zenith angle, SZA) are considered in the comparison. The results show that the best agreement can be found for small SZAs, close-to-nadir satellite pixels, cloud fraction below 0.3 and small distance between the station and the centre of the pixel. Under good retrieval conditions, the difference between satellite data and Brewer measurements remains mostly below the uncertainty on the satellite SO2 retrievals (up to about 2 DU at high latitudes). The satellite products assuming a priori profile with SO2 predominantly in the planetary boundary layer give total column values close to the ground-based data, suggesting that the volcanic SO2 plume was located at particularly low altitudes. This is connected to the fact that this was a fissure eruption and most of the SO2 was emitted into the troposphere. The analysis of the SO2 surface concentrations at four air quality stations in northern Finland supports the hypothesis that the volcanic plume coming from Iceland was located very close to the surface. The time evolution of the SO2 concentrations peaks during the same days when large SO2 total column values are measured by the Brewer in Sodankylä and enhanced SO2 signal is visible over northern Finland from the satellite maps. This is an exceptional case because the SO2 volcanic emission directly affect the air quality levels at surface in an otherwise pristine environment like northern Finland. OMI and OMPS SO2 retrievals from direct-broadcast measurements are validated for the first time in this paper.

scholarly journals Validation of Aura-OMI QA4ECV NO<sub>2</sub> climate data records with ground-based DOAS networks: the role of measurement and comparison uncertainties

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (13) ◽  
pp. 8017-8045 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven Compernolle ◽  
Tijl Verhoelst ◽  
Gaia Pinardi ◽  
José Granville ◽  
Daan Hubert ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Scattered Light ◽  
A Priori ◽  
Sampling Bias ◽  
Atmospheric Composition ◽  
Optical Absorption Spectroscopy ◽  
Climate Data ◽  
Ozone Monitoring Instrument ◽  
Vertical Column ◽  
Standard Data ◽  
The Difference

Abstract. The QA4ECV (Quality Assurance for Essential Climate Variables) version 1.1 stratospheric and tropospheric NO2 vertical column density (VCD) climate data records (CDRs) from the OMI (Ozone Monitoring Instrument) satellite sensor are validated using NDACC (Network for the Detection of Atmospheric Composition Change) zenith-scattered light differential optical absorption spectroscopy (ZSL-DOAS) and multi-axis DOAS (MAX-DOAS) data as a reference. The QA4ECV OMI stratospheric VCDs have a small bias of ∼0.2 Pmolec.cm-2 (5 %–10 %) and a dispersion of 0.2 to 1 Pmolec.cm-2 with respect to the ZSL-DOAS measurements. QA4ECV tropospheric VCD observations from OMI are restricted to near-cloud-free scenes, leading to a negative sampling bias (with respect to the unrestricted scene ensemble) of a few peta molecules per square centimetre (Pmolec.cm-2) up to −10 Pmolec.cm-2 (−40 %) in one extreme high-pollution case. The QA4ECV OMI tropospheric VCD has a negative bias with respect to the MAX-DOAS data (−1 to −4 Pmolec.cm-2), which is a feature also found for the OMI OMNO2 standard data product. The tropospheric VCD discrepancies between satellite measurements and ground-based data greatly exceed the combined measurement uncertainties. Depending on the site, part of the discrepancy can be attributed to a combination of comparison errors (notably horizontal smoothing difference error), measurement/retrieval errors related to clouds and aerosols, and the difference in vertical smoothing and a priori profile assumptions.

scholarly journals Improved Satellite Retrieval of Tropospheric NO2 Column Density via Updating of Air Mass Factor (AMF): Case Study of Southern China

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 1789 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hugo Mak ◽  
Joshua Laughner ◽  
Jimmy Fung ◽  
Qindan Zhu ◽  
Ronald Cohen
Keyword(s):  
Air Quality ◽  
Column Density ◽  
Southern China ◽  
A Priori ◽  
Wrf Model ◽  
Ozone Monitoring Instrument ◽  
Vertical Column ◽  
Spatial Gradients ◽  
Tropospheric No2 ◽  
R Value

