Abstract |
This performance evaluation of the 2004 release of CMAQ reveals that the model's ability to accurately simulate the various species continues to improve, especially for NO3 concentrations, which have improved markedly since an earlier evaluation (Mebust et al., 2003). Both SO4 and NH4 continue to be well simulated by the model, as does PM( sub 2.5). Although simulations of the carbon species are somewhat deficient, improvements in both OC and EC simulations are expected with future releases of CMAQ as the scientific community's understanding of these species matures. Potential areas of research into the sources of the deficiencies identified in this evaluation include uncertainties in emissions inventories, imperfect representation of the meteorological fields, a as well as an incomplete understanding of aerosol dynamics in the CMAQ aerosol component. |