Evaluation of the meteorological forcing used for the Air Quality Model Evaluation International Initiative (AQMEII) air quality simulations

Accurate regional air pollution simulation relies strongly on the accuracy of the mesoscale 45 meteorological simulation used to drive the air quality model. The framework of the Air Quality 46 Model Evaluation International Initiative (AQMEII), which involved a large international community 47 of modeling groups in Europe and North America, offered a unique opportunity to evaluate the skill 48 of mesoscale meteorological models for two continents for the same period. More than 20 groups 49 worldwide participated in AQMEII, using several meteorological and chemical transport models with 50 different configurations. The evaluation has been performed over a full year (2006) for both 51 continents. The focus for this particular evaluation was meteorological parameters relevant to air 52 quality processes such as transport and mixing, chemistry, and surface fluxes. The unprecedented 53 scale of the exercise (one year, two continents) allowed us to examine the general characteristics of 54 meteorological models’ skill and uncertainty. In particular, we found that there was a large 55 variability between models or even model versions in predicting key parameters such as surface 56 shortwave radiation. We also found several systematic model biases such as wind speed 57 overestimations, particularly during stable conditions. We conclude that major challenges still remain 58 in the simulation of meteorology, such as nighttime meteorology and cloud/radiation processes, for 59 air quality simulation.

VAUTARD Robert;  SOLAZZO Efisio;  MORAN M.D.;  GILLIAM R.C.;  MATTHIAS V.;  BIANCONI Roberto;  CHEMEL Charles;  FERREIRA J.;  GEYER B.;  HANSEN A.B.;  JERICEVIC A.;  PRANK M.;  SEGERS Arjo;  SILVER J.D.;  WERHAHN J.;  WOLKE R.;  RAO S. Trivikrama;  GALMARINI Stefano; 

2012-07-06

PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD

JRC65062

1352-2310,   

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1352231011011605,    https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC65062,   

10.1016/j.atmosenv.2011.10.065,