Improving air quality and reducing human exposure to unhealthy levels of airborne chemicals are important global missions, particularly in China. Satellite remote sensing offers a powerful tool to examine regional trends in NO2, thus providing a direct measure of key parameters that strongly affect surface air quality. To accurately resolve spatial gradients in NO2 concentration using satellite observations and thus understand local and regional aspects of air quality, a priori input data at sufficiently high spatial and temporal resolution to account for pixel-to-pixel variability in the characteristics of the land and atmosphere are required. In this paper, we adapt the Berkeley High Resolution product (BEHR-HK) and meteorological outputs from the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model to describe column NO2 in southern China. The BEHR approach is particularly useful for places with large spatial variabilities and terrain height differences such as China. There are two major objectives and goals: (1) developing new BEHR-HK v3.0C product for retrieving tropospheric NO2 vertical column density (TVCD) within part of southern China, for four months of 2015, based upon satellite datasets from Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI); and (2) evaluating BEHR-HK v3.0C retrieval result through validation, by comparing with MAX-DOAS tropospheric column measurements conducted in Guangzhou. Results show that all BEHR-HK retrieval algorithms (with R-value of 0.9839 for v3.0C) are of higher consistency with MAX-DOAS measurements than OMI-NASA retrieval (with R-value of 0.7644). This opens new windows into research questions that require high spatial resolution, for example retrieving NO2 vertical column and ground pollutant concentration in China and other countries.

scholarly journals Improved Satellite Retrieval of Tropospheric NO2 Column Density via Updating of Air Mass Factor (AMF), Part I: Case Study of Southern China

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hugo Wai Leung Mak ◽  
Joshua L. Laughner ◽  
Jimmy Chi Hung Fung ◽  
Qindan Zhu ◽  
Ronald C. Cohen
Keyword(s):  
Air Quality ◽  
Column Density ◽  
Southern China ◽  
A Priori ◽  
Wrf Model ◽  
Ozone Monitoring Instrument ◽  
Vertical Column ◽  
Global Missions ◽  
Spatial Gradients ◽  
Tropospheric No2

Improving air quality and reducing human exposure to unhealthy levels of airborne chemicals are important global missions, particularly in China. Satellite remote sensing offers a powerful tool to examine regional trends in NO2, thus providing a direct measure of key parameters that strongly affect surface air quality. To accurately resolve spatial gradients in NO2 concentration using satellite observations and thus understand local and regional aspects of air quality, a priori input data at sufficiently high spatial and temporal resolution to account for pixel-to-pixel variability in the characteristics of the land and atmosphere are required. In this paper, we adapt the Berkeley High Resolution product (BEHR v3.0A, v3.0B and v3.0C) and meteorological outputs from the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model to describe column NO2 in southern China. The BEHR approach is particularly useful for places with large spatial variabilities and terrain height differences such as China. We retrieved tropospheric NO2 vertical column density (TVCD) within part of southern China, for four seasons of 2015, based upon satellite datasets from Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI). Retrieval results are validated by comparing with MAX-DOAS tropospheric column measurements conducted in Guangzhou. BEHR retrieval algorithms are more consistent with MAX-DOAS measurements than OMI-NASA retrieval, opening new windows into research questions that require high spatial resolution, for example retrieving NO2 vertical column and ground pollutant concentration in China and other countries.

scholarly journals Evaluation of the Ozone Fields in NASA’s MERRA-2 Reanalysis

2017 ◽  
Vol 30 (8) ◽  
pp. 2961-2988 ◽  
Author(s):  
Krzysztof Wargan ◽  
Gordon Labow ◽  
Stacey Frith ◽  
Steven Pawson ◽  
Nathaniel Livesey ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Standard Deviation ◽  
Spatial And Temporal Variability ◽  
Ozone Monitoring Instrument ◽  
Total Column Ozone ◽  
Time Period ◽  
Realistic Representation ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Column Ozone ◽  
Modern Era ◽  
Total Column

