The MAX-DOAS network in Mexico City to measure atmospheric pollutants

Abstract

An instrument based on the Multi Axis Differential Optical Absorption Spectroscopy (MAX-DOAS) technique was designed and constructed to measure scattered sunlight in the UV-visible region at different elevation angles. Slant column densities (SCDs) of specific gas absorbers such as nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and formaldehyde (HCHO) are derived from the measured spectra. In this contribution, the technical characteristics and performance of the instruments, their deployment in a newly formed observational network within the metropolitan area of Mexico City, and some results of the retrieved NO2 and HCHO SCDs are presented. These measurements provide more insight on the vertical and spatial distribution of these key atmospheric pollutants and their temporal variability, which also serve as a basis for present and future satellite validation studies.