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An intercomparison of tropospheric NO2 data products for urban air quality studies

Together, satellite and ground-based measurements provide a complementary dataset with which to understand the spatial and temporal variability of nitrogen dioxide (NO2), a major component of photochemical smog. Efforts to link space-borne column NO2 measurements to surface concentrations have been made in order to probe NO2 emissions over large areas. In this study, surface NO2 concentrations in Toronto, Canada, are derived from 2018 to 2020 using (1) Pandora direct-Sun total column measurements and a modelled column-to-surface algorithm based on a high-resolution air quality model, and (2) Pandora multi-axis observations and various profile retrieval algorithms. Derived surface concentrations are compared to collocated in situ surface NO2 measurements to assess sensitivity to surface NO2. In addition to surface NO2, tropospheric columns (obtained from the direct-Sun and multi-axis observations) and vertical profiles (obtained from multi-axis observations) are also retrieved. Preliminary results of these intercomparisons will be presented, with a focus on the diurnal and seasonal cycles of surface NO2. The results from this work aim to (i) assess and compare the performance of the Pandora products for their use in air quality studies, and (ii) bridge the gap between column and surface NO2 by using vertical profile information.

Event series  Brewer-Wilson Seminar Series