Improved retrieval of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) column densities by means of MKIV Brewer spectrophotometers

A new algorithm to retrieve nitrogen dioxide (NO2) column densities using MKIV Brewer spectrophotometers is described. The method includes several improvements, such as a more recent spectroscopic dataset, the reduction of the measurement noise and interferences by other atmospheric species and instrumental settings, and a better determination of the air mass enhancement factors. The technique was tested during an ad-hoc calibration campaign at the high-altitude site of Izaña (Tenerife, Spain) and provided results compatible to those obtained from a spectrometer associated to the Network for the Detection of Atmospheric Composition Change (NDACC), with deviations of less than 0.02 DU. To determine the extraterrestrial constant, an easily implementable generalisation of the standard Langley technique was developed which takes into account the daytime linear drift of nitrogen dioxide due to the photochemistry. Estimates obtained from different observation geometries, by collecting the light from either the sun or the zenith sky, were found to be comparable within the measurement uncertainty. The latter was thoroughly determined by using a Monte Carlo technique. Finally, a method to retrieve additional products such as the degree of linear polarisation of the zenith sky and the oxygen dimer optical depth is presented. The new algorithm is backward-compatible, thus allowing for the reprocessing of historical datasets.