Articles | Volume 24, issue 11
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-6719-2024
© Author(s) 2024. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-6719-2024
© Author(s) 2024. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
10 Jun 2024
Research article |
| 10 Jun 2024
| 10 Jun 2024
An intercomparison of satellite, airborne, and ground-level observations with WRF–CAMx simulations of NO2 columns over Houston, Texas, during the September 2021 TRACER-AQ campaign
M. Omar Nawaz
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052, USA
Jeremiah Johnson
Ramboll, Novato, CA 94945, USA
Greg Yarwood
Ramboll, Novato, CA 94945, USA
Benjamin de Foy
Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Saint Louis University, St. Louis, MO 63103, USA
Laura Judd
NASA Langley, Hampton, VA 23666, USA
Daniel L. Goldberg
Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052, USA
Related authors
Daniel E. Huber, Gaige H. Kerr, M. Omar Nawaz, Sara Runkel, Susan C. Anenberg, and Daniel L. Goldberg
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-3178, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-3178, 2025
This preprint is open for discussion and under review for Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics (ACP).
Short summary
Short summary
We used satellite data to track air pollution in over 11,000 cities worldwide from 2019 to 2024. Nitrogen dioxide levels fell in many cities in Asia, Europe, and North America, but rose in parts of Africa and the Middle East. We found signs of nitrogen dioxide changes from fossil fuel use, conflict and mining operations. These findings show how satellites can help track pollution and highlight where official data on emissions may be wrong or incomplete.
Daniel L. Goldberg, M. Omar Nawaz, Congmeng Lyu, Jian He, Annmarie G. Carlton, Shobha Kondragunta, and Susan C. Anenberg
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-1350, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-1350, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
This research investigates how air quality, specifically NO2 concentrations, is different under clear and cloudy skies. We find that in situ surface NO2 is, on average, +36 % larger during cloudy days versus clear sky days, with a wide distribution based on geographic region and roadway proximity: largest in the Northeast U.S. and smallest in the Southwest U.S. and near major roadways. This has implications for satellite data applications, which only use measurements in the absence of clouds.
Daniel E. Huber, Gaige H. Kerr, M. Omar Nawaz, Sara Runkel, Susan C. Anenberg, and Daniel L. Goldberg
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-3178, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-3178, 2025
This preprint is open for discussion and under review for Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics (ACP).
Short summary
Short summary
We used satellite data to track air pollution in over 11,000 cities worldwide from 2019 to 2024. Nitrogen dioxide levels fell in many cities in Asia, Europe, and North America, but rose in parts of Africa and the Middle East. We found signs of nitrogen dioxide changes from fossil fuel use, conflict and mining operations. These findings show how satellites can help track pollution and highlight where official data on emissions may be wrong or incomplete.
Prajjwal Rawat, James H. Crawford, Katherine R. Travis, Laura M. Judd, Mary Angelique G. Demetillo, Lukas C. Valin, James J. Szykman, Andrew Whitehill, Eric Baumann, and Thomas F. Hanisco
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 18, 2899–2917, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-2899-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-2899-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
The Pandonia Global Network (PGN) consists of Pandora spectrometers that observe trace gases at a high time resolution to validate satellite observations and understand local air quality. To aid users, PGN assigns quality flags that assure scientifically valid data but eliminate large amounts of data appropriate for scientific applications. A new method based on contemporaneous data in two independent observation modes is proven using complementary ground-based and airborne observations.
Daniel L. Goldberg, M. Omar Nawaz, Congmeng Lyu, Jian He, Annmarie G. Carlton, Shobha Kondragunta, and Susan C. Anenberg
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-1350, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-1350, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
This research investigates how air quality, specifically NO2 concentrations, is different under clear and cloudy skies. We find that in situ surface NO2 is, on average, +36 % larger during cloudy days versus clear sky days, with a wide distribution based on geographic region and roadway proximity: largest in the Northeast U.S. and smallest in the Southwest U.S. and near major roadways. This has implications for satellite data applications, which only use measurements in the absence of clouds.
Ling Huang, Xinxin Zhang, Chris Emery, Qing Mu, Greg Yarwood, Hehe Zhai, Zhixu Sun, Shuhui Xue, Yangjun Wang, Joshua S. Fu, and Li Li
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 4233–4249, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-4233-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-4233-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Ground-level ozone pollution has emerged as a significant air pollutant in China. Chemical transport models (CTMs) serve as crucial tools in addressing ozone pollution. This study reviews CTM applications for simulating ozone in China and proposes goal and criteria benchmark values for evaluating ozone. Along with prior work on PM₂₅ and other pollutants, this effort establishes a comprehensive framework for evaluating CTM performance in China.
Noribeth Mariscal, Louisa K. Emmons, Duseong S. Jo, Ying Xiong, Laura M. Judd, Scott J. Janz, Jiajue Chai, and Yaoxian Huang
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-228, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-228, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
The distribution of ozone (O3) and its precursors (NOx, VOCs) is explored using the chemistry-climate model, MUSICAv0, and evaluated using measurements from the Michigan-Ontario Ozone Source Experiment. A custom grid of ~7 km was created over Michigan. A sector-based diurnal cycle for anthropogenic nitric oxide was included in the model. This work shows that grid resolution played a more important role for O3 precursors, and the diurnal cycle significantly impacted nighttime O3 formation.
Kiyeon Kim, Chul Han Song, Kyung Man Han, Greg Yarwood, Ross Beardsley, and Saewung Kim
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-23, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-23, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Despite the crucial role of halogen radicals in the atmosphere, the current CMAQ model does not account for multi-phase halogen processes. To address this issue, we incorporated 177 halogen reactions, together with anthropogenic and natural halogen emissions into the CMAQ model. Our findings reveal that incorporation of these halogen processes significantly improves model performances compared to ground observations. In addition, we emphasize the influence of halogen radicals on air quality.
Kiyeon Kim, Kyung Man Han, Chul Han Song, Hyojun Lee, Ross Beardsley, Jinhyeok Yu, Greg Yarwood, Bonyoung Koo, Jasper Madalipay, Jung-Hun Woo, and Seogju Cho
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 12575–12593, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-12575-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-12575-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
We incorporated each HONO process into the current CMAQ modeling framework to enhance the accuracy of HONO mixing ratio predictions. These results expand our understanding of HONO photochemistry and identify crucial sources of HONO that impact the total HONO budget in Seoul, South Korea. Through this investigation, we contribute to resolving discrepancies in understanding chemical transport models, with implications for better air quality management and environmental protection in the region.
Christopher A. Emery, Kirk R. Baker, Gary M. Wilson, and Greg Yarwood
Geosci. Model Dev. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-2024-48, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-2024-48, 2024
Preprint withdrawn
Short summary
Short summary
We describe the Comprehensive Air quality Model with extensions (CAMx) and evaluate a model simulation during 2016 over nine U.S. climate zones. For ozone, the model statistically replicates measured concentrations better than most other past models and applications. For small inhalable particulates, the model replicates concentrations consistent with most other past models and applications subject to common uncertainties associated with sources, weather, and chemical interactions.
Ling Huang, Jiong Fang, Jiaqiang Liao, Greg Yarwood, Hui Chen, Yangjun Wang, and Li Li
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 14919–14932, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-14919-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-14919-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Surface ozone concentrations have emerged as a major environmental issue in China. Although control strategies aimed at reducing NOx emissions from conventional combustion sources are widely recognized, soil NOx emissions have received little attention. The impact of soil NO emissions on ground-level ozone concentration is yet to be evaluated. In this study, we estimated the soil NO emissions and evaluated its impact on ozone formation in China.
Xueying Liu, Yuxuan Wang, Shailaja Wasti, Wei Li, Ehsan Soleimanian, James Flynn, Travis Griggs, Sergio Alvarez, John T. Sullivan, Maurice Roots, Laurence Twigg, Guillaume Gronoff, Timothy Berkoff, Paul Walter, Mark Estes, Johnathan W. Hair, Taylor Shingler, Amy Jo Scarino, Marta Fenn, and Laura Judd
Geosci. Model Dev., 16, 5493–5514, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-16-5493-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-16-5493-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
With a comprehensive suite of ground-based and airborne remote sensing measurements during the 2021 TRacking Aerosol Convection ExpeRiment – Air Quality (TRACER-AQ) campaign in Houston, this study evaluates the simulation of the planetary boundary layer (PBL) height and the ozone vertical profile by a high-resolution (1.33 km) 3-D photochemical model Weather Research and Forecasting-driven GEOS-Chem (WRF-GC).
Xiufeng Yin, Dipesh Rupakheti, Guoshuai Zhang, Jiali Luo, Shichang Kang, Benjamin de Foy, Junhua Yang, Zhenming Ji, Zhiyuan Cong, Maheswar Rupakheti, Ping Li, Yuling Hu, and Qianggong Zhang
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 10137–10143, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-10137-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-10137-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
The monthly mean surface ozone concentrations peaked earlier in the south in April and May and later in the north in June and July over the Tibetan Plateau. The migration of monthly surface ozone peaks was coupled with the synchronous movement of tropopause folds and the westerly jet that created conditions conducive to stratospheric ozone intrusion. Stratospheric ozone intrusion significantly contributed to surface ozone across the Tibetan Plateau.
Matthew S. Johnson, Amir H. Souri, Sajeev Philip, Rajesh Kumar, Aaron Naeger, Jeffrey Geddes, Laura Judd, Scott Janz, Heesung Chong, and John Sullivan
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 16, 2431–2454, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-16-2431-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-16-2431-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Satellites provide vital information for studying the processes controlling ozone formation. Based on the abundance of particular gases in the atmosphere, ozone formation is sensitive to specific human-induced and natural emission sources. However, errors and biases in satellite retrievals hinder this data source’s application for studying ozone formation sensitivity. We conducted a thorough statistical evaluation of two commonly applied satellites for investigating ozone formation sensitivity.
Huiming Lin, Yindong Tong, Long Chen, Chenghao Yu, Zhaohan Chu, Qianru Zhang, Xiufeng Yin, Qianggong Zhang, Shichang Kang, Junfeng Liu, James Schauer, Benjamin de Foy, and Xuejun Wang
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 3937–3953, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-3937-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-3937-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Lhasa is the largest city in the Tibetan Plateau, and its atmospheric mercury concentrations represent the highest level of pollution in this region. Unexpectedly high concentrations of atmospheric mercury species were found. Combined with the trajectory analysis, the high atmospheric mercury concentrations may have originated from external long-range transport. Local sources, especially special mercury-related sources, are important factors influencing the variability of atmospheric mercury.
Ling Huang, Hanqing Liu, Greg Yarwood, Gary Wilson, Jun Tao, Zhiwei Han, Dongsheng Ji, Yangjun Wang, and Li Li
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2022-1502, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2022-1502, 2023
Preprint archived
Short summary
Short summary
Secondary organic aerosols are an important component of PM2.5, with contributions from anthropogenic, biogenic volatile organic compounds, semi- and intermediate volatility organic compounds. Policy makers need to know which SOA precursors are important. We investigated the role of different SOA precursors and SOA algorithms by applying two commonly used models, CAMx and CMAQ. Suggestions for SOA modelling and control are provided.
