Eta-CMAQ air quality forecasts for O<sub>3</sub> and related species using three different photochemical mechanisms (CB4, CB05, SAPRC-99): comparisons with measurements during the 2004 ICARTT study

A critical module of air quality models is the photochemical mechanism. In this study, the impact of the three photochemical mechanisms (CB4, CB05, SAPRC-99) on the Eta-Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) model's forecast performance for O<sub>3</sub>, and its related precursors...

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Main Authors: J. Pleim, G. Pouliot, D. Kang, D. Tong, G. Sarwar, R. Mathur, S. Yu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Copernicus Publications 2010-03-01
Series:Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
Online Access:http://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/10/3001/2010/acp-10-3001-2010.pdf
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author J. Pleim
G. Pouliot
D. Kang
D. Tong
G. Sarwar
R. Mathur
S. Yu
author_facet J. Pleim
G. Pouliot
D. Kang
D. Tong
G. Sarwar
R. Mathur
S. Yu
author_sort J. Pleim
collection DOAJ
description A critical module of air quality models is the photochemical mechanism. In this study, the impact of the three photochemical mechanisms (CB4, CB05, SAPRC-99) on the Eta-Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) model's forecast performance for O<sub>3</sub>, and its related precursors has been assessed over the eastern United States with observations obtained by aircraft (NOAA P-3 and NASA DC-8) flights, ship and two surface networks (AIRNow and AIRMAP) during the 2004 International Consortium for Atmospheric Research on Transport and Transformation (ICARTT) study. The results show that overall none of the mechanisms performs systematically better than the others. On the other hand, at the AIRNow surface sites, CB05 has the best performance with the normalized mean bias (NMB) of 3.9%, followed by CB4 (NMB=&minus;5.7%) and SAPRC-99 (NMB=10.6%) for observed O<sub>3</sub>&ge;75 ppb, whereas CB4 has the best performance with the least overestimation for observed O<sub>3</sub><75 ppb. On the basis of comparisons with aircraft P-3 measurements, there were consistent overestimations of O<sub>3</sub>, NO<sub>z</sub>, PAN and NO<sub>y</sub> and consistent underestimations of CO, HNO<sub>3</sub>, NO<sub>2</sub>, NO, SO<sub>2</sub> and terpenes for all three mechanisms although the NMB values for each species and mechanisms were different. The results of aircraft DC-8 show that CB05 predicts the H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> mixing ratios most closely to the observations (NMB=10.8%), whereas CB4 and SAPRC-99 overestimated (NMB=74.7%) and underestimated (NMB=&minus;25.5%) H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> mixing ratios significantly, respectively. For different air mass flows over the Gulf of Maine on the basis of the ship data, the three mechanisms have relatively better performance for O<sub>3</sub>, isoprene and SO<sub>2</sub> for the clean marine or continental flows but relatively better performance for CO, NO<sub>2</sub> and NO for southwesterly/westerly offshore flows. The results of the O<sub>3</sub>-NO<sub>z</sub> slopes over the ocean indicate that SAPRC-99 has the highest upper limits of the ozone production efficiency (ε<sub>N</sub>) (5.8), followed by CB05 (4.5) and CB4 (4.0) although they are much lower than that inferred from the observation (11.8), being consistent with the fact that on average, SAPRC-99 produces the highest O<sub>3</sub>, followed by CB05 and CB4, across all O<sub>3</sub> mixing ratio ranges
