Awareness of atmospheric air quality in Switzerland became a concern in the 1960s, as a result of which the Swiss National Air Pollution Monitoring Network (Nationales Beobachtungsnetz für Luftfremdstoffe - NABEL) was created in the 1970s. This paper describes the establishment and evolution of NABEL, emphasizing its important role in monitoring air quality in Switzerland, and its contribution to international observation networks and research. The network’s history, legal framework, and measurement program are described, and exemplary time-series of air quality parameters are given. NABEL is an excellent example for reliable, long-term air quality monitoring and demonstrates the importance of such monitoring for air pollution control at both national and international levels.

We present results from the Munich Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) Imaging Campaign (MuNIC), where NO2 near-surface concentrations (NSCs) and vertical column densities (VCDs) were measured with stationary, mobile, and airborne in situ and remote sensing instruments in Munich, Germany. The most intensive day of the campaign was 7 July 2016, when the NO2 VCD field was mapped with the Airborne Prism Experiment (APEX) imaging spectrometer. The spatial distribution of APEX VCDs was rather smooth, with a horizontal gradient between lower values upwind and higher values downwind of the city center. The NO2 map had no pronounced source signatures except for the plumes of two combined heat and power (CHP) plants. The APEX VCDs have a fair correlation with mobile multi-axis differential optical absorption spectroscopy (MAX-DOAS) observations from two vehicles conducted on the same afternoon (r=0.55). In contrast to the VCDs, mobile NSC measurements revealed high spatial and temporal variability along the roads, with the highest values in congested areas and tunnels. The NOx emissions of the two CHP plants were estimated from the APEX observations using a mass-balance approach. The NOx emission estimates are consistent with CO2 emissions determined from two ground-based Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) instruments operated near one CHP plant. The estimates are higher than the reported emissions but are probably overestimated because the uncertainties are large, as conditions were unstable and convective with low and highly variable wind speeds. Under such conditions, the application of mass-balance approaches is problematic because they assume steady-state conditions. We conclude that airborne imaging spectrometers are well suited for mapping the spatial distribution of NO2 VCDs over large areas. The emission plumes of point sources can be detected in the APEX observations, but accurate flow fields are essential for estimating emissions with sufficient accuracy. The application of airborne imaging spectrometers for studying NSCs is less straightforward and requires us to account for the non-trivial relationship between VCDs and NSCs.

We present air quality and trace gas observations at the regional Global Atmosphere Watch (GAW) station Pha Din (PDI) in rural Northwestern Vietnam. PDI is located in a sparsely populated area on the top of a hill (1466 m a.s.l.) [1], and frequently receives pollution plumes from large-scale fires on the Indochinese Peninsula [1]. We previously analyzed carbonaceous PM2.5 chemical composition in an intensive campaign conducted during 3 weeks in March-April 2015. The study included measurements of elemental and organic carbon (EC/OC) and more than 50 organic markers, such as sugars, PAHs, fatty acids and nitro-aromatics [2]. For this intensive campaign, we linked trace gas mixing ratios of CO, CO2, CH4 and O3 to a statistical classification of large-scale fires, which was based on organic aerosol composition. We found increased CO and O3 levels during medium and high biomass burning influence during March-April 2015. A backward trajectory analysis confirmed different source regions for the identified periods based on the organic aerosol cluster. The more polluted periods were characterized by trajectories from southwest, with more continental recirculation of the medium cluster, and more westerly advection for the high cluster. Cleaner air masses instead arrived from northeast, i.e., mainland China and Yellow sea during this period. These findings highlighted that biomass burning in Northern Southeast Asia significantly enhances the regional organic aerosol loading, chemical PM2.5 composition and the trace gases in northwestern Vietnam [2]. For our contribution to EGU22, we extend this analysis to a multi-year period and present continuous trace gas observations of CO2, CH4, CO, and O3 conducted at PDI since 2014. The data are interpreted with atmospheric transport simulations, and add valuable insight on air quality and trace gas mixing ratios in a region of scarce data availability. REFERENCES: [1] Bukowiecki, N. et al. Effect of Large-scale Biomass Burning on Aerosol Optical Properties at the GAW Regional Station Pha Din, Vietnam. AAQR 19, 1172–1187 (2019). [2] Nguyen, D. L, et al. Carbonaceous aerosol composition in air masses influenced by large-scale biomass burning: a case-study in Northwestern Vietnam. Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 8293–8312 (2021) https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-8293-2021 FUNDING AND ACKNOWLEDGMENTS: Capacity Building and Twinning for Climate Observing Systems (CATCOS), GAW Quality Assurance/Science Activity Centre Switzerland (QA/SAC-CH), Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) (194390), German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology (VAST).

