In:
Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, Copernicus GmbH, Vol. 21, No. 20 ( 2021-10-20), p. 15663-15697
Abstract:
Abstract. We present in this technical note the research protocol for phase 4 of the
Air Quality Model Evaluation International Initiative (AQMEII4). This
research initiative is divided into two activities, collectively having three
goals: (i) to define the current state of the science with respect to
representations of wet and especially dry deposition in regional models,
(ii) to quantify the extent to which different dry deposition
parameterizations influence retrospective air pollutant concentration and
flux predictions, and (iii) to identify, through the use of a common set of
detailed diagnostics, sensitivity simulations, model evaluation, and
reduction of input uncertainty, the specific causes for the current range of
these predictions. Activity 1 is dedicated to the diagnostic evaluation of
wet and dry deposition processes in regional air quality models (described
in this paper), and Activity 2 to the evaluation of dry deposition point
models against ozone flux measurements at multiple towers with multiyear
observations (to be described in future submissions as part of the special
issue on AQMEII4). The scope of this paper is to present the scientific
protocols for Activity 1, as well as to summarize the technical information
associated with the different dry deposition approaches used by the
participating research groups of AQMEII4. In addition to describing all
common aspects and data used for this multi-model evaluation activity, most
importantly, we present the strategy devised to allow a common process-level
comparison of dry deposition obtained from models using sometimes very
different dry deposition schemes. The strategy is based on adding detailed
diagnostics to the algorithms used in the dry deposition modules of existing
regional air quality models, in particular archiving diagnostics specific to land use–land cover
(LULC) and creating standardized LULC categories to
facilitate cross-comparison of LULC-specific dry deposition parameters and
processes, as well as archiving effective conductance and effective flux as
means for comparing the relative influence of different pathways towards the
net or total dry deposition. This new approach, along with an analysis of
precipitation and wet deposition fields, will provide an unprecedented
process-oriented comparison of deposition in regional air quality models.
Examples of how specific dry deposition schemes used in participating models
have been reduced to the common set of comparable diagnostics defined for
AQMEII4 are also presented.
Type of Medium:
Online Resource
ISSN:
1680-7324
DOI:
10.5194/acp-21-15663-2021
Language:
English
Publisher:
Copernicus GmbH
Publication Date:
2021
detail.hit.zdb_id:
2092549-9
detail.hit.zdb_id:
2069847-1