Validation of OMI Tropospheric Nitrogen Dioxide Column Data Using MAX-DOAS Measurements Deep Inside the North China Plain in June 2006

A challenge for the quantitative analysis of tropospheric nitrogen dioxide (NO2) column data from satellite observations is likely posed mainly by the lack of satellite-independent observations for validation. We performed such satellite-independent observations of the tropospheric NO2 column using the ground-based Multi-Axis Differential Optical Absorption Spectroscopy (MAX-DOAS) technique in the North China Plain (NCP) from 29 May to 29 June, 2006. Comparisons between tropospheric NO2 columns measured by MAX-DOAS and the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) onboard the Aura satellite indicate that OMI data over NCP likely have a positive bias of 2×1015 molecules cm-2 (~30%), but it is within the estimated random error of 3×1015 molecules cm-2 (~40%). Considering the uncertainty estimated here will pave the way for quantitative studies using the OMI NO2 data over NCP.