Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
2.24 Annual Dynamics and Statistical Evaluation of an
Air Quality Forecasting System (CALIOPE) with High
Resolution for Europe
Matthias Piot
1
, Maria Teresa Pay
1,2
, Oriol Jorba
1
, Pedro Jiménez-Guerrero
1
,
Eugeni Lopez
1
, Santiago Gassó
1,2
, and Jose Maria Baldasano
1,2
1
Barcelona Supercomputing Center - Centro Nacional de Supercomputación (BSC-CNS).
Earth Sciences Department. Jordi Girona 29, Edificio Nexus II, 08034 Barcelona, Spain
2
Environmental Modelling Laboratory, Technical University of Catalonia. Avda. Diagonal
647, Edificio H, Oficina 10.23, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
Abstract
The WRF-ARW/HERMES-EMEP/CMAQ/BSC-DREAM forecasting
system was used to simulate the dynamics and chemistry over Europe for a
reference year (2004). The present work describes a quantitative evaluation of gas
phase species (O
3
, NO
2
, SO
2
) as well as particulate matter (PM
10
and PM
2.5
) in
comparison to ground-based measurements from the EMEP network. Except
various peaks overestimated, the model captures well the general dynamics for
SO
2
with correlations between 0.44 and 0.56. The trend and daily variations of
SO
2
, NO
2
, and O
3
are satisfactory, although we noted a recurrent underestimation
of mean simulated NO
2
levels most likely caused by the disaggregation method of
the emission model. Concentrations of ozone are well captured, with corres-
ponding statistics (13.1% < MNGE < 23.5%, −15.2% < MNBE < 1.5%) lying
within the ranges defined by the US-EPA guidelines. Mean levels of both PM
10
and PM
2.5
are systematically underestimated, but the trends are well reproduced
(0.53 < cor < 0.72). Deficient levels of particulate matter are caused by the lack of
sources implemented in the emission model.
Keywords
BSC supercomputer, CALIOPE project, dynamical and statistical
evaluation, forecasting system, gaseous pollutants, particulate matter
1. Introduction
In the frame of the CALIOPE project, funded by the Spanish Ministry of
the Environment, a high-resolution air quality forecasting system, WRF-ARW/
HERMES-EMEP/CMAQ/BSC-DREAM has been developed and applied to the