Daniel L. Goldberg, Monica Harkey, Benjamin de Foy, Laura Judd, Jeremiah Johnson, Greg Yarwood, and Tracey Holloway
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 22, 10875–10900, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-10875-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-10875-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
TROPOMI measurements offer a valuable means to validate emissions inventories and ozone formation regimes, with important limitations. Lightning NOx is important to account for in Texas and can contribute up to 24 % of the column NO2 in rural areas and 8 % in urban areas. Modeled NO2 in urban areas agrees with TROPOMI NO2 to within 20 % in most circumstances, with a small underestimate in Dallas (−13 %) and Houston (−20 %). Near Texas power plants, the satellite appears to underrepresent NO2.
Huiming Lin, Yindong Tong, Chenghao Yu, Long Chen, Xiufeng Yin, Qianggong Zhang, Shichang Kang, Lun Luo, James Schauer, Benjamin de Foy, and Xuejun Wang
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 22, 2651–2668, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-2651-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-2651-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
The Tibetan Plateau is known as
The Third Poleand is generally considered to be a clean area owing to its high altitude. However, it may receive be impacted by air pollutants transported from the Indian subcontinent. Pollutants generally enter the Tibetan Plateau in several ways. Among them is the Yarlung Zangbu–Brahmaputra Grand Canyon. In this study, we identified the influence of the Indian summer monsoon on the origin, transport, and behavior of mercury in this area.
Maria Tzortziou, Charlotte F. Kwong, Daniel Goldberg, Luke Schiferl, Róisín Commane, Nader Abuhassan, James J. Szykman, and Lukas C. Valin
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 22, 2399–2417, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-2399-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-2399-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
The COVID-19 pandemic created an extreme natural experiment in which sudden changes in human behavior significantly impacted urban air quality. Using a combination of model, satellite, and ground-based data, we examine the impact of multiple waves and phases of the pandemic on atmospheric nitrogen pollution in the New York metropolitan area, and address the role of weather as a key driver of high pollution episodes observed even during – and despite – the stringent early lockdowns.
Siqi Ma, Daniel Tong, Lok Lamsal, Julian Wang, Xuelei Zhang, Youhua Tang, Rick Saylor, Tianfeng Chai, Pius Lee, Patrick Campbell, Barry Baker, Shobha Kondragunta, Laura Judd, Timothy A. Berkoff, Scott J. Janz, and Ivanka Stajner
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 16531–16553, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-16531-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-16531-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
Predicting high ozone gets more challenging as urban emissions decrease. How can different techniques be used to foretell the quality of air to better protect human health? We tested four techniques with the CMAQ model against observations during a field campaign over New York City. The new system proves to better predict the magnitude and timing of high ozone. These approaches can be extended to other regions to improve the predictability of high-O3 episodes in contemporary urban environments.
Wenfu Tang, David P. Edwards, Louisa K. Emmons, Helen M. Worden, Laura M. Judd, Lok N. Lamsal, Jassim A. Al-Saadi, Scott J. Janz, James H. Crawford, Merritt N. Deeter, Gabriele Pfister, Rebecca R. Buchholz, Benjamin Gaubert, and Caroline R. Nowlan
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 14, 4639–4655, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-4639-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-4639-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
We use high-resolution airborne mapping spectrometer measurements to assess sub-grid variability within satellite pixels over urban regions. The sub-grid variability within satellite pixels increases with increasing satellite pixel sizes. Temporal variability within satellite pixels decreases with increasing satellite pixel sizes. This work is particularly relevant and useful for future satellite design, satellite data interpretation, and point-grid data comparisons.
Ling Huang, Yonghui Zhu, Hehe Zhai, Shuhui Xue, Tianyi Zhu, Yun Shao, Ziyi Liu, Chris Emery, Greg Yarwood, Yangjun Wang, Joshua Fu, Kun Zhang, and Li Li
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 2725–2743, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-2725-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-2725-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
Numerical air quality models (AQMs) are being applied extensively to address diverse scientific and regulatory compliance associated with deteriorating air quality in China. For any AQM applications, model performance evaluation is a critical step that guarantees the robustness and reliability of the baseline modeling results and subsequent applications. We provided benchmarks for model performance evaluation of AQM applications in China to demonstrate model robustness.
Laura M. Judd, Jassim A. Al-Saadi, James J. Szykman, Lukas C. Valin, Scott J. Janz, Matthew G. Kowalewski, Henk J. Eskes, J. Pepijn Veefkind, Alexander Cede, Moritz Mueller, Manuel Gebetsberger, Robert Swap, R. Bradley Pierce, Caroline R. Nowlan, Gonzalo González Abad, Amin Nehrir, and David Williams
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 13, 6113–6140, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-6113-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-6113-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
This paper evaluates Sentinel-5P TROPOMI v1.2 NO2 tropospheric columns over New York City using data from airborne mapping spectrometers and a network of ground-based spectrometers (Pandora) collected in 2018. These evaluations consider impacts due to cloud parameters, a priori profile assumptions, and spatial and temporal variability. Overall, TROPOMI tropospheric NO2 columns appear to have a low bias in this region.
Pablo E. Saide, Meng Gao, Zifeng Lu, Daniel L. Goldberg, David G. Streets, Jung-Hun Woo, Andreas Beyersdorf, Chelsea A. Corr, Kenneth L. Thornhill, Bruce Anderson, Johnathan W. Hair, Amin R. Nehrir, Glenn S. Diskin, Jose L. Jimenez, Benjamin A. Nault, Pedro Campuzano-Jost, Jack Dibb, Eric Heim, Kara D. Lamb, Joshua P. Schwarz, Anne E. Perring, Jhoon Kim, Myungje Choi, Brent Holben, Gabriele Pfister, Alma Hodzic, Gregory R. Carmichael, Louisa Emmons, and James H. Crawford
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 20, 6455–6478, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-6455-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-6455-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
Air quality forecasts over the Korean Peninsula captured aerosol optical depth but largely overpredicted surface PM during a Chinese haze transport event. Model deficiency was related to the calculation of optical properties. In order to improve it, aerosol size representation needs to be refined in the calculations, and the representation of aerosol properties, such as size distribution, chemical composition, refractive index, hygroscopicity parameter, and density, needs to be improved.
Fei Liu, Bryan N. Duncan, Nickolay A. Krotkov, Lok N. Lamsal, Steffen Beirle, Debora Griffin, Chris A. McLinden, Daniel L. Goldberg, and Zifeng Lu
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 20, 99–116, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-99-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-99-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
We present a novel method to infer CO2 emissions from individual power plants, based on satellite observations of co-emitted NO2. We find that the CO2 emissions estimated by our satellite-based method during 2005–2017 are in reasonable agreement with the CEMS measurements for US power plants. The broader implication of our methodology is that it has the potential to provide an additional constraint on CO2 emissions from power plants in regions of the world without reliable emissions accounting.
Ling Huang, Jingyu An, Bonyoung Koo, Greg Yarwood, Rusha Yan, Yangjun Wang, Cheng Huang, and Li Li
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 19, 14311–14328, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-14311-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-14311-2019, 2019
Short summary
Short summary
Severe haze events characterized by extremely high concentrations of particulate matter occurred frequently in the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) region, China. Rapid sulfate production during these severe haze episodes was observed via atmospheric measurements but air quality models tend to underestimated sulfate. Our study suggests that the SO2+NO2 heterogeneous reactions could be potentially important for sulfate formation in the YRD region and ammonia emissions need to be carefully estimated.
Laura M. Judd, Jassim A. Al-Saadi, Scott J. Janz, Matthew G. Kowalewski, R. Bradley Pierce, James J. Szykman, Lukas C. Valin, Robert Swap, Alexander Cede, Moritz Mueller, Martin Tiefengraber, Nader Abuhassan, and David Williams
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 12, 6091–6111, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-12-6091-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-12-6091-2019, 2019
Short summary
Short summary
In 2017, an airborne mapping spectrometer (GeoTASO) was used to observe high-resolution column densities of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) over the western shore of Lake Michigan and the Los Angeles Basin. These data were used to simulate the spatial resolution of current and future satellite NO2 retrievals to evaluate the impact of pixel size on comparisons to ground-based observations in urban areas. As spatial resolution improves, the sensitivity to more heterogeneously polluted scenes increases.
Daniel L. Goldberg, Pablo E. Saide, Lok N. Lamsal, Benjamin de Foy, Zifeng Lu, Jung-Hun Woo, Younha Kim, Jinseok Kim, Meng Gao, Gregory Carmichael, and David G. Streets
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 19, 1801–1818, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-1801-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-1801-2019, 2019
Short summary
Short summary
Using satellite data, we are able to estimate the emissions of NOx (NOx=NO+NO2), a toxic group of air pollutants, in the Seoul metropolitan area. We first develop an enhanced satellite product that better observes NO2 in urban regions. Using this new product, we derive NOx emissions to be twice as large as the emissions reported by the South Korean government. The implication is that the measures taken to reduce NOx emissions in South Korea have not been as effective as regulators have thought.
Huiming Lin, Yindong Tong, Xiufeng Yin, Qianggong Zhang, Hui Zhang, Haoran Zhang, Long Chen, Shichang Kang, Wei Zhang, James Schauer, Benjamin de Foy, Xiaoge Bu, and Xuejun Wang
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 19, 1373–1391, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-1373-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-1373-2019, 2019
Short summary
Short summary
Located in the world's
third Poleand a remote region connecting the Indian and Eurasian plates, Qomolangma National Nature Preserve is an ideal region to study the long-range transport of atmospheric pollutants. Covering both the pre-Indian summer monsoon and Indian summer monsoon periods, our measurement and modeling results have addressed the need for more specific identification of Hg sources in this area and the importance of international cooperation regarding global mercury controls.
Peng Liu, Christian Hogrefe, Ulas Im, Jesper H. Christensen, Johannes Bieser, Uarporn Nopmongcol, Greg Yarwood, Rohit Mathur, Shawn Roselle, and Tanya Spero
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 18, 17157–17175, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-17157-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-17157-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
This study represents an intercomparison of four regional-scale air quality simulations in order to understand the model similarities and differences in estimating the impact of ozone imported from outside of the US on the surface ozone within the US at process level. Vertical turbulent mixing stands out as a primary contributor to the model differences in inert tracers.
Caroline R. Nowlan, Xiong Liu, Scott J. Janz, Matthew G. Kowalewski, Kelly Chance, Melanie B. Follette-Cook, Alan Fried, Gonzalo González Abad, Jay R. Herman, Laura M. Judd, Hyeong-Ahn Kwon, Christopher P. Loughner, Kenneth E. Pickering, Dirk Richter, Elena Spinei, James Walega, Petter Weibring, and Andrew J. Weinheimer
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 11, 5941–5964, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-11-5941-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-11-5941-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
The GEO-CAPE Airborne Simulator (GCAS) was developed in support of future air quality and ocean color geostationary satellite missions. GCAS flew in its first field campaign on NASA's King Air B-200 aircraft during DISCOVER-AQ Texas in 2013. In this paper, we determine nitrogen dioxide and formaldehyde columns over Houston from the GCAS air quality sensor and compare those results with measurements made from ground-based Pandora spectrometers and in situ airborne instruments.
