Title: Application of adjoint CMAQ chemical transport model in the Athens greater area: sensitivities study on ozone concentrations

Authors: Spyros Andronopoulos; Athanasios Sfetsos; Diamando Vlachogiannis; Andreas Yiotis; Nikolaos Gounaris

Addresses: Environmental Research Laboratory, Institute of Nuclear Technology – Radiation Protection, National Centre for Scientific Research "Demokritos", 15310 Aghia Paraskevi, Attiki, Greece ' Environmental Research Laboratory, Institute of Nuclear Technology – Radiation Protection, National Centre for Scientific Research "Demokritos", 15310 Aghia Paraskevi, Attiki, Greece ' Environmental Research Laboratory, Institute of Nuclear Technology – Radiation Protection, National Centre for Scientific Research "Demokritos", 15310 Aghia Paraskevi, Attiki, Greece ' Environmental Research Laboratory, Institute of Nuclear Technology – Radiation Protection, National Centre for Scientific Research “Demokritos”, 15310 Aghia Paraskevi, Attiki, Greece ' Environmental Research Laboratory, Institute of Nuclear Technology – Radiation Protection, National Centre for Scientific Research "Demokritos", 15310 Aghia Paraskevi, Attiki, Greece

Abstract: The factors affecting ground level ozone concentrations in the Greater Athens Area (GAA) are examined through adjoint sensitivity analysis, using a meteorology and air quality forecasting system based on MM5, the in-house EMISLAB emissions processing system and the chemical transport model Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ). Sensitivities of the ground level ozone concentrations ('response functional') at certain locations and target times are calculated with respect to the state variables (species concentrations on the grid points and species emissions) by running the adjoint model in reverse mode. The factors affecting ozone levels (most influential regions) are identified through the sensitivities spatial distribution for different times.

Keywords: adjoint modelling; sensitivity analysis; CMAQ; chemical transport models; Athens; urban areas; Greece; ozone concentrations; emissions; air quality; air pollution; dispersion modelling.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEP.2011.047352

International Journal of Environment and Pollution, 2011 Vol.47 No.1/2/3/4, pp.193 - 206

Published online: 30 Apr 2015 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article