Articles | Volume 8, issue 22
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-8-6577-2008
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-8-6577-2008
17 Nov 2008
 | 17 Nov 2008

Validation of OMI tropospheric NO2 column data using MAX-DOAS measurements deep inside the North China Plain in June 2006: Mount Tai Experiment 2006

H. Irie, Y. Kanaya, H. Akimoto, H. Tanimoto, Z. Wang, J. F. Gleason, and E. J. Bucsela

Abstract. A challenge for the quantitative analysis of tropospheric nitrogen dioxide (NO2) column data from satellite observations is posed partly by the lack of satellite-independent observations for validation. We performed such observations of the tropospheric NO2 column using the ground-based Multi-Axis Differential Optical Absorption Spectroscopy (MAX-DOAS) technique in the North China Plain (NCP) from 29 May to 29 June, 2006. Comparisons between tropospheric NO2 columns measured by MAX-DOAS and the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) onboard the Aura satellite indicate that OMI data (the standard product, version 3) over NCP may have a positive bias of 1.6×1015 molecules cm−2 (20%), yet within the uncertainty of the OMI data. Combining these results with literature validation results for the US, Europe, and Pacific Ocean suggests that a bias of +20%/−30% is a reasonable estimate, accounting for different regions.

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