Xiufeng Yin, Shichang Kang, Benjamin de Foy, Yaoming Ma, Yindong Tong, Wei Zhang, Xuejun Wang, Guoshuai Zhang, and Qianggong Zhang
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 18, 10557–10574, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-10557-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-10557-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
Total gaseous mercury concentrations were measured at Nam Co Station on the inland Tibetan Plateau for ~ 3 years. The mean concentration of TGM during the entire monitoring period was 1.33 ± 0.24 ngm-3, ranking it the lowest in China and indicating the pristine atmospheric environment of the inland Tibetan Plateau. Variation of TGM at Nam Co was affected by regional surface reemission, vertical mixing and long-range transported atmospheric mercury, which was associated with the Indian monsoon.
Alan M. Dunker, Bonyoung Koo, and Greg Yarwood
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 17, 12553–12571, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-12553-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-12553-2017, 2017
Short summary
Short summary
Using global and regional models, we determined the anthropogenic increment to ozone (base-case simulation minus a background simulation with only natural emissions) for the US and allocated the increment to anthropogenic emissions inside and outside the US. For the larger ozone concentrations in the base case, the relative importance of the sources is generally US emissions > anthropogenic lateral boundary concentrations (BCs) > Canadian/Mexican emissions ≫ anthropogenic top BCs.
Daniel L. Goldberg, Lok N. Lamsal, Christopher P. Loughner, William H. Swartz, Zifeng Lu, and David G. Streets
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 17, 11403–11421, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-11403-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-11403-2017, 2017
Short summary
Short summary
We developed a new satellite NO2 product using a high spatial resolution (1.33 × 1.33 km) model simulation constrained by aircraft observations. The high-resolution satellite product is now able to observe the spatial heterogeneities of NO2 pollution over a large area with more clarity. The satellite is now in better agreement with monitors at ground level observing the same pollution.
Xiufeng Yin, Shichang Kang, Benjamin de Foy, Zhiyuan Cong, Jiali Luo, Lang Zhang, Yaoming Ma, Guoshuai Zhang, Dipesh Rupakheti, and Qianggong Zhang
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 17, 11293–11311, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-11293-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-11293-2017, 2017
Short summary
Short summary
We presented 5-year surface ozone measurements at Nam Co in the inland Tibetan Plateau and made a synthesis comparison of diurnal and seasonal patterns on regional and hemispheric scales. Surface ozone at Nam Co is mainly dominated by natural processes and is less influenced by stratospheric intrusions and human activities than on the rim of the Tibetan Plateau. Ozone at Nam Co is representative of background that is valuable for studying ozone-related effects on large scales.
Uarporn Nopmongcol, Zhen Liu, Till Stoeckenius, and Greg Yarwood
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 17, 9931–9943, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-9931-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-9931-2017, 2017
Short summary
Short summary
The CAMx regional model was used to examine contribution of intercontinental transport over North America as part of AQMEII Phase III. Largest boundary condition (BC) contributions to ozone (O3) are from the mid-troposphere. Lower emissions in Asia by 20 % causes a near-linear relationship between the BC O3 changes and surface O3 changes in the western US, but the changes are less than 1 ppb. Using inert tracers leads to high bias over 10 ppb compared to using chemically reactive tracers.
Prakash Karamchandani, Yoann Long, Guido Pirovano, Alessandra Balzarini, and Greg Yarwood
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 17, 5643–5664, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-5643-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-5643-2017, 2017
Short summary
Short summary
We quantify contributions of 13 source sectors to air pollution in Europe using a model (CAMx) with source tracking. This information is needed to develop clean air strategies that will be effective. Contributions differ between summer and winter. Sources outside western Europe and natural sources (vegetation) are important in summer. Important sources within Europe are transportation, energy production, industry, and, in winter, residential wood combustion.
Efisio Solazzo, Roberto Bianconi, Christian Hogrefe, Gabriele Curci, Paolo Tuccella, Ummugulsum Alyuz, Alessandra Balzarini, Rocío Baró, Roberto Bellasio, Johannes Bieser, Jørgen Brandt, Jesper H. Christensen, Augistin Colette, Xavier Francis, Andrea Fraser, Marta Garcia Vivanco, Pedro Jiménez-Guerrero, Ulas Im, Astrid Manders, Uarporn Nopmongcol, Nutthida Kitwiroon, Guido Pirovano, Luca Pozzoli, Marje Prank, Ranjeet S. Sokhi, Alper Unal, Greg Yarwood, and Stefano Galmarini
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 17, 3001–3054, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-3001-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-3001-2017, 2017
Short summary
Short summary
As part of the third phase of AQMEII, this study uses timescale analysis to apportion error to the responsible processes, detect causes of model error, and identify the processes and scales that require dedicated investigations. The analysis tackles model performance gauging through measurement-to-model comparison, error decomposition, and time series analysis of model biases for ozone, CO, SO2, NO, NO2, PM10, PM2.5, wind speed, and temperature over Europe and North America.
T. P. Canty, L. Hembeck, T. P. Vinciguerra, D. C. Anderson, D. L. Goldberg, S. F. Carpenter, D. J. Allen, C. P. Loughner, R. J. Salawitch, and R. R. Dickerson
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 15, 10965–10982, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-10965-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-10965-2015, 2015
Z. Lu, D. G. Streets, B. de Foy, L. N. Lamsal, B. N. Duncan, and J. Xing
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 15, 10367–10383, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-10367-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-10367-2015, 2015
Short summary
Short summary
Using an exponentially modified Gaussian method and taking into account the effect of wind on NO2 distributions, we estimate 3-year moving-average emissions of summertime NOx from 35 US urban areas directly from NO2 retrievals of the OMI during 2005−2014. Total OMI-derived NOx emissions over US urban areas decreased by 49%, consistent with reductions of 43, 49, and 44% in the bottom-up NOx emissions, the weak-wind OMI NO2 burdens, and the averaged NO2 concentrations, respectively.
B. de Foy, Y. Y. Cui, J. J. Schauer, M. Janssen, J. R. Turner, and C. Wiedinmyer
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 15, 2405–2427, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-2405-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-2405-2015, 2015
Short summary
Short summary
Elemental carbon and organic carbon are components of fine particulate matter that are harmful to health. We use computer simulations of wind patterns and pollution dispersion to analyze a year-long time series of hourly measurements made at the St. Louis-Midwest supersite. The inverse method produced improved estimates of emissions of these pollutants by different types of sources such as on-road and off-road emissions and open burning.
Y. Y. Cui, A. Hodzic, J. N. Smith, J. Ortega, J. Brioude, H. Matsui, E. J. T. Levin, A. Turnipseed, P. Winkler, and B. de Foy
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 14, 11011–11029, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-11011-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-11011-2014, 2014
G. Yarwood, C. Emery, J. Jung, U. Nopmongcol, and T. Sakulyanontvittaya
Geosci. Model Dev., 6, 1601–1608, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-6-1601-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-6-1601-2013, 2013
E. Solazzo, R. Bianconi, G. Pirovano, M. D. Moran, R. Vautard, C. Hogrefe, K. W. Appel, V. Matthias, P. Grossi, B. Bessagnet, J. Brandt, C. Chemel, J. H. Christensen, R. Forkel, X. V. Francis, A. B. Hansen, S. McKeen, U. Nopmongcol, M. Prank, K. N. Sartelet, A. Segers, J. D. Silver, G. Yarwood, J. Werhahn, J. Zhang, S. T. Rao, and S. Galmarini
Geosci. Model Dev., 6, 791–818, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-6-791-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-6-791-2013, 2013
Related subject area
Subject: Gases | Research Activity: Atmospheric Modelling and Data Analysis | Altitude Range: Troposphere | Science Focus: Chemistry (chemical composition and reactions)
Soil deposition of atmospheric hydrogen constrained using planetary-scale observations
Comparative ozone production sensitivity to NOx and VOCs in Quito, Ecuador, and Santiago, Chile
South Asia anthropogenic ammonia emission inversion through assimilating IASI observations
A new parameterization of photolysis rates for oxygenated volatile organic compounds (OVOCs)
Constraining the budget of NOx and volatile organic compounds at a remote tropical island using multi-platform observations and WRF-Chem model simulations
Multi-observational estimation of regional and sectoral emission contributions to the persistent high growth rate of atmospheric CH4 for 2020–2022
Representing improved tropospheric ozone distribution over the Northern Hemisphere by including lightning NOx emissions in CHIMERE
Assessing the ability to quantify the decrease in NOx anthropogenic emissions in 2019 compared to 2005 using OMI and TROPOMI satellite observations
Tracking daily NOx emissions from an urban agglomeration based on TROPOMI NO2 and a local ensemble transform Kalman filter
Evaluation of O3, H2O, CO, and NOy climatologies simulated by four global models in the upper troposphere–lower stratosphere with IAGOS measurements
Source contribution to ozone pollution during June 2021 fire events in Arizona: insights from WRF-Chem-tagged O3 and CO
High-resolution mapping of on-road vehicle emissions with real-time traffic datasets based on big data
Sensitivity of climate–chemistry model simulated atmospheric composition to the application of an inverse relationship between NOx emission and lightning flash frequency
Regional and sectoral contributions of NOx and reactive carbon emission sources to global trends in tropospheric ozone during the 2000–2018 period
Underappreciated contributions of biogenic volatile organic compounds from urban green spaces to ozone pollution
Chemistry–climate feedback of atmospheric methane in a methane-emission-flux-driven chemistry–climate model
Surface ozone trend variability across the United States and the impact of heat waves (1990–2023)
Sensitivity of climate effects of hydrogen to leakage size, location, and chemical background
Evaluating tropospheric nitrogen dioxide in UKCA using OMI satellite retrievals over south and east Asia
Shifts in global atmospheric oxidant chemistry from land cover change
Technical note: A comparative study of chemistry schemes for volcanic sulfur dioxide in Lagrangian transport simulations – a case study of the 2019 Raikoke eruption
Revisiting the high tropospheric ozone over southern Africa: role of biomass burning and anthropogenic emissions
Monoterpene oxidation pathways initiated by acyl peroxy radical addition
Local and transboundary contributions to NOy loadings across East Asia using CMAQ-ISAM and a GEMS-informed emission inventory during the winter–spring transition
Estimating the variability in NOx emissions from Wuhan with TROPOMI NO2 data during 2018 to 2023
Effects of enhancing nitrogen use efficiency in cropland and livestock systems on agricultural ammonia emissions and particulate matter air quality in China
Enhanced understanding of atmospheric blocking modulation on ozone dynamics within a high-resolution Earth system model
Natural emissions of VOC and NOx over Africa constrained by TROPOMI HCHO and NO2 data using the MAGRITTEv1.1 model
Contributions of lightning to long-term trends and inter-annual variability in global atmospheric chemistry constrained by Schumann Resonance observations
Simulated photochemical response to observational constraints on aerosol vertical distribution over North China
Impacts of wildfire smoke aerosols on near-surface ozone photochemistry
Anthropogenic emission controls reduce summertime ozone–temperature sensitivity in the United States
Effectiveness of Emission Controls on Atmospheric Oxidation and Air Pollutant Concentrations: Uncertainties due to Chemical Mechanisms and Inventories
Investigating the response of China's surface ozone concentration to the future changes of multiple factors
The 21st-century wetting inhibits growing surface ozone in Northwestern China
Assessing the relative impacts of satellite ozone and its precursor observations to improve global tropospheric ozone analysis using multiple chemical reanalysis systems
Evaluating present-day and future impacts of agricultural ammonia emissions on atmospheric chemistry and climate
Air-pollution-satellite-based CO2 emission inversion: system evaluation, sensitivity analysis, and future research direction
The impact of sea spray aerosol on photochemical ozone formation over eastern China: heterogeneous reaction of chlorine particles and radiative effect
Insights into ozone pollution control in urban areas by decoupling meteorological factors based on machine learning
Improving the computation efficiency of a source-oriented chemical mechanism for the simultaneous source apportionment of ozone and secondary particulate pollutants
Quantification of regional net CO2 flux errors in the Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 (OCO-2) v10 model intercomparison project (MIP) ensemble using airborne measurements
Fertilization-driven Pulses of Atmospheric Nitrogen Dioxide Complicate Air Pollution in Early Spring over North China
Reactive nitrogen in and around the northeastern and mid-Atlantic US: sources, sinks, and connections with ozone
Preindustrial-to-present-day changes in atmospheric carbon monoxide: agreement and gaps between ice archives and global model reconstructions
Investigating processes influencing simulation of local Arctic wintertime anthropogenic pollution in Fairbanks, Alaska, during ALPACA-2022
Urban ozone formation and sensitivities to volatile chemical products, cooking emissions, and NOx upwind of and within two Los Angeles Basin cities
Causes of growing middle-to-upper tropospheric ozone over the northwest Pacific region
Impact of introducing electric vehicles on ground-level O3 and PM2.5 in the Greater Tokyo Area: yearly trends and the importance of changes in the urban heat island effect
Modelling Arctic Lower Tropospheric Ozone: processes controlling seasonal variations
Alexander K. Tardito Chaudhri and David S. Stevenson
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 7369–7385, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-7369-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-7369-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
There remains a large uncertainty in the global warming potential of atmospheric hydrogen due to poor constraints on its soil deposition and, therefore, its lifetime. A new analysis of the latitudinal variation in the observed seasonality of hydrogen is used to constrain its surface fluxes. This is complemented with a simple latitude–height model where surface fluxes are adjusted from a prototype deposition scheme.