Airborne imaging remote sensing is increasingly used to map the spatial distribution of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) in cities. Despite the small ground-pixel size of the sensors, the measured NO2 distributions are much smoother than one would expect from high-resolution model simulations of NO2 over cities. This could partly be caused by 3D radiative transfer effects due to observation geometry, adjacency effects and effects of buildings. Here, we present a case study of imaging a synthetic NO2 distribution for a district of Zurich using the 3D MYSTIC (Monte carlo code for the phYSically correct Tracing of photons In Cloudy atmospheres) solver of the libRadtran radiative transfer library. We computed NO2 slant column densities (SCDs) using the recently implemented 3D-box air mass factors (3D-box AMFs) and a new urban canopy module to account for the effects of buildings. We found that for a single ground pixel (50 m × 50 m) more than 50 % of the sensitivity is located outside of the pixel, primarily in the direction of the main optical path between sun, ground pixel, and instrument. Consequently, NO2 SCDs are spatially smoothed, which results in an increase over roads when they are parallel to the optical path and a decrease otherwise. When buildings are included, NO2 SCDs are reduced on average by 5 % due to the reduced sensitivity to NO2 in the shadows of the buildings. The effects of buildings also introduce a complex pattern of variability in SCDs that would show up in airborne observations as an additional noise component (about 12 µmol m−2) similar to the magnitude of typical measurement uncertainties. The smearing of the SCDs cannot be corrected using 1D-layer AMFs that assume horizontal homogeneity and thus remains in the final NO2 map. The 3D radiative transfer effects by including buildings need to be considered to compute more accurate AMFs and to reduce biases in NO2 vertical columns obtained from high-resolution city-scale NO2 remote sensing.

Open biomass burning (BB) is a globally widespread phenomenon. The fires release pollutants, which are harmful for human and ecosystem health and alter the Earth's radiative balance. Yet, the impact of various types of BB on the global radiative forcing remains poorly constrained concerning greenhouse gas emissions, BB organic aerosol (OA) chemical composition and related light absorbing properties. Fire emissions composition is influenced by multiple factors (e.g., fuel and thereby vegetation-type, fuel moisture, fire temperature, available oxygen). Due to regional variations in these parameters, studies in different world regions are needed. Here we investigate the influence of seasonally recurring BB on trace gas concentration and air quality at the regional Global Atmosphere Watch (GAW) station Pha Din (PDI) in rural Northwestern Vietnam. PDI is located in a sparsely populated area on the top of a hill (1466 m a.s.l.) and is well suited to study the large-scale fires on the Indochinese Peninsula, whose pollution plumes are frequently transported towards the site [1]. We present continuous trace gas observations of CO2, CH4, CO, and O3 conducted at PDI since 2014 and interpret the data with atmospheric transport simulations. Annually recurrent large scale BB leads to hourly time-scale peaks CO mixing ratios at PDI of 1000 to 1500 ppb around every April since the start of data collection in 2014. We complement this analysis with carbonaceous PM2.5 chemical composition analyzed during an intensive campaign in March-April 2015. This includes measurements of elemental and organic carbon (EC/OC) and more than 50 organic markers, such as sugars, PAHs, fatty acids and nitro-aromatics [2]. For the intensive campaign, we linked CO, CO2, CH4 and O3 mixing ratios to a statistical classification of BB events, which is based on OA composition. We found increased CO and O3 levels during medium and high BB influence during the intensive campaign. A backward trajectory analysis confirmed different source regions for the identified periods based on the OA cluster. Typically, cleaner air masses arrived from northeast, i.e., mainland China and Yellow sea during the intensive campaign. The more polluted periods were characterized by trajectories from southwest, with more continental recirculation of the medium cluster, and more westerly advection for the high cluster. These findings highlight that BB activities in Northern Southeast Asia significantly enhances the regional OA loading, chemical PM2.5 composition and the trace gases in northwestern Vietnam. The presented analysis adds valuable data on air quality in a region of scarce data availability. REFERENCES [1] Bukowiecki, N. et al. Effect of Large-scale Biomass Burning on Aerosol Optical Properties at the GAW Regional Station Pha Din, Vietnam. AAQR. 19, 1172–1187 (2019). [2] Nguyen, D. L, et al. Carbonaceous aerosol composition in air masses influenced by large-scale biomass burning: a case-study in Northwestern Vietnam. ACPD., https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-2020-1027, in review, 2020.