The assimilated ozone product from the Modern-Era Retrospective Analysis for Research and Applications, version 2 (MERRA-2), produced at NASA’s Global Modeling and Assimilation Office (GMAO) spanning the time period from 1980 to the present is described herein, and its quality is assessed. MERRA-2 assimilates partial column ozone retrievals from a series of Solar Backscatter Ultraviolet Radiometer (SBUV) instruments on NASA and NOAA spacecraft between January 1980 and September 2004: starting in October 2004, retrieved ozone profiles from the Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) and total column ozone from the Ozone Monitoring Instrument on NASA’s EOS Aura satellite are assimilated. The MERRA-2 ozone is compared with independent satellite and ozonesonde data, focusing on the representation of the spatial and temporal variability of stratospheric and upper-tropospheric ozone and on implications of the change in the observing system from SBUV to EOS Aura. The comparisons show agreement within 10% (standard deviation of the difference) between MERRA-2 profiles and independent satellite data in most of the stratosphere. The agreement improves after 2004, when EOS Aura data are assimilated. The standard deviation of the differences between the lower-stratospheric and upper-tropospheric MERRA-2 ozone and ozonesondes is 11.2% and 24.5%, respectively, with correlations of 0.8 and above, indicative of a realistic representation of the near-tropopause ozone variability in MERRA-2. The agreement improves significantly in the EOS Aura period; however, MERRA-2 is biased low in the upper troposphere with respect to the ozonesondes. Caution is recommended when using MERRA-2 ozone for decadal changes and trend studies.

scholarly journals A simple empirical model estimating atmospheric CO<sub>2</sub> background concentrations

2012 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 1293-1315
Author(s):  
M. Reuter ◽  
M. Buchwitz ◽  
O. Schneising ◽  
J. Heymann ◽  
S. Guerlet ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
A Priori ◽  
Mode Iii ◽  
Simulation Experiments ◽  
Real Time Processing ◽  
Potential Applications ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Scanning Imaging ◽  
Priori Information ◽  
Total Column ◽  
Simple Empirical Model

Abstract. A simple empirical CO2 model (SECM) is presented to estimate column-average dry-air mole fractions of atmospheric CO2 (XCO2) as well as mixing ratio profiles. SECM is based on a simple equation depending on 17 empirical parameters, latitude, and date. The empirical parameters have been determined by least squares fitting to NOAA's (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) assimilation system CarbonTracker version 2010 (CT2010). Comparisons with TCCON (total column carbon observing network) FTS (Fourier transform spectrometer) measurements show that SECM XCO2 agrees quite well with reality. The synthetic XCO2 values have a standard error of 1.39 ppm and systematic station-to-station biases of 0.46 ppm. Typical column averaging kernels of the TCCON FTS, a SCIAMACHY (Scanning Imaging Absorption Spectrometer for Atmospheric CHartographY), and two GOSAT (Greenhouse gases Observing SATellite) XCO2 retrieval algorithms have been used to assess the smoothing error introduced by using SECM profiles instead of CT2010 profiles as a priori. The additional smoothing error amounts to 0.17 ppm for a typical SCIAMACHY averaging kernel and is most times much smaller for the other instruments (e.g. 0.05 ppm for a typical TCCON FTS averaging kernel). Therefore, SECM is well-suited to provide a priori information for state of the art ground-based (FTS) and satellite-based (GOSAT, SCIAMACHY) XCO2 retrievals. Other potential applications are: (i) quick check for obvious retrieval errors (by monitoring the difference to SECM), (ii) near real time processing systems (that cannot make use of models like CT2010 operated in delayed mode), (iii) "CO2 proxy" methods for XCH4 retrievals (as correction for the XCO2 background), (iv) observing system simulation experiments especially for future satellite missions.

scholarly journals Influences of the 2010 Eyjafjallajökull volcanic plume on air quality in the northern Alpine region

2011 ◽  
Vol 11 (16) ◽  
pp. 8555-8575 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Schäfer ◽  
W. Thomas ◽  
A. Peters ◽  
L. Ries ◽  
F. Obleitner ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Quality ◽  
Ultrafine Particles ◽  
Ambient Air ◽  
Alpine Region ◽  
Volcanic Plume ◽  
Volcanic Emissions ◽  
Subsequent Formation ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
The North ◽  
Monitoring Stations

