Satellite Product Evaluation of the OMI/AURA Sensor for the Nitrogen Dioxide Analysis in the Province of Buenos Aires

Air pollution is currently one of the world's main environmental problems, both because of its impact on climate change and because of the risks it poses to public health. High concentrations of nitrogen oxides are an indicator of poor ambient air quality, with vehicle transport as the main source of emissions. To complement the information provided by monitoring networks, recent studies have begun to include satellite information in regional assessments of air pollutants. In this sense, this paper evaluates the correlation between the concentrations of nitrogen dioxide (NO
₂
) measured in ground stations placed at the Province of Buenos Aires and the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires and the levels detected by the OMI sensor on board of the Aura satellite platform (NASA) for the period 2012-2016. Spearman's correlation factor between the daily values and the monthly mean and median values was analyzed. The results show a weak correlation for the daily data (0,15, p<;0,001, n=808) and a moderate correlation for the monthly averages (0,36, p<;0,05) and medians (0,45, p<;0,01, n=48) in Buenos Aires City. Based on the literature consulted, these correlation factors are expected for the OMI satellite product and therefore can be incorporated as descriptive variables into air quality models for this region. Distribution maps of tropospheric NO
₂
in the Province of Buenos Aires are shown as well.