Im Unterschied zu Forschungsinfrastrukturen in anderen Disziplinen, zeichnen sich Forschungsinfrastrukturen für Umweltbeobachtungen in der Regel durch langfristige Messungen zahlreicher Parameter mit verschiedenen Instrumenten an unterschiedlichen Orten aus. Bodengestützte, atmosphärische Beobachtungen von Luftschadstoffen und Klimagasen können unterschiedliche Ziele verfolgen, wie zum Beispiel die Überwachung regulatorischer Massnahmen und die Einhaltung von Grenzwerten, die wissenschaftliche Untersuchung von Variabilitäten und Trends, die Validierung von Modellrechnungen und Satellitenbeobachtungen oder die Früherkennung von neu auftretenden Substanzen. Die Qualitätskontrolle und Qualitätssicherung müssen nicht nur dem dezentralen Charakter der Beobachtungen Rechnung tragen, sondern auch sicherstellen, dass die der Fragestellung angepassten Datenqualitätsziele erreicht werden. Zusätzlich müssen Beobachtungen, die Teil von mehreren Messnetzen und Infrastrukturen sind, verschiedene Kriterien erfüllen, z.B. im Hinblick auf das Normal der Rückführbarkeit, die Präzision, aber auch bezüglich Dokumentation und Bereitstellung der Resultate in Datenbanken. Die Präsentation gibt einen Überblick über die langfristigen Luftqualitätsmessungen in der Schweiz im Rahmen des Nationalen Beobachtungsnetzes für Luftfremdstoffe (NABEL), ihre Einbettung in das European Monitoring and Evaluation Programme (EMEP), die Kooperation mit den europäischen Forschungsinfrastrukturen ICOS (Integrated Carbon Observation System) und ACTRIS (Aerosols, Clouds, and Trace gases Research Infrastructure Network), und die Zusammenarbeit in globalen Aktivitäten wie dem Advanced Global Atmospheric Gases Experiment (AGAGE) zur kontinuierlichen Messung von klimawirksamen und ozonabbauenden Substanzen und dem von der Weltorganisation für Meteorologie (WMO) koordinierten Global Atmosphere Watch (GAW) Programm.

Ambient particulate matter (PM) is regulated with science-based air quality standards, whereas carcinogens are regulated with a number of “acceptable” cases. Given that PM is also carcinogenic, we identify differences between approaches. We assessed the lung cancer deaths for Switzerland attributable to exposure to PM up to 10 µm (PM10) and to five particle-bound carcinogens. For PM10, we used an epidemiological approach based on relative risks with four exposure scenarios compared to two counterfactual concentrations. For carcinogens, we used a toxicological approach based on unit risks with four exposure scenarios. The lung cancer burden using concentrations from 2010 was 10–14 times larger for PM10 than for the five carcinogens. However, the burden depends on the underlying exposure scenarios, counterfactual concentrations and number of carcinogens. All scenarios of the toxicological approach for five carcinogens result in a lower burden than the epidemiological approach for PM10. Air quality standards—promoted so far by the WHO Air Quality Guidelines—provide a more appealing framework to guide health risk-oriented clean air policymaking than frameworks based on a number of “acceptable” cases.

Air mass factors (AMFs) are used in passive trace gas remote sensing for converting slant column densities (SCDs) to vertical column densities (VCDs). AMFs are traditionally computed with 1D radiative transfer models assuming horizontally homogeneous conditions. However, when observations are made with high spatial resolution in a heterogeneous atmosphere or above a heterogeneous surface, 3D effects may not be negligible. To study the importance of 3D effects on AMFs for different types of trace gas remote sensing, we implemented 1D-layer and 3D-box AMFs into the Monte carlo code for the phYSically correct Tracing of photons In Cloudy atmospheres (MYSTIC), a solver of the libRadtran radiative transfer model (RTM). The 3D-box AMF implementation is fully consistent with 1D-layer AMFs under horizontally homogeneous conditions and agrees very well (<5 % relative error) with 1D-layer AMFs computed by other RTMs for a wide range of scenarios. The 3D-box AMFs make it possible to visualize the 3D spatial distribution of the sensitivity of a trace gas observation, which we demonstrate with two examples. First, we computed 3D-box AMFs for ground-based multi-axis spectrometer (MAX-DOAS) observations for different viewing geometry and aerosol scenarios. The results illustrate how the sensitivity reduces with distance from the instrument and that a non-negligible part of the signal originates from outside the line of sight. Such information is invaluable for interpreting MAX-DOAS observations in heterogeneous environments such as urban areas. Second, 3D-box AMFs were used to generate synthetic nitrogen dioxide (NO2) SCDs for an airborne imaging spectrometer observing the NO2 plume emitted from a tall stack. The plume was imaged under different solar zenith angles and solar azimuth angles. To demonstrate the limitations of classical 1D-layer AMFs, VCDs were then computed assuming horizontal homogeneity. As a result, the imaged NO2 plume was shifted in space, which led to a strong underestimation of the total VCDs in the plume maximum and an underestimation of the integrated line densities that can be used for estimating emissions from NO2 images. The two examples demonstrate the importance of 3D effects for several types of ground-based and airborne remote sensing when the atmosphere cannot be assumed to be horizontally homogeneous, which is typically the case in the vicinity of emission sources or in cities.

