Article: Meteorology applied to urban air pollution problems: COST 715 Journal: International Journal of Environment and Pollution (IJEP) 2001 Vol.16 No.1/2/3/4/5/6 pp.560-570 Abstract: The requirements of the framework Directive on air quality assessment and management introduce real practical problems for the meteorological community. Some of the meteorological variables needed in urban air pollution assessments are not routinely measured and in normal circumstances the number of meteorological stations in urban areas is limited to a few sites, often just at airports. The European wide project COST 715 on ||Meteorology applied to urban air pollution problems|| has been set up to review these problems. This paper describes the limitations of current methods. It recognises that the urban boundary layer is a non-equilibrium situation where standard theories applied to rural areas may not be valid. It shows that predictions of concentrations for assessments should always state the uncertainty associated with them. This uncertainty can be large because of the complexity of urban pollution situations, particularly the description of the local urban meteorology. An example is given of how, with some additional local meteorological measurements, the uncertainty can be reduced. The paper concludes by listing some of the key areas where further work is required. Information about the COST 715 project is available from the website at http//www.dmu.dk/atmosphericenvironment/cost715.htm Inderscience Publishers - linking academia, business and industry through research

Title: Meteorology applied to urban air pollution problems: COST 715

Authors: B. Fisher, J. Kukkonen, M. Schatzmann

Addresses: National Centre for Risk Assessment and Options Appraisal, Environment, Agency, Kings Meadow House, Kings Meadow Road, Reading RG1 8DG, UK. Finnish Meteorological Institute, Air Quality Research, Sahaajankatu, 20, FIN-00810 Helsinki, Finland. Meteorologisches Institut, Universitat Hamburg, Bundestrabe 55, D-20146 Hamburg, Germany

Abstract: The requirements of the framework Directive on air quality assessment and management introduce real practical problems for the meteorological community. Some of the meteorological variables needed in urban air pollution assessments are not routinely measured and in normal circumstances the number of meteorological stations in urban areas is limited to a few sites, often just at airports. The European wide project COST 715 on ||Meteorology applied to urban air pollution problems|| has been set up to review these problems. This paper describes the limitations of current methods. It recognises that the urban boundary layer is a non-equilibrium situation where standard theories applied to rural areas may not be valid. It shows that predictions of concentrations for assessments should always state the uncertainty associated with them. This uncertainty can be large because of the complexity of urban pollution situations, particularly the description of the local urban meteorology. An example is given of how, with some additional local meteorological measurements, the uncertainty can be reduced. The paper concludes by listing some of the key areas where further work is required. Information about the COST 715 project is available from the website at http//www.dmu.dk/atmosphericenvironment/cost715.htm

Keywords: air pollution; Bayes theorem; dispersion; ensemble average; meteorology; roughness length; street canyon; surface heat flux; urban; uncertainty.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEP.2001.000650

International Journal of Environment and Pollution, 2001 Vol.16 No.1/2/3/4/5/6, pp.560-570

Published online: 09 Jul 2003 *

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Title: Meteorology applied to urban air pollution problems: COST 715

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