Title: Validation of dispersion models using Cabauw field experiments and numerical weather re-analysis

Authors: Gertie Geertsema; Marko Kaasik

Addresses: KNMI, Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute, R&D Weather and Climate Modelling, P.O. Box 201, 3730 AE De Bilt, The Netherlands ' Institute of Physics, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia

Abstract: The Gaussian atmospheric dispersion model AEROPOL is validated against the classical Cabauw dispersion experiment, driven by (1) on-site meteorological data and (2) meteorological data from the numerical weather model HARMONIE. The meteorological forecast time used at the time of the release is 10 to 14 hours ahead of the analysis time. The results from the combination of AEROPOL with on-site data are slightly better than with re-analysed meteorology. The near-surface concentrations based on the combination of AEROPOL with the model forecasts are in general lower than the concentrations from the combination of AEROPOL with on-site data and are also lower than the observed concentrations. The combination of AEROPOL with meteorological model results in a mismatch between the modelled position of the plume axis with the observed plume axis. The results show a significant improvement in the HARMONIE version 38 with respect to the HARMONIE version 37.

Keywords: Cabauw dispersion experiment; HARMONIE re-analysis for environmental pollution application; AEROPOL; HARMO initiative; validation of dispersion models.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEP.2018.099149

International Journal of Environment and Pollution, 2018 Vol.64 No.1/2/3, pp.58 - 73

Received: 24 Jan 2018
Accepted: 29 Sep 2018
Published online: 16 Apr 2019 *

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