Carbon monoxide (CO) and nitrous oxide (N2O) are two key parameters in the observation of the atmosphere, relevant to air quality and climate change, respectively. For CO, various analytical techniques have been in use over the last few decades. In contrast, N2O was mainly measured using gas chromatography (GC) with an electron capture detector (ECD). In recent years, new spectroscopic methods have become available which are suitable for both CO and N2O. These include infrared (IR) spectroscopic techniques such as cavity ring-down spectroscopy (CRDS), off-axis integrated cavity output spectroscopy (OA-ICOS) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Corresponding instruments became recently commercially available and are increasingly used at atmospheric monitoring stations. We analysed results obtained through performance audits conducted within the framework of the Global Atmosphere Watch (GAW) quality management system of the World Meteorology Organization (WMO). These results reveal that current spectroscopic measurement techniques have clear advantages with respect to data quality objectives compared to more traditional methods for measuring CO and N2O. Further, they allow for a smooth continuation of historic CO and N2O time series. However, special care is required concerning potential water vapour interference on the CO amount fraction reported by near-IR CRDS instruments. This is reflected in the results of parallel measurement campaigns, which clearly indicate that drying the sample air leads to an improved accuracy of CO measurements with such near-IR CRDS instruments.

The knowledge of surface ozone mole fractions and their global distribution is of utmost importance due to the impact of ozone on human health and ecosystems and the central role of ozone in controlling the oxidation capacity of the troposphere. The availability of long-term ozone records is far better in the Northern than in the Southern Hemisphere, and recent analyses of the seven accessible records in the Southern Hemisphere have shown inconclusive trends. Since late 1995, surface ozone is measured in situ at "El Tololo", a high-altitude (2200 m a.s.l.) and pristine station in Chile (30° S, 71° W). The dataset has been recently fully quality controlled and reprocessed. This study presents the observed ozone trends and annual cycles and identifies key processes driving these patterns. From 1995 to 2010, an overall positive trend of ∼ 0.7 ppb decade−1 is found. Strongest trends per season are observed in March and April. Highest mole fractions are observed in late spring (October) and show a strong correlation with ozone transported from the stratosphere down into the troposphere, as simulated with a model. Over the 20 years of observations, the springtime ozone maximum has shifted to earlier times in the year, which, again, is strongly correlated with a temporal shift in the occurrence of the maximum of simulated stratospheric ozone transport at the site. We conclude that background ozone at El Tololo is mainly driven by stratospheric intrusions rather than photochemical production from anthropogenic and biogenic precursors. The major footprint of the sampled air masses is located over the Pacific Ocean. Therefore, due to the negligible influence of local processes, the ozone record also allows studying the influence of El Niño and La Niña episodes on background ozone levels in South America. In agreement with previous studies, we find that, during La Niña conditions, ozone mole fractions reach higher levels than during El Niño conditions.

The goal of the GHG-CCI project (http://www.esa-ghg-cci.org/) of ESA's Climate Change Initiative (CCI) is to generate global atmospheric satellite-derived carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) data sets as needed to improve our understanding of the regional sources and sinks of these important greenhouse gases (GHG). Here we present an overview about the latest data set called Climate Research Data Package No. 3 (CRDP3). We focus on the GHG-CCI project core data products, which are near-surface-sensitive column-averaged dry air mole fractions of CO2 and CH4, denoted XCO2 (in ppm) and XCH4 (in ppb) retrieved from SCIAMACHY/ENVISAT (2002-2012) and TANSO-FTS/GOSAT (2009-today) nadir mode radiance observations in the near-infrared/shortwave-infrared spectral region. The GHG-CCI products are primarily individual sensor Level 2 products. However, we also generate merged Level 2 products ("EMMA products"). Here we also present a first GHG-CCI Level 3 product, namely XCO2 and XCH4 in Obs4MIPs format (monthly, 5°×5°).

