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Integrated Meteorology and Chemistry Modeling: Evaluation and Research Needs
Citation:
Pleim, Jon, R. Mathur, S. Rao, J. Fast, AND A. Baklanov. Integrated Meteorology and Chemistry Modeling: Evaluation and Research Needs. BULLETIN OF THE AMERICAN METEOROLOGICAL SOCIETY. American Meteorological Society, Boston, MA, 95(4):ES81-ES84, (2014).
Impact/Purpose:
The National Exposure Research Laboratory′s (NERL′s)Atmospheric Modeling Division (AMAD) conducts research in support of EPA′s mission to protect human health and the environment. AMAD′s research program is engaged in developing and evaluating predictive atmospheric models on all spatial and temporal scales for forecasting the Nation′s air quality and for assessing changes in air quality and air pollutant exposures, as affected by changes in ecosystem management and regulatory decisions. AMAD is responsible for providing a sound scientific and technical basis for regulatory policies based on air quality models to improve ambient air quality. The models developed by AMAD are being used by EPA, NOAA, and the air pollution community in understanding and forecasting not only the magnitude of the air pollution problem, but also in developing emission control policies and regulations for air quality improvements.
Description:
Over the past decade several online integrated atmospheric chemical-transport and meteorology modeling systems with varying levels of interactions among different atmospheric processes have been developed. A variety of approaches to meteorology-chemistry integration with different process-level algorithms for chemical feedback effects have been implemented in these systems. There have been many reasons cited for coupling meteorology and air quality into an integrated modeling system including: 1. Improved numerical weather prediction by including the effects of aerosols and gases on radiation and cloud microphysics as well as improving satellite retrievals and data assimilation for NWP operations by providing more accurate profiles of aerosols and radiatively active gasses 2. Regional climate-chemistry modeling including direct and indirect radiative forcing from short-lived climate forcers (SLCF) 3. Improved air quality modeling due to closer coupling of dynamical and chemical processes and the inclusion of aerosol and gas feedback effects on radiation/photolysis, clouds, air temperature, and PBL processes, and further on air chemistry and chemical composition 4. Realistic assessment of the efficacy of various emission control policies in improving ambient air quality under real-world conditions.
URLs/Downloads:
FINAL FINAL PLEIMETAL_BAMS-MEETINGSUMV4.PDF (PDF, NA pp, 110.512 KB, about PDF)Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society
