I. Salas

On the Use of MRF/AVN Global Information to Improve the Operational Air Quality Model OPANA

Operational air quality models have become an important tool to assist the decision makers in European Environmental Offices at different levels: cities, regional and state. Because of the important advance on computing capabilities during the last few years the possibility of incorporating the complex research and academic mesoscale air quality models under routine operational basis has become a reality. OPANA model is the operational version of the research model ANA (Atmospheric mesoscale Numerical pollution model for regional and urban Areas). This model is a limited area model (mesoscale beta) and the capability to extend the prediction horizon is limited unless proper boundary conditions are provided during long simulations. In this contribution we show how AVN/MRF (NOAA) vertical numerical meteorological soundings are incorporated to the OPANA system by using JAVA technology. This new feature helps to keep the air quality model into medium power workstations and the performance is improved accordingly. This technology avoids running mesoscale models over larger areas (continental scale) to accordingly increase the forecasting temporal horizon.

Development of a global-through-urban scale nested air quality forecast model (RSM-ANA): application over the Madrid domain

This contribution focus on developing a Global-through-Urban scale nested Air Quality Forecast Model and the preliminary steps. The RSM (Regional Spectral Model) is the meteorological model which will be coupled to a chemical solver (Jacobson and Turco (1994). Atmospheric Environment , 28 , 273-284). RSM model uses GSM (Global Spectral Model) to drive the meteorological flow into the regional domain. RSM is a limited area atmospheric numerical model system which is used primarily for daily weather forecasts, and climate simulation or forecasts. Since spectral computation has higher accuracy in term of gradients and spectral interpolation the advantages of spectral numerical modelling are clear. To overcome the difficulty with spectral methods for modelling limited areas a time-dependent perturbation method has been used. The RSM model has been linked to the ANA model (Atmospheric mesoscale Numerical pollution model for urban and regional Areas) developed by San José et al . (1995, European Symposium on Optics for Environmental and Public Safety , 2506 , 286-297). ANA model includes a non-hydrostatic mesoscale meteorological model, REMEST, based in MEMO (Flassak and Moussiopoulos (1989). Simulation of the Sea Breeze in Athens with an Efficient Non-hydrostatic Mesoscale Model , pp. 189-195)

The Impact of Road Traffic in Madrid Community by Using a Nested Gaussian-Mesoscale Air Quality Model (GAMA)

In this contribution we show the integration of a mesoscale air quality model OP ANA with the ISCST3 Gaussian model (EPA) in order to analyze the impact of different emission sources and particularly the traffic emission into the different gridboxes which define the OP ANA Eulerian structure. The application is done over the Madrid (Spain) regional area with 80 × 100 km and. gridboxes of about 5 km. Thousands of Gaussian runs over interested gridboxes are executed in order to simulate the traffic emissions from each gridbox. Each mobile unit is represented by a Gaussian point emitter. Input meteorological variables for the ISCST3 are taken from the OP ANA mesoscale air quality model. Results shows that it is possible to model the impact of traffic emissions over each gridbox. A short comparison with air quality monitoring in each gridbox is also shown.

A Global-Through Urban Scale Nested Air Pollution Modelling System (MM5-CMAQ): Application to Madrid Area

We have implemented the standalone version of the Community Multiscale Air Quality Modelling System in a DIGITAL COMPAQ XP 1000/1GB RAM platform and the MM5 mesoscale meteorological model over a LINUX PC AMD 1 Ghz/128 Mb RAM. We have run a mother domain and three nesting levels up to 4 km grid cell spatial resolution over the Madrid domain. We have simulated 17–18, April, 2001 as spin-off period and 19–23, April, 2001 as experimental period and we have run OPANA model over de same period of time. We have compared both results with some monitoring stations. Results with MM5-.CMAQ seems to be much more realistic which is associated to the proper boundary conditions obtained from nesting levels 2-1 and mother domain concentrations. Further experiments are necessary over different periods of the year and operational version under automatic mode over web will be deployed in the next months to assure the operational mode of the system.

Deposition sensitivity analysis by using AVHRR/NOAA global data in atmospheric mesoscale models: application over Madrid domain

In this contribution we show the importance of modelling the deposition processes and particularly in connexion with satellite information. The deposition parameterization is currently described by using the so-called resistance approach and the resistances involved include the canopy resistance which is a function of series and parallel processes which are parameterized by using chemical and physical characteristics of the surface and the pollutant of study. The resistance approach has been validated by intensive field experiments which considers the landuse characteristics and other physical and chemical parameters of the near surrounding of the instrument deployment. The mesoscale air quality models (AQMs) require to parameterize the deposition processes over grid cell domains which are typically hundreds or thousands of metres (from several kilometres to hundreds of metres). The need to generalize the deposition resistance schemes is a must. Satellite information can be very useful to help in this task. This contribution shows a comparison between ozone and other pollutant surface concentration patterns which have been obtained by applying classical resistance approach and also canopy resistances by using LAI (Leaf Area Index) information and NDVI (Normalized Differential Vegetation Index) from AVHRR/NOAA satellite information. Results are very encouraging since they show that use of satellite derived information for deposition parameterization is a key issue and can enhance the results of the Mesoscale Air Quality Forecasting Modelling Systems.