María Cazorla, Melissa Trujillo, Rodrigo Seguel, and Laura Gallardo
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 7087–7109, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-7087-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-7087-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
The current climate and environmental crises impose the need to take actions in cities to curb ozone as a pollutant and a climate forcer. This endeavor is challenging in understudied regions. In this work we analyze how reducing levels of precursor chemicals would affect ozone formation in Quito, Ecuador, and Santiago, Chile.
Ji Xia, Yi Zhou, Li Fang, Yingfei Qi, Dehao Li, Hong Liao, and Jianbing Jin
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 7071–7086, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-7071-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-7071-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
This study established an ammonia emission inventory for South Asia via an assimilation-based inversion system. The posterior emissions, calculated by integrating the anthropogenic inventory and satellite observations, showed significant improvement over the prior. Validation against various measurements supports our results. The study offers a deep understanding of ammonia emissions for policymakers and researchers aiming to develop air quality management and mitigation strategies for South Asia.
Yuwen Peng, Bin Yuan, Sihang Wang, Xin Song, Zhe Peng, Wenjie Wang, Suxia Yang, Jipeng Qi, Xianjun He, Yibo Huangfu, Xiao-Bing Li, and Min Shao
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 7037–7052, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-7037-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-7037-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
A structural-based parameterization for the photolysis rates of oxygenated volatile organic compounds (OVOCs) was integrated into an updated chemical mechanism. This method links photolysis rates to species' structure, bypassing limitations of insufficient quantum yield data. Box model results show that non-HCHO OVOCs, particularly multifunctional carbonyl compounds, significantly contribute to radical production, with alkene and aromatic oxidation products playing key roles.
Catalina Poraicu, Jean-François Müller, Trissevgeni Stavrakou, Crist Amelynck, Bert W. D. Verreyken, Niels Schoon, Corinne Vigouroux, Nicolas Kumps, Jérôme Brioude, Pierre Tulet, and Camille Mouchel-Vallon
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 6903–6941, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-6903-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-6903-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
We investigated the sources and impacts of nitrogen oxides and organic compounds over a remote tropical island. Simulations of the high-resolution Weather Research and Forecasting model coupled with chemistry (WRF-Chem) were evaluated using in situ Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and satellite measurements. This work highlights gaps in current models, like missing sources of key organic compounds and inaccuracies in emission inventories, emphasizing the importance of improving chemical and dynamical processes in atmospheric modelling for budget estimates in tropical regions.
Yosuke Niwa, Yasunori Tohjima, Yukio Terao, Tazu Saeki, Akihiko Ito, Taku Umezawa, Kyohei Yamada, Motoki Sasakawa, Toshinobu Machida, Shin-Ichiro Nakaoka, Hideki Nara, Hiroshi Tanimoto, Hitoshi Mukai, Yukio Yoshida, Shinji Morimoto, Shinya Takatsuji, Kazuhiro Tsuboi, Yousuke Sawa, Hidekazu Matsueda, Kentaro Ishijima, Ryo Fujita, Daisuke Goto, Xin Lan, Kenneth Schuldt, Michal Heliasz, Tobias Biermann, Lukasz Chmura, Jarsolaw Necki, Irène Xueref-Remy, and Damiano Sferlazzo
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 6757–6785, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-6757-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-6757-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
This study estimated regional and sectoral emission contributions to the unprecedented surge of atmospheric methane for 2020–2022. The methane is the second most important greenhouse gas, and its emissions reduction is urgently required to mitigate global warming. Numerical modeling-based estimates with three different sets of atmospheric observations consistently suggested large contributions of biogenic emissions from South Asia and Southeast Asia to the surge of atmospheric methane.
Sanhita Ghosh, Arineh Cholakian, Sylvain Mailler, and Laurent Menut
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 6273–6297, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-6273-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-6273-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
In this study, we evaluate the present state of modelling lightning flashes over the Northern Hemisphere, using the classical CTH (cloud-top height) scheme and the ICEFLUX scheme with the CHIMERE model. Our study provides a comprehensive 3D comparison of model outputs to assess the robustness and applicability of these schemes. An improvement in O3 distribution in the tropical free troposphere is observed due to inclusion of LNOx (nitrogen oxide emissions from lightning) in the model. Inclusion of LNOx also reduces the lifetime of trace gas CH4.
Audrey Fortems-Cheiney, Grégoire Broquet, Elise Potier, Antoine Berchet, Isabelle Pison, Adrien Martinez, Robin Plauchu, Rimal Abeed, Aurélien Sicsik-Paré, Gaelle Dufour, Adriana Coman, Dilek Savas, Guillaume Siour, Henk Eskes, Hugo A. C. Denier van der Gon, and Stijn N. C. Dellaert
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 6047–6068, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-6047-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-6047-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
This study assesses the potential of the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) and the TROPOspheric Monitoring Instrument (TROPOMI) satellite observations to inform about the decrease in anthropogenic emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) in 2019 compared with 2005 at regional to national scales in Europe. Both the OMI and TROPOMI inversions show decreases in European NOx anthropogenic emission budgets in 2019 compared to 2005 but with different magnitudes.
Yawen Kong, Bo Zheng, and Yuxi Liu
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 5959–5976, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-5959-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-5959-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Current high-resolution satellite remote sensing technologies provide a unique opportunity to derive timely high-resolution emission data. We developed an emission inversion system to assimilate satellite NO2 data to obtain daily kilometer-scale NOx emission inventories. Our results enhance inventory accuracy, allowing us to capture the effects of pollution control policies on daily emissions (e.g., during COVID-19 lockdowns) and improve fine-scale air quality modeling.
Yann Cohen, Didier Hauglustaine, Nicolas Bellouin, Marianne Tronstad Lund, Sigrun Matthes, Agnieszka Skowron, Robin Thor, Ulrich Bundke, Andreas Petzold, Susanne Rohs, Valérie Thouret, Andreas Zahn, and Helmut Ziereis
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 5793–5836, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-5793-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-5793-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
The chemical composition of the atmosphere near the tropopause is a key parameter for evaluating the climate impact of subsonic aviation pollutants. This study uses in situ data collected aboard passenger aircraft to assess the ability of four chemistry–climate models to reproduce (bi-)decadal climatologies of ozone, carbon monoxide, water vapour, and reactive nitrogen in this region. The models reproduce the very distinct ozone seasonality in the upper troposphere and in the lower stratosphere well.
Yafang Guo, Mohammad Amin Mirrezaei, Armin Sorooshian, and Avelino F. Arellano
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 5591–5616, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-5591-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-5591-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
We assess the contributions of fire and anthropogenic emissions to O3 levels in Phoenix, Arizona, during a period of intense heat and drought conditions. We find that fire exacerbates O3 pollution and that interactions between weather, climate, and air chemistry are important to consider. This has implications for activities related to formulating emission reduction strategies in areas that are currently understudied yet becoming relevant due to reports of increasing global aridity.
Yujia Wang, Hongbin Wang, Bo Zhang, Peng Liu, Xinfeng Wang, Shuchun Si, Likun Xue, Qingzhu Zhang, and Qiao Wang
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 5537–5555, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-5537-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-5537-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
This study established a bottom-up approach that employs real-time traffic flows and interpolation to obtain a spatially continuous on-road vehicle emission mapping for the main urban area of Jinan. The diurnal variation, spatial distribution, and emission hotspots were analyzed with clustering and hotspot analysis, showing unique fine-scale variation characteristics of on-road vehicle emissions. Future scenario analysis demonstrates remarkable benefits of electrification on emission reduction.
Francisco J. Pérez-Invernón, Francisco J. Gordillo-Vázquez, Heidi Huntrieser, Patrick Jöckel, and Eric J. Bucsela
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 5557–5575, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-5557-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-5557-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Lightning plays a significant role in tropospheric chemistry by producing substantial amounts of nitrogen oxides. According to recent estimates, thunderstorms that produce a higher lightning frequency rate also produce less nitrogen oxide per flash. We implemented the dependency of nitrogen oxide production per flash on lightning flash frequency in a chemical atmospheric model.
Aditya Nalam, Aura Lupaşcu, Tabish Ansari, and Tim Butler
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 5287–5311, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-5287-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-5287-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Tropospheric O3 molecules are labeled with the identity of their precursor source to simulate contributions from various emission sources to the global tropospheric O3 burden (TOB) and its trends. With an equatorward shift, anthropogenic NOx emissions become significantly more efficient at producing O3 and play a major role in driving TOB trends, mainly due to larger convection at the tropics effectively lifting O3 and its precursors to the free troposphere, where O3 lifetime is longer.
Haofan Wang, Yuejin Li, Yiming Liu, Xiao Lu, Yang Zhang, Qi Fan, Chong Shen, Senchao Lai, Yan Zhou, Tao Zhang, and Dingli Yue
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 5233–5250, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-5233-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-5233-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
This study explores how urban green spaces (UGSs) in Guangzhou influence ozone levels. By using advanced models, we found that natural emissions from these areas can significantly affect air quality. Our results suggest that the design and planning of UGSs should not only consider aesthetics and social factors but also their environmental impacts on air quality.
Laura Stecher, Franziska Winterstein, Patrick Jöckel, Michael Ponater, Mariano Mertens, and Martin Dameris
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 5133–5158, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-5133-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-5133-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Methane, the second most important anthropogenic greenhouse gas, is chemically decomposed in the atmosphere. The chemical sink of atmospheric methane is not constant but depends on the temperature and on the abundance of its reaction partners. In this study, we use a global chemistry–climate model to assess the feedback of atmospheric methane induced by changes in the chemical sink in a warming climate and its implications for the chemical composition and the surface air temperature change.