Until recently, atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) measurements were made almost exclusively using nondispersive infrared (NDIR) absorption and gas chromatography with flame ionisation detection (GC/FID) techniques, respectively. Recently, commercially available instruments based on spectroscopic techniques such as cavity ring-down spectroscopy (CRDS), off-axis integrated cavity output spectroscopy (OA-ICOS) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy have become more widely available and affordable. This resulted in a widespread use of these techniques at many measurement stations. This paper is focused on the comparison between a CRDS "travelling instrument" that has been used during performance audits within the Global Atmosphere Watch (GAW) programme of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) with instruments incorporating other, more traditional techniques for measuring CO2 and CH4 (NDIR and GC/FID). We demonstrate that CRDS instruments and likely other spectroscopic techniques are suitable for WMO/GAW stations and allow a smooth continuation of historic CO2 and CH4 time series. Moreover, the analysis of the audit results indicates that the spectroscopic techniques have a number of advantages over the traditional methods which will lead to the improved accuracy of atmospheric CO2 and CH4 measurements.

The goal of the GHG-CCI project (http://www.esa-ghg-cci.org/) of ESA's Climate Change Initiative (CCI) is to generate global atmospheric satellite-derived carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) data sets as needed to improve our understanding of the regional sources and sinks of these important greenhouse gases (GHG). Here we present an overview about the latest data set called Climate Research Data Package No. 3 (CRDP3). We focus on the GHG-CCI project core data products, which are near-surface-sensitive column-averaged dry air mole fractions of CO2 and CH4, denoted XCO2 (in ppm) and XCH4 (in ppb) retrieved from SCIAMACHY/ENVISAT (2002-2012) and TANSO-FTS/GOSAT (2009-today) nadir mode radiance observations in the near-infrared/shortwave-infrared spectral region. The GHG-CCI products are primarily individual sensor Level 2 products. However, we also generate merged Level 2 products (EMMA products). Here we also present a first GHG-CCI Level 3 product, namely XCO2 and XCH4 in Obs4MIPs format (monthly, 5°×5°).

The GHG-CCI project (http://www.esa-ghg-cci.org/) is one of several projects of the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Climate Change Initiative (CCI). The goal of the CCI is to generate and deliver data sets of various satellite-derived Essential Climate Variables (ECVs) in line with GCOS (Global Climate Observing System) requirements. The “ECV Greenhouse Gases” (ECV GHG) is the global distribution of important climate relevant gases – namely atmospheric CO2 and CH4 - with a quality sufficient to obtain information on regional CO2 and CH4 sources and sinks. The main goal of GHG-CCI is to generate long-term highly accurate and precise time series of global near-surface-sensitive satellite observations of CO2 and CH4, i.e., XCO2 and XCH4, starting with the launch of ESA’s ENVISAT satellite. These products are currently retrieved from SCIAMACHY/ENVISAT (2002-2012) and TANSO-FTS/GOSAT (2009-today) nadir mode observations in the near-infrared/shortwave-infrared spectral region. In addition, other sensors (e.g., IASI and MIPAS) and viewing modes (e.g., SCIAMACHY solar occultation) are also considered and in the future also data from other satellites. The GHG-CCI data products and related documentation are freely available via the GHG-CCI website and yearly updates are foreseen. Here we present an overview about the latest data set (Climate Research Data Package No. 2 (CRDP#2)) and summarize key findings from using satellite CO2 and CH4 retrievals to improve our understanding of the natural and anthropogenic sources and sinks of these important atmospheric greenhouse gases. We also shortly mention ongoing activities related to validation and initial user assessment of CRDP#2 and future plans.

