Evaluation and Evolution of MAX-DOAS-observed Vertical NO2 Profiles in Urban Beijing

• Published in: Advances in atmospheric sciences Vol. 38; no. 7; pp. 1188 - 1196
• Main Authors: Kang, Yanyu, Tang, Guiqian, Li, Qihua, Liu, Baoxian, Cao, Jianfeng, Hu, Qihou, Wang, Yuesi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Heidelberg Science Press 01.07.2021; Springer Nature B.V; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences,Beijing 100049,China%Institutes of Physical Science and Information Technology,Anhui University,Hefei 230601,China%School of Environment,Tsinghua University,Beijing 100084,China; Center for Excellence in Regional Atmospheric Environment,Institute of Urban Environment,Chinese Academy of Sciences,Xiamen 361021,China; Institutes of Physical Science and Information Technology,Anhui University,Hefei 230601,China; State Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Boundary Layer Physics and Atmospheric Chemistry(LAPC),Institute of Atmospheric Physics,Chinese Academy of Sciences,Beijing 100029,China%State Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Boundary Layer Physics and Atmospheric Chemistry(LAPC),Institute of Atmospheric Physics,Chinese Academy of Sciences,Beijing 100029,China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Airborne Particulate Matter Monitoring Technology,Beijing Municipal Environmental Monitoring Center,Beijing 100048,China%Tai'an Eco-environmental Monitoring Center of Shandong Province,Tai'an 271000,China%Hefei Institute of Material Science,Chinese Academy of Sciences,Hefei 230031,China
• Subjects: Absorption spectroscopy; Analytical methods; Atmospheric Oxidation Capacity; Atmospheric Sciences; Boundary layer evolution; Boundary layer height; Boundary layers; Coefficients; Control; Correlation coefficient; Correlation coefficients; Earth and Environmental Science; Earth Sciences; Evolution; Formation Mechanisms; Geophysics/Geodesy; Height; In situ measurement; Meteorology; Monitoring instruments; Nitrogen dioxide; Original Paper; Ozone; PM2.5 Pollution: Quantification Methods; Pollution; Simulation; Spectroscopy; Towers; Troposphere; Urban areas; Vertical profiles; Beijing China; China; NO; MAX-DOAS; tower-based in situ observation; 塔基原位观测; 验证; 垂直; vertical; TROPOMI; validation; NO2
• ISSN: 0256-1530; 1861-9533
• DOI: 10.1007/s00376-021-0370-1

Multiaxis differential absorption spectroscopy (MAX-DOAS) is a newly developed advanced vertical profile detection method, but the vertical nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ) profiles measured by MAX-DOAS have not yet been fully verified. In this study, we perform MAX-DOAS and tower gradient observations to simultaneously acquire tropospheric NO 2 observations in the Beijing urban area from 1 April to 31 May 2019. The average values of the tropospheric NO 2 vertical column densities measured by MAX-DOAS and the tropospheric monitoring instrument are 15.8 × 10 15 and 12.4 × 10 15 molecules cm −2 , respectively, and the correlation coefficient R reaches 0.87. The MAX-DOAS measurements are highly consistent with the tower-based in situ measurements, and the correlation coefficients R from the ground to the upper air are 0.89 (60 m), 0.87 (160 m), and 0.76 (280 m). MAX-DOAS accurately measures the trend of NO 2 vertical profile changes, although a large underestimation occurs by a factor of two. By analyzing the NO 2 vertical profile, the NO 2 concentration reveals an exponential decrease with height. The NO 2 vertical profile also coincides with the evolution of the boundary layer height. The study shows that the NO 2 over Beijing mainly originates from local sources and occurs in the boundary layer, and its vertical evolution pattern has an important guiding significance to better understand nitrate production and ozone pollution.