Kai-Lan Chang, Brian C. McDonald, Colin Harkins, and Owen R. Cooper
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 5101–5132, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-5101-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-5101-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Exposure to high levels of ozone can be harmful to human health. This study shows consistent and robust evidence of decreasing ozone extremes across much of the United States over the period from 1990 to 2023, previously attributed to ozone precursor emission controls. Nevertheless, we also show that the increasing heat wave frequencies are likely to contribute to additional ozone exceedances, slowing the progress of decreasing the frequency of ozone exceedances.
Ragnhild Bieltvedt Skeie, Marit Sandstad, Srinath Krishnan, Gunnar Myhre, and Maria Sand
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 4929–4942, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-4929-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-4929-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Hydrogen leakages can alter the amount of climate gases in the atmosphere and hence have a climate impact. In this study we investigate, using an atmospheric chemistry model, how this indirect climate effect differs with different amounts of leakages and with where the hydrogen leaks and if this effect changes in the future. The effect is largest for emissions far from areas where hydrogen is removed from the atmosphere by the soil, but these are not relevant locations for a future hydrogen economy.
Alok K. Pandey, David S. Stevenson, Alcide Zhao, Richard J. Pope, Ryan Hossaini, Krishan Kumar, and Martyn P. Chipperfield
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 4785–4802, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-4785-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-4785-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Nitrogen dioxide is an air pollutant largely controlled by human activity that affects ozone, methane, and aerosols. Satellite instruments can quantify column NO2 and, by carefully matching the time and location of measurements, enable evaluation of model simulations. NO2 over south and east Asia is assessed, showing that the model captures not only many features of the measurements, but also important differences that suggest model deficiencies in representing several aspects of the atmospheric chemistry of NO2.
Ryan Vella, Sergey Gromov, Clara M. Nussbaumer, Laura Stecher, Matthias Kohl, Samuel Ruhl, Holger Tost, Jos Lelieveld, and Andrea Pozzer
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-1800, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-1800, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
We evaluated how replacing forests with farmland and grazing areas affects atmospheric composition. Using a global climate-chemistry model, we found that deforestation reduces BVOCs, increases farming pollutants, and shifts ozone chemistry. These changes lead to a small cooling effect on the climate. Restoring natural vegetation could reverse some of these effects.
Mingzhao Liu, Lars Hoffmann, Jens-Uwe Grooß, Zhongyin Cai, Sabine Grießbach, and Yi Heng
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 4403–4418, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-4403-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-4403-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
We studied the transport and chemical decomposition of volcanic SO2, focusing on the 2019 Raikoke event. By comparing two different chemistry modeling schemes, we found that including complex chemical reactions leads to a more accurate prediction of how long SO2 stays in the atmosphere. This research helps improve our understanding of volcanic pollution and its impact on air quality and climate, providing better tools for scientists to track and predict the movement of these pollutants.
Yufen Wang, Ke Li, Xi Chen, Zhenjiang Yang, Minglong Tang, Pascoal M. D. Campos, Yang Yang, Xu Yue, and Hong Liao
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 4455–4475, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-4455-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-4455-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
The impacts of biomass burning and anthropogenic emissions on high tropospheric ozone levels are not well studied in southern Africa. We combined model simulations with recent observations at the surface and from space to quantify tropospheric ozone and its drivers in southern Africa. Our work focuses on the impact of emissions from different sources at different spatial scales, contributing to a comprehensive understanding of air pollution drivers and their uncertainties in southern Africa.
Dominika Pasik, Thomas Golin Almeida, Emelda Ahongshangbam, Siddharth Iyer, and Nanna Myllys
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 4313–4331, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-4313-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-4313-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
We used quantum chemistry methods to investigate the oxidation mechanisms of acyl peroxy radicals (APRs) with various monoterpenes. Our findings reveal unique oxidation pathways for different monoterpenes, leading to either chain-terminating products or highly reactive intermediates that can contribute to particle formation in the atmosphere. This research highlights APRs as potentially significant but underexplored atmospheric oxidants that may influence future approaches to modelling climate.
Jincheol Park, Yunsoo Choi, and Sagun Kayastha
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 4291–4311, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-4291-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-4291-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
We investigated NOx emission contributions to NOy loadings across five regions of East Asia during the 2022 winter–spring transition through chemical transport modeling informed by satellite data. As seasons progress, local contributions within each region to its NOy budget decreased from 32 %–43 % to 23 %–30 %, while transboundary contributions increased from 16 %–33 % to 27 %–37 %, driven by a shift in synoptic settings that allowed pollutants to spread more broadly across the regions.
Qianqian Zhang, K. Folkert Boersma, Chiel van der Laan, Alba Mols, Bin Zhao, Shengyue Li, and Yuepeng Pan
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 3313–3326, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-3313-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-3313-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Accurate NOx emission estimates are required to better understand air pollution. This study investigates and demonstrates the ability of the superposition column model in combination with TROPOMI tropospheric NO2 column data to estimate city-scale NOx emissions and lifetimes and their variabilities. The results of this work nevertheless confirm the strength of the superposition column model in estimating urban NOx emissions with reasonable accuracy.
Biao Luo, Lei Liu, David H. Y. Yung, Tiangang Yuan, Jingwei Zhang, Leo T. H. Ng, and Amos P. K. Tai
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-72, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-72, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Through a combination of emission models and air quality model, we aimed to address the pressing issue of poor nitrogen management while promoting sustainable food systems and public health in China. We discovered that improving nitrogen management of crop and livestock can substantially reduce air pollutant emissions, particularly in North China Plain. Our findings further provide the benefits of such interventions on PM2.5 reductions, offering valuable insights for policymakers.
Wenbin Kou, Yang Gao, Dan Tong, Xiaojie Guo, Xiadong An, Wenyu Liu, Mengshi Cui, Xiuwen Guo, Shaoqing Zhang, Huiwang Gao, and Lixin Wu
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 3029–3048, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-3029-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-3029-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Unlike traditional numerical studies, we apply a high-resolution Earth system model, improving simulations of surface ozone and large-scale circulations such as atmospheric blocking. Besides local heat waves, we quantify the impact of atmospheric blocking on downstream ozone concentrations, which is closely associated with the blocking position. We identify three major pathways of Rossby wave propagation, stressing the critical role of large-scale circulation in regional air quality.
Beata Opacka, Trissevgeni Stavrakou, Jean-François Müller, Isabelle De Smedt, Jos van Geffen, Eloise A. Marais, Rebekah P. Horner, Dylan B. Millet, Kelly C. Wells, and Alex B. Guenther
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 2863–2894, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-2863-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-2863-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Vegetation releases biogenic volatile organic compounds, while soils and lightning contribute to the natural emissions of nitrogen oxides into the atmosphere. These gases interact in complex ways. Using satellite data and models, we developed a new method to simultaneously optimize these natural emissions over Africa in 2019. Our approach resulted in an increase in natural emissions, supported by independent data indicating that current estimates are underestimated.
Xiaobo Wang, Yuzhong Zhang, Tamás Bozóki, Ruosi Liang, Xinchun Xie, Shutao Zhao, Rui Wang, Yujia Zhao, and Shuai Sun
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-370, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-370, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Schumann Resonance observations are used to parameterize lightning NOx emissions for better capturing global lightning trend and variability. Updated simulations reveal insignificant trend but greater variability in lightning NOx emissions, impacting tropospheric NOx, O3 and OH. Lightning generally counteracts non-lightning factors, reducing the inter-annua variability of tropospheric O3 and OH. Variations of global lightning play important role in understanding the atmospheric methane budget.
Xi Chen, Ke Li, Ting Yang, Xipeng Jin, Lei Chen, Yang Yang, Shuman Zhao, Bo Hu, Bin Zhu, Zifa Wang, and Hong Liao
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-430, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-430, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Aerosol vertical distribution that plays a crucial role in aerosol-photolysis interaction (API) remains underrepresented in chemical models. We integrated lidar and radiosonde observations to constrain the simulated aerosol profiles over North China and quantified the photochemical responses. The increased photolysis rates in the lower layers led to increased ozone and accounted for a 36 %–56 % reduction in API effects, resulting in enhanced atmospheric oxidizing capacity and aerosol formation.
Jiaqi Shen, Ronald C. Cohen, Glenn M. Wolfe, and Xiaomeng Jin
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-706, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-706, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
This study shows large chemical and radiative effects of smoke aerosols from fires on near-surface ozone production. Aerosol loading and NOx levels are identified as the primary factors influencing these effects. Furthermore, we show that the surface PM2.5 to NO2 column ratio can be used as an indicator for identifying aerosol-dominated regimes, facilitating the assessments of aerosol impacts on ozone formation through satellite observations.
Shuai Li, Haolin Wang, and Xiao Lu
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 2725–2743, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-2725-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-2725-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Summertime ozone–temperature sensitivity has decreased by 50 % from 3.0 ppbv per K in 1990 to 1.5 ppb per K in 2021 in the US. GEOS-Chem simulations show that anthropogenic nitrogen oxide emission reduction is the dominant driver of ozone–temperature sensitivity decline by influencing both temperature direct and temperature indirect processes. Reduced ozone–temperature sensitivity has decreased ozone enhancement from low to high temperatures by an average of 6.8 ppbv across the US.
Mingjie Kang, Hongliang Zhang, and Qi Ying
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-255, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-255, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
This study examines the impacts of reducing nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds on ozone (O3), secondary inorganic aerosols (SIA), and OH and NO3 radicals. The results show similar predictions for 8-h O3 but significant variability for SIA and radicals, with differences up to 30 % for SIA and 200 % for radicals across chemical mechanisms and inventories. The findings highlight that evaluating control strategies for SIA and atmospheric oxidation capacity requires an ensemble approach.
Jinya Yang, Yutong Wang, Lei Zhang, and Yu Zhao
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 2649–2666, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-2649-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-2649-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
We develop a modeling framework to predict future ozone concentrations (till the 2060s) in China following an IPCC scenario. We evaluate the contributions of climatic, anthropogenic, and biogenic factors by season and region. We find persistent emission controls will alter the nonlinear response of ozone to its precursors and dominate the declining ozone level. The outcomes highlight the importance of human actions, even with a climate penalty on air quality.
Xiaodong Zhang, Yu Yan, Ning Zhang, Wenpeng Wang, Huabing Suo, Xiaohu Jian, Chao Wang, Haibo Ma, Hong Gao, Zhaoli Yang, Tao Huang, and Jianmin Ma
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-258, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-258, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
This study performed comprehensive sensitivity model simulations to explore the surface O3 responses to historical and projected climate change in Northwestern China (NW). Our results reveal that substantial wetting trends since the 21st century have mitigated O3 growth in this region, with the influence of wetting on O3 evolution outweighing the warming effect. These findings should be taken into account in future policymaking aimed at scientifically reducing O3 pollution in NW.
Takashi Sekiya, Emanuele Emili, Kazuyuki Miyazaki, Antje Inness, Zhen Qu, R. Bradley Pierce, Dylan Jones, Helen Worden, William Y. Y. Cheng, Vincent Huijnen, and Gerbrand Koren
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 2243–2268, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-2243-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-2243-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Five global chemical reanalysis datasets were used to assess the relative impacts of assimilating satellite ozone and its precursor measurements on tropospheric ozone analyses for 2010. The multiple reanalysis system comparison allows an evaluation of the dependency of the impacts on different reanalysis systems. The results suggested the importance of satellite ozone and its precursor measurements for improving ozone analysis in the whole troposphere, with varying magnitudes among the systems.
