Emissions models for regional air quality studies

Abstract

The attention given to modeling ozone in recent years has led to a greater appreciation of the limitations inherent in the emission inventories used in photochemical models. The method used to develop these emissions inventories actually is an emissions model, which the authors define as an integrated collection of calculational procedures that are encoded for computer-based computation. In addition, concerns have arisen that the current emissions modeling process is fragmented and not well documented. Moreover, the emissions estimates derived by an emissions model are mostly unverified; that is, we have not commonly compared the emissions estimates (or model outputs) with measured emission values. To address these issues, two studies recently have been initiated to treat emissions estimation as a rigorous modeling process. An emissions modeling system (EMS) is under development for the Lake Michigan Ozone Study (LMOS) and for the San Joaquin Valley/Atmospheric Utility Signatures, Predictions, and Experiments Regional Modeling Adaptation Project (SARMAP). Both of these projects are developing new analytical tools to evaluate the formation of ozone and other pollutants in the atmosphere. The paper briefly describes both modeling efforts.