Air Quality Simulations over Europe Using the CAMx-RSM-MM5 System: Sensitivity to Meteorology and Initial Concentrations

In this contribution we have used the MM5-RSM-CAMx system over the European domain with 50 km gridcell to study the impact on the ozone concentrations of using different initial concentration fields. The Regional Spectral Model (RSM) (NCEP/NOAA, USA) is running over an Alpha/Compaq XP1000 machine and the MM5 model (Pennsylvania State University / NC AR, USA) over a Pentium III 1000 under LINUX OS. Both meteorological models are used to provide input meteorological information to the CAMx air pollution transport model (ENVIRON Co.). EMEP emission inventory is used to provide input emission data into the simulation system. The CBM-IV chemical mechanism (simplified version) is also used into the CAMx module.

INTERNET Operational Air Quality Modelling: Bilbao (Spain) and Leicester (UK)

In this contribution we show the performance of two applications running over the Internet into the EQUAL EU DGXIII project (Equal Services for a better Quality of Life) corresponding to the Bilbao (Spain) and Leicester (UK) city domains. The OP ANA model was running for these city domains in the UPM laboratories (Environmental Software and modelling Group) since May, 1, 2000 to July, 31, 2000 for a testing period into the EQUAL project. Wee have used the OPANA modelling system which composed by composed by a complex non-hydrostatic meteorological module (REMEST) based on the MEMO model (University of Karlsruhe, 1994) and a chemical module (CHEMA) based on the SMVGEAR implicit method developed in Los Angeles University (1994). Both modules are copied on-line and the advection and diffusion of the primary emissions are driven by the meteorological module. Five different data sets are used to run the OPANA air quality modelling system: 1) Topography, 2) Landuse files 3) emission data 4) initial meteorological data and 5) air quality monitoring data (from the city network). A web interface has been created to allow the Internet user to mine the air pollution forecasted data on the Web and creating on-line the information which is interest for the user (citizen or air quality authorities. The Internet based operational application provides a unique additional value for the user on the Web which can be used for future emission strategic plans from the air quality authorites. On the other hand, the system was operating wih a very high sucess considering the daily access of meteorological and air pollution data in the web by using automatic scripts and JAVA applications.

Operational air pollution forecasting and management system over Bilbao

The increased importance of modelling and forecasting the air quality over urban areas has contributed to the development of more sophisticated software tools to manage urban air quality. During recent years, the use of the world wide web has also increased extraordinarily and consequently the new software technologies are linked more and more to Internet Services. In this contribution we present the application of the well known model OPANA - a non-hydrostatic meteorological mesoscale model - based on MEMO model - and the CHEMA module - for simulating the chemical reaction - over the Bilbao (Spain) domain. This application is part of the EQUAL project funded by EU (DGXIII - Telematics for the Environment). We also present the importance of the new Geographic Information Systems to enhance the quality of the visualisation of the air pollution information and also the improvement of the emission model (EMIMO) to carry out such work. The management system is present as a set of parallel processes to perform different emission reduction scenarios when different pollution episodes are present. The results for different pollution episodes are also presented.

Improved Operational Mesoscale Urban AndRegional Air Quality Models By UsingInternet/JAVA Tools

In recent years an extraordinary interest has grown in the scientific community to improve the operational versions of complex mesoscale urban and regional models. The air quality models have become a very complex tools which requires sophisticated visualization and friendly user interfaces to allow non-skilled operators to manage properly the models particularly under daily operational routine basis. The ANA model stands for Atmospheric mesoscale Numerical pollution model for regional and urban Areas, the operational version of the model is called: OP ANA and the specific application which was developed for the EMMA project (DGXIII-EU, 1996-1998) is called EMMA. ANA includes a complex mesoscale non-hydrostatic mesocale meteorological module, a chemical solver SMVGEAR and a set of peripherical applications such as EMIMA (Emission Model), meteorological preprocessor (PREMET) and a deposition module (DEPO). The friendly user interface is called VIS-EMMA which helps to manage the application by non-skilled operators in Environmental Offices. One