Long-term MAX-DOAS network observations of NO2 in Russia and Asia (MADRAS) during the period 2007–2012: instrumentation, elucidation of climatology, and comparisons with OMI satellite observations and global model simulations
Y. Kanaya1,H. Irie1,a,H. Takashima1,b,H. Iwabuchi1,c,H. Akimoto1,d,K. Sudo2,M. Gu3,J. Chong3,Y. J. Kim3,H. Lee3,e,A. Li4,F. Si4,J. Xu4,P.-H. Xie4,W.-Q. Liu4,A. Dzhola5,O. Postylyakov5,V. Ivanov5,f,E. Grechko5,S. Terpugova6,and M. Panchenko6Y. Kanaya et al. Y. Kanaya1,H. Irie1,a,H. Takashima1,b,H. Iwabuchi1,c,H. Akimoto1,d,K. Sudo2,M. Gu3,J. Chong3,Y. J. Kim3,H. Lee3,e,A. Li4,F. Si4,J. Xu4,P.-H. Xie4,W.-Q. Liu4,A. Dzhola5,O. Postylyakov5,V. Ivanov5,f,E. Grechko5,S. Terpugova6,and M. Panchenko6
1Department of Environmental Geochemical Cycle Research, Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology, Yokohama 2360001, Japan
2Nagoya University, Nagoya 4648601, Japan
3Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST), Gwangju 500712, Korea
4Anhui Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031, China
5A. M. Obukhov Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 119017, Russia
6V. E. Zuev Institute of Atmospheric Optics, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Tomsk 634021, Russia
anow at: Chiba University, Chiba 2638522, Japan
bnow at: Fukuoka University, Fukuoka 8140180, Japan
cnow at: Tohoku University, Sendai 9808578, Japan
dnow at: Asia Center for Air Pollution Research, Niigata 9502144, Japan
enow at: Pukyong National University, Pusan 608737, Korea
fnow at: National Ozone Monitoring Research and Educational Center of Belarusian State University (NOMREC BSU), Minsk 220064, Belarus
1Department of Environmental Geochemical Cycle Research, Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology, Yokohama 2360001, Japan
2Nagoya University, Nagoya 4648601, Japan
3Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST), Gwangju 500712, Korea
4Anhui Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031, China
5A. M. Obukhov Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 119017, Russia
6V. E. Zuev Institute of Atmospheric Optics, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Tomsk 634021, Russia
anow at: Chiba University, Chiba 2638522, Japan
bnow at: Fukuoka University, Fukuoka 8140180, Japan
cnow at: Tohoku University, Sendai 9808578, Japan
dnow at: Asia Center for Air Pollution Research, Niigata 9502144, Japan
enow at: Pukyong National University, Pusan 608737, Korea
fnow at: National Ozone Monitoring Research and Educational Center of Belarusian State University (NOMREC BSU), Minsk 220064, Belarus
Received: 29 Nov 2013 – Discussion started: 28 Jan 2014 – Revised: 21 Jun 2014 – Accepted: 05 Jul 2014 – Published: 11 Aug 2014
Abstract. We conducted long-term network observations using standardized Multi-Axis Differential optical absorption spectroscopy (MAX-DOAS) instruments in Russia and ASia (MADRAS) from 2007 onwards and made the first synthetic data analysis. At seven locations (Cape Hedo, Fukue and Yokosuka in Japan, Hefei in China, Gwangju in Korea, and Tomsk and Zvenigorod in Russia) with different levels of pollution, we obtained 80 927 retrievals of tropospheric NO2 vertical column density (TropoNO2VCD) and aerosol optical depth (AOD). In the technique, the optimal estimation of the TropoNO2VCD and its profile was performed using aerosol information derived from O4 absorbances simultaneously observed at 460–490 nm. This large data set was used to analyze NO2 climatology systematically, including temporal variations from the seasonal to the diurnal scale. The results were compared with Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) satellite observations and global model simulations. Two NO2 retrievals of OMI satellite data (NASA ver. 2.1 and Dutch OMI NO2 (DOMINO) ver. 2.0) generally showed close correlations with those derived from MAX-DOAS observations, but had low biases of up to ~50%. The bias was distinct when NO2 was abundantly present near the surface and when the AOD was high, suggesting a possibility of incomplete accounting of NO2 near the surface under relatively high aerosol conditions for the satellite observations. Except for constant biases, the satellite observations showed nearly perfect seasonal agreement with MAX-DOAS observations, suggesting that the analysis of seasonal features of the satellite data were robust. Weekend reduction in the TropoNO2VCD found at Yokosuka and Gwangju was absent at Hefei, implying that the major sources had different weekly variation patterns. While the TropoNO2VCD generally decreased during the midday hours, it increased exceptionally at urban/suburban locations (Yokosuka, Gwangju, and Hefei) during winter. A global chemical transport model, MIROC-ESM-CHEM (Model for Interdisciplinary Research on Climate–Earth System Model–Chemistry), was validated for the first time with respect to background NO2 column densities during summer at Cape Hedo and Fukue in the clean marine atmosphere.
