The 2005 and 2006 DANDELIONS NO₂ and aerosol intercomparison campaigns

<jats:p>Dutch Aerosol and Nitrogen Dioxide Experiments for Validation of OMI and SCIAMACHY (DANDELIONS) is a project that encompasses validation of spaceborne measurements of NO<jats:sub>2</jats:sub> by the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) and Scanning Imaging Absorption Spectrometer for Atmospheric Cartography (SCIAMACHY), and of aerosol by OMI and Advanced Along‐Track Scanning Radiometer (AATSR), using an extensive set of ground‐based and balloon measurements over the polluted area of the Netherlands. We present an extensive data set of ground‐based, balloon, and satellite data on NO<jats:sub>2</jats:sub>, aerosols, and ozone obtained from two campaigns within the project, held during May–June 2005 and September 2006. We have used these data for first validation of OMI NO<jats:sub>2</jats:sub>, and the data are available through the Aura Validation Data Center website for use in other validation efforts. In this paper we describe the available data, and the methods and instruments used, including the National Institute of Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) NO<jats:sub>2</jats:sub> lidar. We show that NO<jats:sub>2</jats:sub> from Multi‐Axis Differential Optical Absorption Spectroscopy (MAX‐DOAS) compares well with in situ measurements. We show that different MAX‐DOAS instruments, operating simultaneously during the campaign, give very similar results. We also provide unique information on the spatial homogeneity and the vertical and temporal variability of NO<jats:sub>2</jats:sub>, showing that during a number of days, the NO<jats:sub>2</jats:sub> columns derived from measurements in different directions varied significantly, which implies that, under polluted conditions, measurements in one single azimuth direction are not always representative for the averaged field that the satellite observes. In addition, we show that there is good agreement between tropospheric NO<jats:sub>2</jats:sub> from OMI and MAX‐DOAS, and also between total NO<jats:sub>2</jats:sub> from OMI and direct‐sun observations. Observations of the aerosol optical thickness (AOT) show that values derived with three ground‐based instruments correspond well with each other, and with aerosol optical thicknesses observed by OMI.</jats:p>