Ozonesonde Climatology and Satellite Product Evaluation: Tropospheric Ozone in the Mid-Atlantic from 2005-2010

Geostationary satellite missions are proposed to remotely assess regional air quality over large swaths, although the precise capability of the current set of satellite instruments to accurately resolve urban scale pollution remains unverified. We use the Trajectory Enhanced Tropospheric Ozone Residual product derived from Aura's Ozone Monitoring Instrument/Microwave Limb Sounder satellite data to examine the regional climatology of ozone pollution in the mid-Atlantic, focusing on the Washington, D.C. area and downwind Delmarva. We use the North American Regional Reanalysis to determine the synoptic scale flow patterns in the lower troposphere. In addition, a set of proxies (OMI NO2, surface ozone, cloud cover, and air mass classification) are employed to understand TTOR performance and interacting meteorological and chemical effects in the region. We find that the TTOR product accuracy varies substantially both temporally and spatially, improving during summer months (0.22% error in May compared to 11% error in October) for example, and over urban areas more than rural ones (12% error versus 16% error). TTOR product accuracy is influenced by air mass effects on advection and on planetary boundary layer ozone concentrations. Conditions conducive to ozone production yield a higher near-surface proportion of the tropospheric column as measured by Wallops Island ozonesondes. We identify synoptic-scale flow regimes that strengthen correlations between urban tropospheric ozone density and column density off the coast of the mid-Atlantic. These results indicate that remotely sensed measurements may indeed be able to discriminate urban influences on regional ozone and their effects in more remote areas and have implications for air quality assessment and model validation.