Title: Sensitivity of CTM simulations to meteorological input

Authors: Enrico Minguzzi, Marco Bedogni, Claudio Carnevale, Guido Pirovano

Addresses: Hydrometeorological Service of Emilia Romagna (ARPA-SIM), 6 Viale Silvani, 40122 Bologna, Italy ' Environmental and Energy Department, Mobility and Environment Agency, via Beccaria 19, 20122 Milano, Italy. ' Department of Electronics for the Automation, University of Brescia, via Branze 38, 25123 Brescia, Italy. ' Environmental Studies Department, CESI Research Centre, via Rubattino 54, 20134 Milano, Italy

Abstract: The objective of this work is to investigate the sensitivity of an Eulerian Chemical Tranport Model to the reconstruction of the wind field. In the framework of City-Delta exercise, three 14-day simulations have been performed, using the same model (CAMx) and different meteorological inputs; these were built combining large-scale analysis, local observations and the output of a high resolution meteorological model (Aladin). When Aladin output is used, stronger surface winds lead to enhanced nighttime mixing, resulting in higher ozone and lower PM10 concentrations in urban areas; on the other hand, the stronger advection associated with Aladin wind seems to help the model reproduce high ozone concentrations during day. The use of local wind observations appears beneficial to model performance.

Keywords: chemical transport models; tropospheric ozone; PM10; CityDelta exercise; Northern Italy; meteorological input; sensitivity analysis; wind analysis; meteorological pre-processors; atmospheric dispersion modelling; meteorological data; air quality; air pollution.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEP.2005.007383

International Journal of Environment and Pollution, 2005 Vol.24 No.1/2/3/4, pp.36 - 50

Published online: 15 Jul 2005 *

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