Maureen Beaudor, Didier Hauglustaine, Juliette Lathière, Martin Van Damme, Lieven Clarisse, and Nicolas Vuichard
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 2017–2046, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-2017-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-2017-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Agriculture is the biggest ammonia (NH3) source, impacting air quality, climate, and ecosystems. Because of food demand, NH3 emissions are projected to rise by 2100. Using a global model, we analyzed the impact of present and future NH3 emissions generated from a land model. Our results show improved ammonia patterns compared to a reference inventory. Future scenarios predict up to 70 % increase in global NH3 burden, with significant changes in radiative forcing that can greatly elevate N2O.
Hui Li, Jiaxin Qiu, and Bo Zheng
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 1949–1963, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-1949-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-1949-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
We conduct a sensitivity analysis with 31 tests on various factors including prior emissions, model resolution, satellite constraint, and other system configurations to assess the vulnerability of emission estimates across temporal, sectoral, and regional dimensions. This reveals the robustness of emissions estimated by this air-pollution-satellite-based CO2 emission inversion system, with relative change between tests and base inversion below 4.0 % for national annual NOx and CO2 emissions.
Yingying Hong, Yuqi Zhu, Yuxuan Huang, Yiming Liu, Chuqi Xiong, and Qi Fan
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-4132, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-4132, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
This study investigates the impact of sea spray aerosol on ozone formation across Eastern China, highlighting its complex influence through both chemical reactions and radiative effects, which vary seasonally and geographically.
Yuqing Qiu, Xin Li, Wenxuan Chai, Yi Liu, Mengdi Song, Xudong Tian, Qiaoli Zou, Wenjun Lou, Wangyao Zhang, Juan Li, and Yuanhang Zhang
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 1749–1763, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-1749-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-1749-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
The chemical reactions of ozone (O3) formation are related to meteorology and local emissions. Here, a random forest approach was used to eliminate the effects of meteorological factors (dispersion or transport) on O3 and its precursors. Variations in the sensitivity of O3 formation and the apportionment of emission sources were revealed after meteorological normalization. Our results suggest that meteorological variations should be considered when diagnosing O3 formation.
Qixiang Xu, Fangcheng Su, Ke Wang, Ruiqin Zhang, Qi Ying, and Michael J. Kleeman
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-44, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-44, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
This manuscript introduces a novel approach for improving the computational efficiency and scalability of source-oriented chemical mechanisms by simplifying the representation of reactions involving source-tagged species and implementing a source-oriented Euler Backward Iterative (EBI) solver. These advancements reduce simulation times by up to 74 % while maintaining accuracy, offering significant practical benefits for long-term source apportionment studies.
Jeongmin Yun, Junjie Liu, Brendan Byrne, Brad Weir, Lesley E. Ott, Kathryn McKain, Bianca C. Baier, Luciana V. Gatti, and Sebastien C. Biraud
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 1725–1748, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-1725-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-1725-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
This study quantifies errors in regional net surface–atmosphere CO2 flux estimates from an inverse model ensemble using airborne CO2 measurements. Our results show that flux error estimates based on observations significantly exceed those computed from the ensemble spread of flux estimates in regions with high fossil fuel emissions. This finding suggests the presence of systematic biases in the inversion estimates, associated with errors in the fossil fuel emissions common to all models.
Tian Feng, Guohui Li, Shuyu Zhao, Naifang Bei, Xin Long, Yuepeng Pan, Yu Song, Ruonan Wang, Xuexi Tie, and Luisa Molina
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-243, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-243, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Impacts of agricultural fertilization on nitrogen oxide and air quality are becoming more pronounced with continuous reductions in fossil fuel sources in China. We report that atmospheric nitrogen dioxide pulses driven by agricultural fertilizations largely complicate air pollution in North China, highlighting the necessity of agricultural emission control.
Min Huang, Gregory R. Carmichael, Kevin W. Bowman, Isabelle De Smedt, Andreas Colliander, Michael H. Cosh, Sujay V. Kumar, Alex B. Guenther, Scott J. Janz, Ryan M. Stauffer, Anne M. Thompson, Niko M. Fedkin, Robert J. Swap, John D. Bolten, and Alicia T. Joseph
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 1449–1476, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-1449-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-1449-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
We use model simulations along with multiplatform, multidisciplinary observations and a range of analysis methods to estimate and understand the distributions, temporal changes, and impacts of reactive nitrogen and ozone over the most populous US region that has undergone significant environmental changes. Deposition, biogenic emissions, and extra-regional sources have been playing increasingly important roles in controlling pollutant budgets in this area as local anthropogenic emissions drop.
Xavier Faïn, Sophie Szopa, Vaishali Naïk, Patricia Martinerie, David M. Etheridge, Rachael H. Rhodes, Cathy M. Trudinger, Vasilii V. Petrenko, Kévin Fourteau, and Philip Place
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 1105–1119, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-1105-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-1105-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Carbon monoxide (CO) plays a crucial role in the atmosphere's oxidizing capacity. In this study, we analyse how historical (1850–2014) [CO] outputs from state-of-the-art global chemistry–climate models over Greenland and Antarctica are able to capture both absolute values and trends recorded in multi-site ice archives. A disparity in [CO] growth rates emerges in the Northern Hemisphere between models and observations from 1920–1975 CE, possibly linked to uncertainties in CO emission factors.
Natalie Brett, Kathy S. Law, Steve R. Arnold, Javier G. Fochesatto, Jean-Christophe Raut, Tatsuo Onishi, Robert Gilliam, Kathleen Fahey, Deanna Huff, George Pouliot, Brice Barret, Elsa Dieudonné, Roman Pohorsky, Julia Schmale, Andrea Baccarini, Slimane Bekki, Gianluca Pappaccogli, Federico Scoto, Stefano Decesari, Antonio Donateo, Meeta Cesler-Maloney, William Simpson, Patrice Medina, Barbara D'Anna, Brice Temime-Roussel, Joel Savarino, Sarah Albertin, Jingqiu Mao, Becky Alexander, Allison Moon, Peter F. DeCarlo, Vanessa Selimovic, Robert Yokelson, and Ellis S. Robinson
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 1063–1104, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-1063-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-1063-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Processes influencing dispersion of local anthropogenic pollution in Arctic wintertime are investigated with Lagrangian dispersion modelling. Simulated power plant plume rise that considers temperature inversion layers improves results compared to observations (interior Alaska). Modelled surface concentrations are improved by representation of vertical mixing and emission estimates. Large increases in diesel vehicle emissions at temperatures reaching −35°C are required to reproduce observed NOx.
Chelsea E. Stockwell, Matthew M. Coggon, Rebecca H. Schwantes, Colin Harkins, Bert Verreyken, Congmeng Lyu, Qindan Zhu, Lu Xu, Jessica B. Gilman, Aaron Lamplugh, Jeff Peischl, Michael A. Robinson, Patrick R. Veres, Meng Li, Andrew W. Rollins, Kristen Zuraski, Sunil Baidar, Shang Liu, Toshihiro Kuwayama, Steven S. Brown, Brian C. McDonald, and Carsten Warneke
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 1121–1143, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-1121-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-1121-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
In urban areas, emissions from everyday products like paints, cleaners, and personal care products, along with non-traditional sources such as cooking, are increasingly important and impact air quality. This study uses a box model to evaluate how these emissions impact ozone in the Los Angeles Basin and quantifies the impact of gaseous cooking emissions. Accurate representation of these and other anthropogenic sources in inventories is crucial for informing effective air quality policies.
Xiaodan Ma, Jianping Huang, Michaela I. Hegglin, Patrick Jöckel, and Tianliang Zhao
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 943–958, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-943-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-943-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Our research explored changes in ozone levels in the northwest Pacific region over 30 years, revealing a significant increase in the middle-to-upper troposphere, especially during spring and summer. This rise is influenced by both stratospheric and tropospheric sources, which affect climate and air quality in East Asia. This work underscores the need for continued study to understand underlying mechanisms.
Hiroo Hata, Norifumi Mizushima, and Tomohiko Ihara
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 1037–1061, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-1037-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-1037-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
The introduction of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) is expected to reduce the primary air pollutants from vehicular exhaust and evaporative emissions while reducing the anthropogenic heat produced by vehicles, ultimately mitigating the urban heat island (UHI) effect. This study revealed the impact of introducing BEVs on the decrease in the UHI effect and the impact of BEVs on the formation of tropospheric ozone and fine particulate matter in the Greater Tokyo Area of Japan.
Wanmin Gong, Stephen R. Beagley, Kenjiro Toyota, Henrik Skov, Jesper Heile Christensen, Alexandru Lupu, Diane Pendlebury, Junhua Zhang, Ulas Im, Yugo Kanaya, Alfonso Saiz-Lopez, Roberto Sommariva, Peter Effertz, John W. Halfacre, Nis Jepsen, Rigel Kivi, Theodore K. Koenig, Katrin Müller, Claus Nordstrøm, Irina Petropavlovskikh, Paul B. Shepson, William R. Simpson, Sverre Solberg, Ralf M. Staebler, David W. Tarasick, Roeland Van Malderen, and Mika Vestenius
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-3750, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-3750, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
This study showed that the springtime O3 depletion plays a critical role in driving the surface O3 seasonal cycle in Central Arctic. The O3 depletion events, while occurring most notably within the lowest few hundred metres above the Arctic Ocean, can induce a 5–7 % of loss in the pan-Arctic tropospheric O3 burden during springtime. The study also found an enhancement in O3 and NOy (mostly PAN) concentrations in the Arctic due to northern boreal wildfires, particularly at altitudes.
Cited articles
Achakulwisut, P., Brauer, M., Hystad, P., and Anenberg, S. C.: Global, national, and urban burdens of paediatric asthma incidence attributable to ambient NO2 pollution: estimates from global datasets, Lancet Planet. Health, 3, e166–e178, https://doi.org/10.1016/S2542-5196(19)30046-4, 2019.
Anenberg, S. C., Mohegh, A., Goldberg, D. L., Kerr, G. H., Brauer, M., Burkart, K., Hystad, P., Larkin, A., Wozniak, S., and Lamsal, L.: Long-term trends in urban NO2 concentrations and associated paediatric asthma incidence: estimates from global datasets, Lancet Planet. Health, 6, e49–e58, https://doi.org/10.1016/S2542-5196(21)00255-2, 2022.
Boersma, K. F., Eskes, H. J., Richter, A., De Smedt, I., Lorente, A., Beirle, S., van Geffen, J. H. G. M., Zara, M., Peters, E., Van Roozendael, M., Wagner, T., Maasakkers, J. D., van der A, R. J., Nightingale, J., De Rudder, A., Irie, H., Pinardi, G., Lambert, J.-C., and Compernolle, S. C.: Improving algorithms and uncertainty estimates for satellite NO2 retrievals: results from the quality assurance for the essential climate variables (QA4ECV) project, Atmos. Meas. Tech., 11, 6651–6678, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-11-6651-2018, 2018.
