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Air quality trends in Europe over the past decade: a first multimodel assessment

Authors :
Colette, Augustin
Bessagnet, B.
D'Angiola, Ariela
Gauss, M.
Granier, Claire
Hodnebrog, O.
Jakobs, H.
Maurizi, A.
Meleux, F.
Memmesheimer, M.
Nyiri, A.
Rouïl, L.
Russo, F.
Solberg, S.
Stordal, F.
Tampieri, F.
Institut National de l'Environnement Industriel et des Risques (INERIS)
TROPO - LATMOS
Laboratoire Atmosphères, Milieux, Observations Spatiales (LATMOS)
Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (UVSQ)-Université Pierre et Marie Curie - Paris 6 (UPMC)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (UVSQ)-Université Pierre et Marie Curie - Paris 6 (UPMC)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)
Norwegian Meteorological Institute [Oslo] (MET)
University of Oslo (UiO)
Rhenish Institute for Environmental Research (RIU)
University of Cologne
CNR Institute of Atmospheric Sciences and Climate (ISAC)
Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR)
Norsk Institutt for Luftforskning (NILU)
National Research Council of Italy | Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR)
Source :
ACCENT-Plus Symposium on Air Quality and Climate Change: Interactions and Feedbacks, ACCENT-Plus Symposium on Air Quality and Climate Change: Interactions and Feedbacks, Sep 2011, Urbino, Italy
Publication Year :
2011
Publisher :
HAL CCSD, 2011.

Abstract

We discuss the capability of current state-of-the-art chemistry and transport models to reproduce air quality trends and inter-annual variability in order to better understand their strength and weaknesses before such tools are implemented for future air quality projections. To achieve this, a coordinated modelling exercise was designed involving six chemistry and transport models (Bolchem, Chimere, Emep, Eurad, CTM2 and Mozart) simulating 10yr of air quality (1998-2007) over the hotspot of anthropogenic emissions of Western Europe. Comparisons between models and observations allow concluding on the skill of the models to capture the trends in basic atmospheric constituents (NO2, O3 and PM10). We find that the trends of primary constituent are well reproduced (yet very sensitive to the emission inventory) although capturing the moderate trend of secondary species such as O3 is more challenging. Apart from the long term trend, the modelled monthly variability is in line with the observations but the year-to-year variability in underestimated. A comparison of simulations with anthropogenic emissions being kept constant shows that the magnitude of the reduction exceeds the natural variability, hence supporting further emission management strategies.

Details

Language :
English
Database :
OpenAIRE
Journal :
ACCENT-Plus Symposium on Air Quality and Climate Change: Interactions and Feedbacks, ACCENT-Plus Symposium on Air Quality and Climate Change: Interactions and Feedbacks, Sep 2011, Urbino, Italy
Accession number :
edsair.dedup.wf.001..268f467cd8f136a0dbc47c1ea2d54c83