Since 2004, atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) is being measured at the High Altitude Research Station Jungfraujoch by the division of Climate and Environmental Physics at the University of Bern (KUP) using a nondispersive infrared gas analyzer (NDIR) in combination with a paramagnetic O2 analyzer. In January 2010, CO2 measurements based on cavity ring-down spectroscopy (CRDS) as part of the Swiss National Air Pollution Monitoring Network were added by the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa). To ensure a smooth transition – a prerequisite when merging two data sets, e.g., for trend determinations – the two measurement systems run in parallel for several years. Such a long-term intercomparison also allows the identification of potential offsets between the two data sets and the collection of information about the compatibility of the two systems on different time scales. A good agreement of the seasonality, short-term variations and, to a lesser extent mainly due to the short common period, trend calculations is observed. However, the comparison reveals some issues related to the stability of the calibration gases of the KUP system and their assigned CO2 mole fraction. It is possible to adapt an improved calibration strategy based on standard gas determinations, which leads to better agreement between the two data sets. By excluding periods with technical problems and bad calibration gas cylinders, the average hourly difference (CRDS – NDIR) of the two systems is −0.03 ppm ± 0.25 ppm. Although the difference of the two data sets is in line with the compatibility goal of ±0.1 ppm of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the standard deviation is still too high. A significant part of this uncertainty originates from the necessity to switch the KUP system frequently (every 12 min) for 6 min from ambient air to a working gas in order to correct short-term variations of the O2 measurement system. Allowing additional time for signal stabilization after switching the sample, an effective data coverage of only one-sixth for the KUP system is achieved while the Empa system has a nearly complete data coverage. Additionally, different internal volumes and flow rates may affect observed differences.

The GHG-CCI project is one of several projects of the European Space Agency's (ESA) Climate Change Initiative (CCI). The goal of the CCI is to generate and deliver data sets of various satellite-derived Essential Climate Variables (ECVs) in line with GCOS (Global Climate Observing System) requirements. The “ECV Greenhouse Gases” (ECV GHG) is the global distribution of important climate relevant gases – atmospheric CO2 and CH4 – with a quality sufficient to obtain information on regional CO2 and CH4 sources and sinks. Two satellite instruments deliver the main input data for GHG-CCI: SCIAMACHY/ENVISAT and TANSO-FTS/GOSAT. The first order priority goal of GHG-CCI is the further development of retrieval algorithms for near-surface-sensitive column-averaged dry air mole fractions of CO2 and CH4, denoted XCO2 and XCH4, to meet the demanding user requirements. GHG-CCI focuses on four core data products: XCO2 from SCIAMACHY and TANSO and XCH4 from the same two sensors. For each of the four core data products at least two candidate retrieval algorithms have been independently further developed and the corresponding data products have been quality-assessed and inter-compared. This activity is referred to as “Round Robin” (RR) activity within the CCI. The main goal of the RR was to identify for each of the four core products which algorithms should be used to generate the Climate Research Data Package (CRDP). The CRDP will essentially be the first version of the ECV GHG. This manuscript gives an overview of the GHG-CCI RR and related activities. This comprises the establishment of the user requirements, the improvement of the candidate retrieval algorithms and comparisons with ground-based observations and models. The manuscript summarizes the final RR algorithm selection decision and its justification. Comparison with ground-based Total Carbon Column Observing Network (TCCON) data indicates that the “breakthrough” single measurement precision requirement has been met for SCIAMACHY and TANSO XCO2 (<3ppm) and TANSO XCH4 (<17ppb). The achieved relative accuracy for XCH4 is 3–15ppb for SCIAMACHY and 2–8ppb for TANSO depending on algorithm and time period. Meeting the 0.5ppm systematic error requirement for XCO2 remains a challenge: approximately 1ppm has been achieved at the validation sites but also larger differences have been found in regions remote from TCCON. More research is needed to identify the causes for the observed differences. In this context GHG-CCI suggests taking advantage of the ensemble of existing data products, for example, via the EnseMble Median Algorithm (EMMA).

Long-term observations of reactive gases in the troposphere are important for understanding trace gas cycles and the oxidation capacity of the atmosphere, assessing impacts of emission changes, verifying numerical model simulations, and quantifying the interactions between short-lived compounds and climate change. The World Meteorological Organization's (WMO) Global Atmosphere Watch (GAW) program coordinates a global network of surface stations some of which have measured reactive gases for more than 40 years. Gas species included under this umbrella are ozone, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). There are many challenges involved in setting-up and maintaining such a network over many decades and to ensure that data are of high quality, regularly updated and made easily accessible to users. This overview describes the GAW surface station network of reactive gases, its unique quality management framework, and discusses the data that are available from the central archive. Highlights of data use from the published literature are reviewed, and a brief outlook into the future of GAW is given. This manuscript constitutes the overview of a special feature on GAW reactive gases observations with individual papers reporting on research and data analysis of particular substances being covered by the program.