Bucsela, E. J., Krotkov, N. A., Celarier, E. A., Lamsal, L. N., Swartz, W. H., Bhartia, P. K., Boersma, K. F., Veefkind, J. P., Gleason, J. F., and Pickering, K. E.: A new stratospheric and tropospheric NO2 retrieval algorithm for nadir-viewing satellite instruments: applications to OMI, Atmos. Meas. Tech., 6, 2607–2626, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-6-2607-2013, 2013.
Cede, A.: Manual for Blick Software Suite 1.8, LUFTBLICK, https://www.pandonia-global-network.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/BlickSoftwareSuite_Manual_v1-8-1.pdf (last access: March 2024), 2021.
Copernicus Sentinel-5P (processed by ESA): TROPOMI Level 2 Nitrogen Dioxide total column products, Version 02, European Space Agency [data set], https://doi.org/10.5270/S5P-9bnp8q8, 2021.
Danckaert, T., Fayt, C., Roozendael, M. V., Smedt, I. D., Letocart, V., Merlaud, A., and Pinardi, G.: QDOAS Software user manual, DOAS UV-VIS team at BIRA-IASB, https://uv-vis.aeronomie.be/software/QDOAS/index.php (last access: March 2024), 2017.
de Foy, B., Lei, W., Zavala, M., Volkamer, R., Samuelsson, J., Mellqvist, J., Galle, B., Martínez, A.-P., Grutter, M., Retama, A., and Molina, L. T.: Modelling constraints on the emission inventory and on vertical dispersion for CO and SO2 in the Mexico City Metropolitan Area using Solar FTIR and zenith sky UV spectroscopy, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 7, 781–801, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-7-781-2007, 2007.
de Foy, B., Wilkins, J. L., Lu, Z., Streets, D. G., and Duncan, B. N.: Model evaluation of methods for estimating surface emissions and chemical lifetimes from satellite data, Atmos. Environ., 98, 66–77, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2014.08.051, 2014.
Demetillo, M. A. G., Navarro, A., Knowles, K. K., Fields, K. P., Geddes, J. A., Nowlan, C. R., Janz, S. J., Judd, L. M., Al-Saadi, J., Sun, K., McDonald, B. C., Diskin, G. S., and Pusede, S. E.: Observing Nitrogen Dioxide Air Pollution Inequality Using High-Spatial-Resolution Remote Sensing Measurements in Houston, Texas, Environ. Sci. Technol., 54, 9882–9895, https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.0c01864, 2020.
DOC/NOAA/NWS/NCEP/EMC: Global Data Assimilation System (GDAS), National Centers for Environmental Information, https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/metadata/landing-page/bin/iso?id=gov.noaa.ncdc:C00379 (last access: March 2023), 2023.
Dunlea, E. J., Herndon, S. C., Nelson, D. D., Volkamer, R. M., San Martini, F., Sheehy, P. M., Zahniser, M. S., Shorter, J. H., Wormhoudt, J. C., Lamb, B. K., Allwine, E. J., Gaffney, J. S., Marley, N. A., Grutter, M., Marquez, C., Blanco, S., Cardenas, B., Retama, A., Ramos Villegas, C. R., Kolb, C. E., Molina, L. T., and Molina, M. J.: Evaluation of nitrogen dioxide chemiluminescence monitors in a polluted urban environment, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 7, 2691–2704, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-7-2691-2007, 2007.
EOSDIS Worldview: https://worldview.earthdata.nasa.gov/, last access: 29 October 2023.
EPA: Clean Air Markets Program Data, United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Office of Atmospheric Protection, Clean Air Markets Division, Washington, DC, https://campd.epa.gov/ (last access: April 2023), 2023.
Eskes, H. J., Eichmann, K.-U., Lambert, J.-C., Loyola, D., Stein-Zweers, D., Dehn, A., and Zehner, C.: S5P MPC Product Readme Nitrogen Dioxide, ESA and Copernicus, https://sentinels.copernicus.eu/documents/247904/3541451/Sentinel-5P-Nitrogen-Dioxide-Level-2-Product-Readme-File (last access: October 2023), 2023.
Ge, S., Wang, S., Xu, Q., and Ho, T.: Source apportionment simulations of ground-level ozone in Southeast Texas employing OSAT/APCA in CAMx, Atmos. Environ., 253, 118370, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2021.118370, 2021.
Geddes, J. A., Martin, R. V., Bucsela, E. J., McLinden, C. A., and Cunningham, D. J. M.: Stratosphere–troposphere separation of nitrogen dioxide columns from the TEMPO geostationary satellite instrument, Atmos. Meas. Tech., 11, 6271–6287, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-11-6271-2018, 2018.
Goldberg, D. L., Harkey, M., de Foy, B., Judd, L., Johnson, J., Yarwood, G., and Holloway, T.: Evaluating NOx emissions and their effect on O3 production in Texas using TROPOMI NO2 and HCHO, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 22, 10875–10900, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-10875-2022, 2022.
Guenther, A. B., Jiang, X., Heald, C. L., Sakulyanontvittaya, T., Duhl, T., Emmons, L. K., and Wang, X.: The Model of Emissions of Gases and Aerosols from Nature version 2.1 (MEGAN2.1): an extended and updated framework for modeling biogenic emissions, Geosci. Model Dev., 5, 1471–1492, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-5-1471-2012, 2012.
Herman, J., Cede, A., Spinei, E., Mount, G., Tzortziou, M., and Abuhassan, N.: NO2 column amounts from ground-based Pandora and MFDOAS spectrometers using the direct-sun DOAS technique: Intercomparisons and application to OMI validation, J. Geophys. Res.-Atmos., 114, D13307, https://doi.org/10.1029/2009JD011848, 2009.
Huang, S., Li, H., Wang, M., Qian, Y., Steenland, K., Caudle, W. M., Liu, Y., Sarnat, J., Papatheodorou, S., and Shi, L.: Long-term exposure to nitrogen dioxide and mortality: A systematic review and meta-analysis, Sci. Total Environ., 776, 145968, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.145968, 2021.
Hudman, R. C., Moore, N. E., Mebust, A. K., Martin, R. V., Russell, A. R., Valin, L. C., and Cohen, R. C.: Steps towards a mechanistic model of global soil nitric oxide emissions: implementation and space based-constraints, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 12, 7779–7795, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-12-7779-2012, 2012.
Jia, J., Cheng, S., Liu, L., Lang, J., Wang, G., Chen, G., and Liu, X.: An Integrated WRF-CAMx Modeling Approach for Impact Analysis of Implementing the Emergency PM2.5 Control Measures during Red Alerts in Beijing in December 2015, Aerosol Air Qual. Res., 17, 2491–2508, https://doi.org/10.4209/aaqr.2017.01.0009, 2017.
Jin, X., Zhu, Q., and Cohen, R. C.: Direct estimates of biomass burning NOx emissions and lifetimes using daily observations from TROPOMI, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 15569–15587, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-15569-2021, 2021.
Judd, L. M., Al-Saadi, J. A., Szykman, J. J., Valin, L. C., Janz, S. J., Kowalewski, M. G., Eskes, H. J., Veefkind, J. P., Cede, A., Mueller, M., Gebetsberger, M., Swap, R., Pierce, R. B., Nowlan, C. R., Abad, G. G., Nehrir, A., and Williams, D.: Evaluating Sentinel-5P TROPOMI tropospheric NO2 column densities with airborne and Pandora spectrometers near New York City and Long Island Sound, Atmos. Meas. Tech., 13, 6113–6140, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-6113-2020, 2020.
Judd, L. M., Sullivan, J. T., Lefer, B., Haynes, J., Jensen, M. P., and Nadkarni, R.: TRACER-AQ Science Plan, Version 1, NASA, https://www-air.larc.nasa.gov/missions/tracer-aq/docs/TRACERAQ_SciencePlan_v1.pdf (last access: March 2024), 2021.
Keller, C. A., Knowland, K. E., Duncan, B. N., Liu, J., Anderson, D. C., Das, S., Lucchesi, R. A., Lundgren, E. W., Nicely, J. M., Nielsen, E., Ott, L. E., Saunders, E., Strode, S. A., Wales, P. A., Jacob, D. J., and Pawson, S.: Description of the NASA GEOS Composition Forecast Modeling System GEOS-CF v1.0, J. Adv. Model. Earth Syst., 13, e2020MS002413, https://doi.org/10.1029/2020MS002413, 2021 (data available at: https://opendap.nccs.nasa.gov/dods/, last access: October 2023).
Kim, S.-W., McKeen, S. A., Frost, G. J., Lee, S.-H., Trainer, M., Richter, A., Angevine, W. M., Atlas, E., Bianco, L., Boersma, K. F., Brioude, J., Burrows, J. P., de Gouw, J., Fried, A., Gleason, J., Hilboll, A., Mellqvist, J., Peischl, J., Richter, D., Rivera, C., Ryerson, T., te Lintel Hekkert, S., Walega, J., Warneke, C., Weibring, P., and Williams, E.: Evaluations of NOx and highly reactive VOC emission inventories in Texas and their implications for ozone plume simulations during the Texas Air Quality Study 2006, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 11, 11361–11386, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-11-11361-2011, 2011.
Kowalewski, M. G. and Janz, S. J.: Remote sensing capabilities of the GeoCAPE Airborne Simulator, in: Earth Observing Systems XIX, Earth Observing Systems XIX, Proceedings of SPIE (Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers), 496–507, https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2062058, 2014.
Lambert, J.-C., Claas, J., Stein-Zweers, D., Ludewig, A., Loyola, D., Sneep, M., and Dehn, A.: Quarterly Validation Report of the Copernicus Sentinel-5 Precursor Operational Data Products #19, European Space Agency, https://sentinels.copernicus.eu/documents/d/sentinel/s5p-mpc-sron-prf-ch4_v02-06-00_2-5_20231129_signed (last access: March 2024), 2023.
Lamsal, L. N., Martin, R. V., van Donkelaar, A., Steinbacher, M., Celarier, E. A., Bucsela, E., Dunlea, E. J., and Pinto, J. P.: Ground-level nitrogen dioxide concentrations inferred from the satellite-borne Ozone Monitoring Instrument, J. Geophys. Res.-Atmos., 113, D16308, https://doi.org/10.1029/2007JD009235, 2008.
Lamsal, L. N., Krotkov, N. A., Marchenko, S. V., Joiner, J., Oman, L., Vasilkov, A., Fisher, B., Qin, W., Yang, E.-S., Fasnacht, Z., Choi, S., Leonard, P., and Haffner, D.: TROPOMI/S5P NO2 Tropospheric, Stratospheric and Total Columns MINDS 1-Orbit L2 Swath 5.5 km × 3.5 km, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Goddard Earth Sciences Data and Information Services Center, https://doi.org/10.5067/MEASURES/MINDS/DATA203, 2022.
Leitch, J. W., Delker, T., Good, W., Ruppert, L., Murcray, F., Chance, K., Liu, X., Nowlan, C., Janz, S. J., Krotkov, N. A., Pickering, K. E., Kowalewski, M., and Wang, J.: The GeoTASO airborne spectrometer project, in: Earth Observing Systems XIX, Earth Observing Systems XIX, Proceedings of SPIE (Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers), 487–495, https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2063763, 2014.
Li, K.-F., Khoury, R., Pongetti, T. J., Sander, S. P., Mills, F. P., and Yung, Y. L.: Diurnal variability of stratospheric column NO2 measured using direct solar and lunar spectra over Table Mountain, California (34.38° N), Atmos. Meas. Tech., 14, 7495–7510, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-7495-2021, 2021.
