Using National Air Quality Forecast Guidance to Develop Local Air Quality Index Forecasts

Eder, Brian K.; Kang, Daiwen; Rao, S. Trivikrama; Mathur, Rohit; Yu, Shaocai; Otte, Tanya L.; Schere, K. L.; Wayland, Richard; Jackson, Scott A.; Davidson, Paula M.; McQueen, Jeff; Bridgers, George M.

doi:10.1175/2009bams2734.1

Cited by 34 publications

(22 citation statements)

References 20 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…The two-way coupled WRF-CMAQ modeling system Mathur et al, 2010;Wong et al, 2012) was developed by linking the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model (Skamarock et al, 2008) and the CMAQ model Mathur et al, 2008;Eder et al, 2009Eder et al, , 2010. A brief summary relevant to the present study is presented here.…”

Section: Two-way Coupled Wrf-cmaqmentioning

confidence: 99%

Aerosol indirect effect on the grid-scale clouds in the two-way coupled WRF–CMAQ: model description, development, evaluation and regional analysis

Mathur

Pleim

et al. 2014

Atmos. Chem. Phys.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Abstract. This study implemented first, second and glaciation aerosol indirect effects (AIE) on resolved clouds in the two-way coupled Weather Research and Forecasting Community Multiscale Air Quality (WRF-CMAQ) modeling system by including parameterizations for both cloud drop and ice number concentrations on the basis of CMAQpredicted aerosol distributions and WRF meteorological conditions. The performance of the newly developed WRF-CMAQ model, with alternate Community Atmospheric Model (CAM) and Rapid Radiative Transfer Model for GCMs (RRTMG) radiation schemes, was evaluated with observations from the Clouds and the See http://ceres.larc. nasa.gov/. Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES) satellite and surface monitoring networks (AQS, IMPROVE, CASTNET, STN, and PRISM) over the continental US (CONUS) (12 km resolution) and eastern Texas (4 km resolution) during August and September of 2006. The results at the Air Quality System (AQS) surface sites show that in August, the normalized mean bias (NMB) values for PM 2.5 over the eastern US (EUS) and the western US (WUS) are 5.3 % (−0.1 %) and 0.4 % (−5.2 %) for WRF-CMAQ/CAM (WRF-CMAQ/RRTMG), respectively. The evaluation of PM 2.5 chemical composition reveals that in August, WRF-CMAQ/CAM (WRF-CMAQ/RRTMG) consistently underestimated the observed SO 2− 4 by −23.0 % (−27.7 %), −12.5 % (−18.9 %) and −7.9 % (−14.8 %) over the EUS at the Clean Air Status Trends Network (CAST-NET), Interagency Monitoring of Protected Visual Environments (IMPROVE) and Speciated Trends Network (STN) sites, respectively. Both configurations (WRF-CMAQ/CAM, WRF-CMAQ/RRTMG) overestimated the observed mean organic carbon (OC), elemental carbon (EC) and and total carbon (TC) concentrations over the EUS in August at the IMPROVE sites. Both configurations generally underestimated the cloud field (shortwave cloud forcing, SWCF) over the CONUS in August due to the fact that the AIE on the subgrid convective clouds was not considered when the model simulations were run at the 12 km resolution. This is in agreement with the fact that both configurations captured SWCF and longwave cloud forcing (LWCF) very well for the 4 km simulation over eastern Texas, when all clouds were resolved by the finer resolution domain. The simulations of WRF-CMAQ/CAM and WRF-CMAQ/RRTMG show dramatic improvements for SWCF, LWCF, cloud optical depth (COD), cloud fractions and precipitation over the ocean relative to those of WRF default cases in August. The model performance in September is similar to that in August, except for a greater overestimation of PM 2.5 due to the overestimations of SO

show abstract

Section: Two-way Coupled Wrf-cmaqmentioning

confidence: 99%

Aerosol indirect effect on the grid-scale clouds in the two-way coupled WRF–CMAQ: model description, development, evaluation and regional analysis

Mathur

Pleim

et al. 2014

Atmos. Chem. Phys.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…In contrast, the application of a three-dimensional air quality model can provide spatially and temporally resolved forecasts, but its use in real-time forecasts in the past was often limited by computational speed. Because of increases in computational speeds and the maturity of air quality models, the past decade has witnessed the emergence of model-based forecast guidance as an increasingly relevant component of air quality forecasting for ozone [3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12] and PM 2.5 11,13,14 concentrations. The increased availability of forecast guidance based on photochemical models had stimulated interest in the assessment of the performance of these models when applied in a forecasting mode.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Retrospective Comparison of Model-Based Forecasted PM_2.5Concentrations with Measurements

