Articles | Volume 20, issue 20
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-12329-2020
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-12329-2020
Research article
 | 
29 Oct 2020
Research article |  | 29 Oct 2020

Validation of satellite formaldehyde (HCHO) retrievals using observations from 12 aircraft campaigns

Lei Zhu, Gonzalo González Abad, Caroline R. Nowlan, Christopher Chan Miller, Kelly Chance, Eric C. Apel, Joshua P. DiGangi, Alan Fried, Thomas F. Hanisco, Rebecca S. Hornbrook, Lu Hu, Jennifer Kaiser, Frank N. Keutsch, Wade Permar, Jason M. St. Clair, and Glenn M. Wolfe

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Cited articles

Apel, E. C., Hills, A. J., Lueb, R., Zindel, S., Eisele, S., and Riemer, D. D.: A Fast-GC/MS system to measure C2 to C4 carbonyls, and methanol aboard aircraft, J. Geophys. Res., 108, 8794, https://doi.org/10.1029/2002JD003199, 2003. 
ATom-1 Science Team: ATom-1 merge data, available at: https://daac.ornl.gov/ATOM/campaign/ (last access: 23 October 2020), 2016. 
ATom-2 Science Team: ATom-2 merge data, available at: https://daac.ornl.gov/ATOM/campaign/ (last access: 23 October 2020), 2017. 
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We develop a validation platform for satellite HCHO retrievals using in situ observations from 12 aircraft campaigns. The platform offers an alternative way to quickly assess systematic biases in HCHO satellite products over large domains and long periods, facilitating optimization of retrieval settings and the minimization of retrieval biases. Application to the NASA operational HCHO product indicates that relative biases range from −44.5 % to +112.1 % depending on locations and seasons.
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