Li, W., Wang, Y., Liu, X., Soleimanian, E., Griggs, T., Flynn, J., and Walter, P.: Understanding offshore high-ozone events during TRACER-AQ 2021 in Houston: insights from WRF–CAMx photochemical modeling, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 13685–13699, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-13685-2023, 2023.
Liu, X., Wang, Y., Wasti, S., Li, W., Soleimanian, E., Flynn, J., Griggs, T., Alvarez, S., Sullivan, J. T., Roots, M., Twigg, L., Gronoff, G., Berkoff, T., Walter, P., Estes, M., Hair, J. W., Shingler, T., Scarino, A. J., Fenn, M., and Judd, L.: Evaluating WRF-GC v2.0 predictions of boundary layer height and vertical ozone profile during the 2021 TRACER-AQ campaign in Houston, Texas, Geosci. Model Dev., 16, 5493–5514, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-16-5493-2023, 2023.
Lorente, A., Boersma, K. F., Eskes, H. J., Veefkind, J. P., van Geffen, J. H. G. M., de Zeeuw, M. B., Denier van der Gon, H. A. C., Beirle, S., and Krol, M. C.: Quantification of nitrogen oxides emissions from build-up of pollution over Paris with TROPOMI, Sci. Rep., 9, 20033, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-56428-5, 2019.
Luke, W. T., Kelley, P., Lefer, B. L., Flynn, J., Rappenglück, B., Leuchner, M., Dibb, J. E., Ziemba, L. D., Anderson, C. H., and Buhr, M.: Measurements of primary trace gases and NOY composition in Houston, Texas, Atmos. Environ., 44, 4068–4080, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2009.08.014, 2010.
Mazzuca, G. M., Ren, X., Loughner, C. P., Estes, M., Crawford, J. H., Pickering, K. E., Weinheimer, A. J., and Dickerson, R. R.: Ozone production and its sensitivity to NOx and VOCs: results from the DISCOVER-AQ field experiment, Houston 2013, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 16, 14463–14474, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-14463-2016, 2016.
McDuffie, E. E., Smith, S. J., O'Rourke, P., Tibrewal, K., Venkataraman, C., Marais, E. A., Zheng, B., Crippa, M., Brauer, M., and Martin, R. V.: A global anthropogenic emission inventory of atmospheric pollutants from sector- and fuel-specific sources (1970–2017): an application of the Community Emissions Data System (CEDS), Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 12, 3413–3442, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-12-3413-2020, 2020.
Miller, D. J., Actkinson, B., Padilla, L., Griffin, R. J., Moore, K., Lewis, P. G. T., Gardner-Frolick, R., Craft, E., Portier, C. J., Hamburg, S. P., and Alvarez, R. A.: Characterizing Elevated Urban Air Pollutant Spatial Patterns with Mobile Monitoring in Houston, Texas, Environ. Sci. Technol., 54, 2133–2142, https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.9b05523, 2020.
Murray, L. T.: Lightning NOxand Impacts on Air Quality, Curr. Pollut. Rep., 2, 115–133, https://doi.org/10.1007/s40726-016-0031-7, 2016.
NASA/LARC/SD/ASDC: TRACER-AQ JSC G-V Aircraft Remotely Sensed GEOstationary Coastal and Air Pollution Events (GEO-CAPE) Airborne Simulator (GCAS) Data, NASA Langley Atmospheric Science Data Center DAAC [data set], https://doi.org/10.5067/ASDC/SUBORBITAL/TRACERAQ/DATA001/GV/AircraftRemoteSensing/GCAS_1, 2022a.
NASA/LARC/SD/ASDC: TRACER-AQ Pandora Column Observations, NASA Langley Atmospheric Science Data Center DAAC [data set], https://doi.org/10.5067/ASDC/SUBORBITAL/TRACERAQDATA001/Ground/Pandora_1, 2022b.
Nowlan, C. R., Liu, X., Janz, S. J., Kowalewski, M. G., Chance, K., Follette-Cook, M. B., Fried, A., González Abad, G., Herman, J. R., Judd, L. M., Kwon, H.-A., Loughner, C. P., Pickering, K. E., Richter, D., Spinei, E., Walega, J., Weibring, P., and Weinheimer, A. J.: Nitrogen dioxide and formaldehyde measurements from the GEOstationary Coastal and Air Pollution Events (GEO-CAPE) Airborne Simulator over Houston, Texas, Atmos. Meas. Tech., 11, 5941–5964, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-11-5941-2018, 2018.
Palmer, P. I., Jacob, D. J., Chance, K., Martin, R. V., Spurr, R. J. D., Kurosu, T. P., Bey, I., Yantosca, R., Fiore, A., and Li, Q.: Air mass factor formulation for spectroscopic measurements from satellites: Application to formaldehyde retrievals from the Global Ozone Monitoring Experiment, J. Geophys. Res.-Atmos., 106, 14539–14550, https://doi.org/10.1029/2000JD900772, 2001.
Ramboll: Enhance MARINER Tool for Commercial Marine Emission Inventories Final Report, Ramboll US Consulting, Inc., https://www.tceq.texas.gov/downloads/air-quality/research/reports/emissions-inventory/5822231220030-20220624-ramboll-mariner-enhancement.pdf (last access: March 2023), 2022a.
Ramboll: User's Guide COMPREHENSIVE AIR QUALITY MODEL WITH EXTENSIONS Version 7.20, Ramboll US Consulting, Inc., https://www.camx.com/Files/CAMxUsersGuide_v7.20.pdf (last access: March 2023), 2022b.
Riess, T. C. V. W., Boersma, K. F., Van Roy, W., de Laat, J., Dammers, E., and van Vliet, J.: To new heights by flying low: comparison of aircraft vertical NO2 profiles to model simulations and implications for TROPOMI NO2 retrievals, Atmos. Meas. Tech., 16, 5287–5304, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-16-5287-2023, 2023.
Skamarock, C., Klemp, B., Dudhia, J., Gill, O., Barker, M., Wang, W., and Powers, G.: A Description of the Advanced Research WRF Version 2 (No. NCAR/TN-468+STR), University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, https://doi.org/10.5065/D6DZ069T, 2005.
Skamarock, C., Klemp, B., Dudhia, J., Gill, O., Barker, D., Duda, G., Huang, X., Wang, W., and Powers, G.: A Description of the Advanced Research WRF Version 3 (No. NCAR/TN-475+STR), University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, https://doi.org/10.5065/D68S4MVH, 2008.
Skamarock, C., Klemp, B., Dudhia, J., Gill, O., Liu, Z., Berner, J., Wang, W., Powers, G., Duda, G., Barker, D., and Huang, X.: A Description of the Advanced Research WRF Model Version 4.3 (No. NCAR/TN-556+STR), University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, https://doi.org/10.5065/1dfh-6p97, 2021.
Soleimanian, E., Wang, Y., Li, W., Liu, X., Griggs, T., Flynn, J., Walter, P. J., and Estes, M. J.: Understanding ozone episodes during the TRACER-AQ campaign in Houston, Texas: The role of transport and ozone production sensitivity to precursors, Sci. Total Environ., 900, 165881, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.165881, 2023.
TCEQ: SIP Revision: Regional Haze, TEXAS COMMISSION ON ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY, https://www.tceq.texas.gov/downloads/air-quality/sip/haze/revisions/2021rhsip_ado.pdf (last access: March 2023), 2021.
U.S. Census Bureau: Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas Population Totals: 2020–2022, Census Bureau, https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2020s-total-metro-and-micro-statistical-areas.html, last access: 1 September 2023.
US EPA: US EPA Air Quality System (AQS), US Environmental Protection Agency [data set], https://aqs.epa.gov/aqsweb/airdata/download_files.html, last access: July 2023.
van Geffen, J., Eskes, H., Compernolle, S., Pinardi, G., Verhoelst, T., Lambert, J.-C., Sneep, M., ter Linden, M., Ludewig, A., Boersma, K. F., and Veefkind, J. P.: Sentinel-5P TROPOMI NO2 retrieval: impact of version v2.2 improvements and comparisons with OMI and ground-based data, Atmos. Meas. Tech., 15, 2037–2060, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-2037-2022, 2022.
Verhoelst, T., Compernolle, S., Pinardi, G., Lambert, J.-C., Eskes, H. J., Eichmann, K.-U., Fjæraa, A. M., Granville, J., Niemeijer, S., Cede, A., Tiefengraber, M., Hendrick, F., Pazmiño, A., Bais, A., Bazureau, A., Boersma, K. F., Bognar, K., Dehn, A., Donner, S., Elokhov, A., Gebetsberger, M., Goutail, F., Grutter de la Mora, M., Gruzdev, A., Gratsea, M., Hansen, G. H., Irie, H., Jepsen, N., Kanaya, Y., Karagkiozidis, D., Kivi, R., Kreher, K., Levelt, P. F., Liu, C., Müller, M., Navarro Comas, M., Piters, A. J. M., Pommereau, J.-P., Portafaix, T., Prados-Roman, C., Puentedura, O., Querel, R., Remmers, J., Richter, A., Rimmer, J., Rivera Cárdenas, C., Saavedra de Miguel, L., Sinyakov, V. P., Stremme, W., Strong, K., Van Roozendael, M., Veefkind, J. P., Wagner, T., Wittrock, F., Yela González, M., and Zehner, C.: Ground-based validation of the Copernicus Sentinel-5P TROPOMI NO2 measurements with the NDACC ZSL-DOAS, MAX-DOAS and Pandonia global networks, Atmos. Meas. Tech., 14, 481–510, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-481-2021, 2021.
Vose, R. S., Applequist, S., Squires, M., Durre, I., Menne, M. J., Williams Jr., C. N., Fenimore, C., Gleason, K., and Arndt, D.: NOAA Monthly U.S. Climate Divisional Database (NClimDiv), NOAA National Climatic Data Center [data set], https://doi.org/10.7289/V5M32STR, 2014.
Wagner, T., Warnach, S., Beirle, S., Bobrowski, N., Jost, A., Puķīte, J., and Theys, N.: Investigation of three-dimensional radiative transfer effects for UV–Vis satellite and ground-based observations of volcanic plumes, Atmos. Meas. Tech., 16, 1609–1662, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-16-1609-2023, 2023.
Weather Underground: Houston, TX Weather History, Weather Underground, https://www.wunderground.com/history/daily/us/tx/houston/KHOU, last access: 29 October 2023.
Wiedinmyer, C., Akagi, S. K., Yokelson, R. J., Emmons, L. K., Al-Saadi, J. A., Orlando, J. J., and Soja, A. J.: The Fire INventory from NCAR (FINN): a high resolution global model to estimate the emissions from open burning, Geosci. Model Dev., 4, 625–641, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-4-625-2011, 2011.
Short summary
NO2 is a gas with implications for air pollution. A campaign conducted in Houston provided an opportunity to compare NO2 from different instruments and a model. Aircraft and satellite observations agreed well with measurements on the ground; however, the latter estimated lower values. We find that model-simulated NO2 was lower than observations, especially downtown, suggesting that NO2 sources associated with the urban core of Houston, such as vehicle emissions, may be underestimated.
NO2 is a gas with implications for air pollution. A campaign conducted in Houston provided an...
Altmetrics
Final-revised paper
Preprint