Abstract

HERNANDEZ-DE-TORRES, Julio et al. Remote sensing of atmospheric nitrogen dioxide in an urban area in central northern Mexico. Atmósfera [online]. 2023, vol.36, n.2, pp.317-327.  Epub Dec 02, 2022. ISSN 0187-6236.  https://doi.org/10.20937/atm.53032.

Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) was measured in the urban area of San Luis Potosí (Mexico) using a remote sensing technique based on differential optical absorption spectroscopy (DOAS) in zenith-sky configuration. Measurements were taken from July to August 2015. In this technique, scattered sunlight in the atmosphere is collected by a telescope and carried onto a linear array-based spectrometer at ground level. During the measurement period, the maximum NO2 levels (2.3 × 1016 molecules cm-2) were found at around 11:00 LT, whereas NO2 levels fell on days with wind speeds lower than 1.5 m s-1. NO2 levels were compared and explained with the behavior of meteorological data such as wind speed, relative humidity, and surface temperature obtained from the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model.

Keywords : optical absorption; spectroscopy; atmospheric gases..