Doraiswamy

Hogrefe

Hao

et al. 2010

Journal of the Air & Waste Management Association

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This study presents an assessment of the performance of the Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) photochemical model in forecasting daily PM 2.5 (particulate matter Յ2.5 m in aerodynamic diameter) mass concentrations over most of the eastern United States for a 2-yr period from June 14, 2006 to June 13, 2008. Model predictions were compared with filter-based and continuous measurements of PM 2.5 mass and species on a seasonal and regional basis. Results indicate an underprediction of PM 2.5 mass in spring and summer, resulting from underpredictions in sulfate and total carbon concentrations. During winter, the model overpredicted mass concentrations, mostly at the urban sites in the northeastern United States because of overpredictions in unspeciated PM 2.5 (suggesting possible overestimation of primary emissions) and sulfate. A comparison of observed and predicted diurnal profiles of PM 2.5 mass at five sites in the domain showed significant discrepancies. Sulfate diurnal profiles agreed in shape across three sites in the southern portion of the domain but differed at two sites in the northern portion of the domain. Predicted organic carbon (OC) profiles were similar in shape to mass, suggesting that discrepancies in mass profiles probably resulted from the underprediction in OC. The diurnal profiles at a highly urbanized site in New York City suggested that the overpredictions at that site might be resulting from overpredictions during the morning and evening hours, displayed as sharp peaks in predicted profiles. An examination of the predicted planetary boundary layer (PBL) heights also showed possible issues in the modeling of PBL. INTRODUCTIONFine particles, (particulate matter [PM] with aerodynamic diameter Յ to 2.5 m in diameter, or PM 2.5 ) have been linked to various health effects including asthma and cardiac arrest. 1,2 The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) promulgated the annual and daily PM 2.5 National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) in 1997 and again revised it in 2006. The revised PM 2.5 NAAQS consists of a 24-hr daily standard of 35 g/m 3 and an annual standard of 15 g/m 3 . Historically, most daily air quality forecasts for a region have been based on a combination of statistical methods and human judgment using point measurements at observational sites. In contrast, the application of a three-dimensional air quality model can provide spatially and temporally resolved forecasts, but its use in real-time forecasts in the past was often limited by computational speed. Because of increases in computational speeds and the maturity of air quality models, the past decade has witnessed the emergence of model-based forecast guidance as an increasingly relevant component of air quality forecasting for ozone [3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12] and PM 2.5 11,13,14 concentrations. The increased availability of forecast guidance based on photochemical models had stimulated interest in the assessment of the performance of these models when applied in a forecasting mode. This study repo...

show abstract

“…The U.S. EPA's air quality index (AQI) is often used in operational forecasting for ozone (e.g., [89]). Differentiating AQI with respect to pollutant concentrations within the AQI range of 51-200 and using ozone as example, we obtain:…”

Section: Air Quality Healthmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cool Cities: Counteracting Potential Climate Change and its Health Impacts

Taha¹

2015

Curr Clim Change Rep

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Cool cities can produce a range of multi-scale, multi-dimensional impacts on the atmospheric environment. One area of increasing interest is the potentially beneficial impacts of cool cities in reducing heat stress and improving air quality health during hot weather and heat events. While the overriding effects of cool cities are beneficial in terms of thermal environment, cooling-energy use, air pollutant emissions, atmospheric chemistry, and air quality, some inadvertent effects can also arise. The goal of this paper is to present and compare the magnitudes of local heat and air quality effects induced by (1) climate change, (2) urban heat islands, and (3) cool cities. From the review of past and more recent findings, this paper concludes that cool cities have the potential to offset the negative local health impacts of climate change and/or their exacerbation by urban areas. To achieve these benefits, the measures must be tailored to region-specific characteristics and needs.

show abstract

Using National Air Quality Forecast Guidance to Develop Local Air Quality Index Forecasts

Cited by 34 publications

References 20 publications

Aerosol indirect effect on the grid-scale clouds in the two-way coupled WRF–CMAQ: model description, development, evaluation and regional analysis

Aerosol indirect effect on the grid-scale clouds in the two-way coupled WRF–CMAQ: model description, development, evaluation and regional analysis

A Retrospective Comparison of Model-Based Forecasted PM_2.5Concentrations with Measurements

Cool Cities: Counteracting Potential Climate Change and its Health Impacts

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About

Using National Air Quality Forecast Guidance to Develop Local Air Quality Index Forecasts

Cited by 34 publications

References 20 publications

Aerosol indirect effect on the grid-scale clouds in the two-way coupled WRF–CMAQ: model description, development, evaluation and regional analysis

Aerosol indirect effect on the grid-scale clouds in the two-way coupled WRF–CMAQ: model description, development, evaluation and regional analysis

A Retrospective Comparison of Model-Based Forecasted PM2.5Concentrations with Measurements

Cool Cities: Counteracting Potential Climate Change and its Health Impacts

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About

A Retrospective Comparison of Model-Based Forecasted PM_2.5Concentrations with Measurements