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spelling doaj.art-917d6f9f7da44396aa1d2b07b1ddb9702022-12-22T03:28:44ZengCopernicus PublicationsAtmospheric Chemistry and Physics1680-73161680-73242010-03-0110630013025Eta-CMAQ air quality forecasts for O<sub>3</sub> and related species using three different photochemical mechanisms (CB4, CB05, SAPRC-99): comparisons with measurements during the 2004 ICARTT studyJ. PleimG. PouliotD. KangD. TongG. SarwarR. MathurS. YuA critical module of air quality models is the photochemical mechanism. In this study, the impact of the three photochemical mechanisms (CB4, CB05, SAPRC-99) on the Eta-Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) model's forecast performance for O<sub>3</sub>, and its related precursors has been assessed over the eastern United States with observations obtained by aircraft (NOAA P-3 and NASA DC-8) flights, ship and two surface networks (AIRNow and AIRMAP) during the 2004 International Consortium for Atmospheric Research on Transport and Transformation (ICARTT) study. The results show that overall none of the mechanisms performs systematically better than the others. On the other hand, at the AIRNow surface sites, CB05 has the best performance with the normalized mean bias (NMB) of 3.9%, followed by CB4 (NMB=&minus;5.7%) and SAPRC-99 (NMB=10.6%) for observed O<sub>3</sub>&ge;75 ppb, whereas CB4 has the best performance with the least overestimation for observed O<sub>3</sub><75 ppb. On the basis of comparisons with aircraft P-3 measurements, there were consistent overestimations of O<sub>3</sub>, NO<sub>z</sub>, PAN and NO<sub>y</sub> and consistent underestimations of CO, HNO<sub>3</sub>, NO<sub>2</sub>, NO, SO<sub>2</sub> and terpenes for all three mechanisms although the NMB values for each species and mechanisms were different. The results of aircraft DC-8 show that CB05 predicts the H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> mixing ratios most closely to the observations (NMB=10.8%), whereas CB4 and SAPRC-99 overestimated (NMB=74.7%) and underestimated (NMB=&minus;25.5%) H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> mixing ratios significantly, respectively. For different air mass flows over the Gulf of Maine on the basis of the ship data, the three mechanisms have relatively better performance for O<sub>3</sub>, isoprene and SO<sub>2</sub> for the clean marine or continental flows but relatively better performance for CO, NO<sub>2</sub> and NO for southwesterly/westerly offshore flows. The results of the O<sub>3</sub>-NO<sub>z</sub> slopes over the ocean indicate that SAPRC-99 has the highest upper limits of the ozone production efficiency (ε<sub>N</sub>) (5.8), followed by CB05 (4.5) and CB4 (4.0) although they are much lower than that inferred from the observation (11.8), being consistent with the fact that on average, SAPRC-99 produces the highest O<sub>3</sub>, followed by CB05 and CB4, across all O<sub>3</sub> mixing ratio rangeshttp://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/10/3001/2010/acp-10-3001-2010.pdf
spellingShingle J. Pleim
G. Pouliot
D. Kang
D. Tong
G. Sarwar
R. Mathur
S. Yu
Eta-CMAQ air quality forecasts for O<sub>3</sub> and related species using three different photochemical mechanisms (CB4, CB05, SAPRC-99): comparisons with measurements during the 2004 ICARTT study
Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
title Eta-CMAQ air quality forecasts for O<sub>3</sub> and related species using three different photochemical mechanisms (CB4, CB05, SAPRC-99): comparisons with measurements during the 2004 ICARTT study
title_full Eta-CMAQ air quality forecasts for O<sub>3</sub> and related species using three different photochemical mechanisms (CB4, CB05, SAPRC-99): comparisons with measurements during the 2004 ICARTT study
title_fullStr Eta-CMAQ air quality forecasts for O<sub>3</sub> and related species using three different photochemical mechanisms (CB4, CB05, SAPRC-99): comparisons with measurements during the 2004 ICARTT study
title_full_unstemmed Eta-CMAQ air quality forecasts for O<sub>3</sub> and related species using three different photochemical mechanisms (CB4, CB05, SAPRC-99): comparisons with measurements during the 2004 ICARTT study
title_short Eta-CMAQ air quality forecasts for O<sub>3</sub> and related species using three different photochemical mechanisms (CB4, CB05, SAPRC-99): comparisons with measurements during the 2004 ICARTT study
title_sort eta cmaq air quality forecasts for o sub 3 sub and related species using three different photochemical mechanisms cb4 cb05 saprc 99 comparisons with measurements during the 2004 icartt study
url http://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/10/3001/2010/acp-10-3001-2010.pdf
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