Abstract. A series of major eruptions of the Eyjafjallajökull volcano in Iceland started on 14 April 2010 and continued until the end of May 2010. The volcanic emissions moved over nearly the whole of Europe and were observed first on 16 April 2010 in Southern Germany with different remote sensing systems from the ground and space. Enhanced PM10 and SO2 concentrations were detected on 17 April at mountain stations (Zugspitze/Schneefernerhaus and Schauinsland) as well as in Innsbruck by in situ measurement devices. On 19 April intensive vertical mixing and advection along with clear-sky conditions facilitated the entrainment of volcanic material down to the ground. The subsequent formation of a stably stratified lower atmosphere with limited mixing near the ground during the evening of 19 April led to an additional enhancement of near-surface particle concentrations. Consequently, on 19 April and 20 April exceedances of the daily threshold value for particulate matter (PM10) were reported at nearly all monitoring stations of the North Alpine foothills as well as at mountain and valley stations in the northern Alps. The chemical analyses of ambient PM10 at monitoring stations of the North Alpine foothills yielded elevated Titanium concentrations on 19/20 April which prove the presence of volcanic plume material. Following this result the PM10 threshold exceedances are also associated with the volcanic plume. The entrainment of the volcanic plume material mainly affected the concentrations of coarse particles (>1 μm) – interpreted as volcanic ash – and ultrafine particles (<100 nm), while the concentrations of accumulation mode aerosol (0.1–1 μm) were not changed significantly. With regard to the occurrence of ultrafine particles, it is concluded that their formation was triggered by high sulphuric acid concentrations which are necessarily generated by the photochemical processes in a plume rich in sulphur dioxide under high solar irradiance. It became evident that during the course of several days, the Eyjafjallajökull volcanic emissions influenced the near-surface atmosphere and thus the ambient air quality. Although the volcanic plume contributed to the overall exposure of the population of the northern Alpine region on two days, only minor effects on the exacerbation of respiratory and cardiovascular symptoms can be expected.

scholarly journals Intercomparison of total column ozone data from the Pandora spectrophotometer with Dobson, Brewer, and OMI measurements over Seoul, Korea

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiyoung Kim ◽  
Jhoon Kim ◽  
Hi-Ku Cho ◽  
Jay Herman ◽  
Sang Seo Park ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Optical Absorption Spectroscopy ◽  
Ozone Monitoring Instrument ◽  
Total Column Ozone ◽  
Monitoring Instrument ◽  
Ozone Monitoring ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Column Ozone ◽  
Observation Times ◽  
Total Column ◽  
Daily Total

Abstract. Daily total column ozone (TCO) measured using the Pandora spectrophotometer (#19) was intercompared with data from the Dobson (#124) and Brewer (#148) spectrophotometers, as well as from the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI), over the 2-year period between March 2012 and March 2014 at Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea. The Pandora TCO measurements are closely correlated with those from the Dobson, Brewer, and OMI instruments with regression coefficients (slopes) of 0.95, 1.00, 0.98 (OMI-TOMS), and 0.97 (OMI-DOAS), respectively, and determination coefficients (R2) of 0.95, 0.97, 0.96 (OMI-TOMS), and 0.95 (OMI-DOAS), respectively. In particular, they show a close agreement with the Brewer TCO measurements, with slope and R2 values of 1.00 and 0.97, respectively. The difference between the Pandora and Dobson data can be explained by smaller amount of Dobson data available to calculate the daily averages, observation times, solar zenith angles, SO2 effect, temperature, and humidity between the two datasets. The difference in the results obtained from the Pandora instrument and Ozone Monitoring Instrument-Differential Optical Absorption Spectroscopy (OMI-DOAS algorithm) can be explained by the dependence on seasonal variations of about ± 2 % and solar zenith angle leading to overestimation by 5 % of OMI-DOAS measurements. For the Dobson measurements in particular, the difference caused by the inconsistency in observation times when compared with the Pandora measurements was up to 12.5 % on 22 June 2013 because of diurnal variations in the TCO values. However, despite these various differences and discrepancies, the daily TCO values measured by the four instruments during the 2-year study period are accurate and closely correlated.

scholarly journals Influences of the 2010 Eyjafjallajökull volcanic plume on air quality in the northern Alpine region

2011 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 9083-9132 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Schäfer ◽  
W. Thomas ◽  
A. Peters ◽  
L. Ries ◽  
F. Obleitner ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Quality ◽  
Ultrafine Particles ◽  
Ambient Air ◽  
Lower Atmosphere ◽  
Volcanic Plume ◽  
Volcanic Emissions ◽  
Subsequent Formation ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
The North ◽  
Monitoring Stations

