Title: Evaluations of urban atmospheric transport and dispersion models using data from the Joint Urban 2003 field experiment

Authors: Jeffry T. Urban; Steve Warner; Nathan Platt; James F. Heagy

Addresses: Institute for Defense Analyses, 4850 Mark Center Drive, Alexandria, VA 22311-1882, USA ' Institute for Defense Analyses, 4850 Mark Center Drive, Alexandria, VA 22311-1882, USA ' Institute for Defense Analyses, 4850 Mark Center Drive, Alexandria, VA 22311-1882, USA ' Institute for Defense Analyses, 4850 Mark Center Drive, Alexandria, VA 22311-1882, USA

Abstract: We have evaluated the performance of several urban Atmospheric Transport and Dispersion (AT&D) models by comparing model predictions to tracer gas concentrations measured during the Joint Urban 2003 field experiment in Oklahoma City, USA. These models include the Urban Canopy, Urban Dispersion Model (UDM), and Micro-SWIFT/SPRAY (MSS) modes within the HPAC modelling suite, QUIC-URB/QUIC-PLUME models, and the MESO/RUSTIC models. We discuss some of the results of these comparisons, including relative model performance according to bias and scatter metrics, differences in model behaviour for predictions of daytime vs. nighttime releases, and operational considerations such as runtime differences.

Keywords: atmospheric transport; atmospheric dispersion; point-to-point protocol; model evaluation; urban models; HPAC; MESO/RUSTIC; QUIC-URB/QUIC-PLUME; Joint Urban 2003; dispersion modelling; air quality; air pollution.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEP.2011.047349

International Journal of Environment and Pollution, 2011 Vol.47 No.1/2/3/4, pp.49 - 59

Published online: 30 Apr 2015 *

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