Retrievals of formaldehyde from ground-based FTIR and MAX-DOAS observations at the Jungfraujoch station and comparisons with GEOS-Chem and IMAGES model simulations

As a ubiquitous product of the oxidation of many Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), formaldehyde (HCHO) plays a key role as a short-lived and reactive intermediate in the atmospheric photo-oxidation pathways leading to the formation of tropospheric ozone and secondary organic aerosols. We have successfully retrieved HCHO columns from ground-based Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) solar spectra and UV-Visible Multi-AXis Differential Optical Absorption Spectroscopy (MAX-DOAS) scans recorded during the July 2010 – December 2012 time period at the Jungfraujoch station (Swiss Alps, 46.5 °N, 8.0 °E, 3580 m a.s.l.). Characterization of the retrieved products has revealed different vertical sensitivity between both remote sensing techniques. Furthermore, HCHO amounts simulated by two state-of-the-art Chemical Transport Models (CTMs), GEOS-Chem and IMAGESv2, have been compared to FTIR total columns and MAX-DOAS 3.6 – 8 km partial columns, accounting for the respective vertical resolution of each ground-based instrument. Using the CTMs outputs as intermediate, FTIR and MAX-DOAS retrievals have shown consistent seasonal modulations of HCHO throughout the investigated period, characterized by summertime maximum and wintertime minimum. Such comparisons have also highlighted that FTIR and MAX-DOAS provide complementary products for HCHO above the Jungfraujoch station.