Abstract. A series of major eruptions of the Eyjafjallajökull volcano in Iceland started on 14 April 2010 and continued until the end of May 2010. The volcanic emissions moved over nearly the whole of Europe and were observed first on 16 April 2010 in Southern Germany with different remote sensing systems from the ground and space. Enhanced PM10 and SO2 concentrations were detected on 17 April at mountain stations (Zugspitze/Schneefernerhaus and Schauinsland) as well as in Innsbruck by in situ measurement devices. On 19 April intensive vertical mixing and advection along with clear sky-conditions facilitated the entrainment of volcanic material down to the ground. The subsequent formation of a stably stratified lower atmosphere with limited mixing near the ground during the evening of 19 April led to an additional enhancement of near-surface particle concentrations. Consequently, on 19 April and 20 April exceedances of the daily threshold value for particulate matter (PM10) were reported at nearly all monitoring stations of the North Alpine foothills as well as at mountain and valley stations in the northern Alps. The chemical analyses of ambient PM10 at monitoring stations of the North Alpine foothills yielded elevated Titanium concentrations on 19/20 April which prove the presence of volcanic plume material. Following this result the PM10 threshold exceedances are also associated with the volcanic plume. The entrainment of the volcanic plume material mainly affected the concentrations of coarse particles (>1 μm) – interpreted as volcanic ash – and ultrafine particles (<100 nm), while the concentrations of accumulation mode aerosol (0.1–1 μm) were not changed significantly. With regard to the occurrence of ultrafine particles, it is concluded that their formation was triggered by high sulphuric acid concentrations which are necessarily generated by the photochemical processes in a plume rich in sulphur dioxide under high solar irradiance. It became evident that during the course of several days, the Eyjafjallajökull volcanic emissions influenced the near-surface atmosphere and thus the ambient air quality. Following knowledge about health effects of air pollutants and volcanic plume compounds, it is assumed that the volcanic plume contributed to the overall exposure of the population and therefore may have had minor effects on the exacerbation of respiratory and cardiovascular symptoms.

scholarly journals Assessment of NO<sub>2</sub> observations during DISCOVER-AQ and KORUS-AQ field campaigns

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 2523-2546 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sungyeon Choi ◽  
Lok N. Lamsal ◽  
Melanie Follette-Cook ◽  
Joanna Joiner ◽  
Nickolay A. Krotkov ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
A Priori ◽  
Reduction Process ◽  
Remote Sensing Data ◽  
The United States ◽  
Environmental Research ◽  
Ozone Monitoring Instrument ◽  
In Situ Data

Abstract. NASA's Deriving Information on Surface Conditions from Column and Vertically Resolved Observations Relevant to Air Quality (DISCOVER-AQ, conducted in 2011–2014) campaign in the United States and the joint NASA and National Institute of Environmental Research (NIER) Korea–United States Air Quality Study (KORUS-AQ, conducted in 2016) in South Korea were two field study programs that provided comprehensive, integrated datasets of airborne and surface observations of atmospheric constituents, including nitrogen dioxide (NO2), with the goal of improving the interpretation of spaceborne remote sensing data. Various types of NO2 measurements were made, including in situ concentrations and column amounts of NO2 using ground- and aircraft-based instruments, while NO2 column amounts were being derived from the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) on the Aura satellite. This study takes advantage of these unique datasets by first evaluating in situ data taken from two different instruments on the same aircraft platform, comparing coincidently sampled profile-integrated columns from aircraft spirals with remotely sensed column observations from ground-based Pandora spectrometers, intercomparing column observations from the ground (Pandora), aircraft (in situ vertical spirals), and space (OMI), and evaluating NO2 simulations from coarse Global Modeling Initiative (GMI) and high-resolution regional models. We then use these data to interpret observed discrepancies due to differences in sampling and deficiencies in the data reduction process. Finally, we assess satellite retrieval sensitivity to observed and modeled a priori NO2 profiles. Contemporaneous measurements from two aircraft instruments that likely sample similar air masses generally agree very well but are also found to differ in integrated columns by up to 31.9 %. These show even larger differences with Pandora, reaching up to 53.9 %, potentially due to a combination of strong gradients in NO2 fields that could be missed by aircraft spirals and errors in the Pandora retrievals. OMI NO2 values are about a factor of 2 lower in these highly polluted environments due in part to inaccurate retrieval assumptions (e.g., a priori profiles) but mostly to OMI's large footprint (>312 km2).

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