Abstract
The first phase of the Urban air quality Model InterComparison Study in Japan (UMICS) has been conducted to find ways to improve model performance with regard to elemental carbon (EC). Common meteorology and emission datasets are used with eight different models. All the models underestimate the EC concentrations observed in Tokyo Metropolitan Area in the summer of 2007. Sensitivity analyses are conducted using these models to investigate the causes of this underestimation. The results of the analyses reveal that emissions and vertical diffusion are dominant factors that affect the simulated EC concentrations. A significant improvement in the accuracy of EC concentrations could be realized by applying appropriate scaling factors to EC emissions and boundary concentrations. Observation data from Lidar and radiosonde suggest the possible overestimation of planetary boundary layer height, which is a vital parameter representing vertical diffusion. The findings of this work can help to improve air quality models to that they can be used to develop more effective strategies for reducing PM2.5 concentrations.
Highlights
Fine particulate matter adversely affects human health (Pope and Dockery, 2006)
The results of the analyses reveal that emissions and vertical diffusion are dominant factors that affect the simulated elemental carbon (EC) concentrations
The models in the United States and Europe participated in Air Quality Model Evaluation International Initiative II (AQME II), and their results were evaluated in both continents (Solazzo et al, 2012)
Summary
Fine particulate matter adversely affects human health (Pope and Dockery, 2006). The Japanese government has set 15 (annual mean) and 35 (daily mean) micrograms per cubic meter as the Environmental Quality Standard (EQS) for fine particulate matter smaller than 2.5 micrometers (PM2.5) since 2009. The current PM2.5 concentration is likely above the EQS in most parts of Japan (Ministry of the Environment of Japan, 2012). EC concentration exhibits a decreasing trend, and the contribution of the remaining components, which are mainly produced from gaseous precursors via complex photochemical. Intercomparisons of regional air quality models have been carried out for a broad range of spatial scales. The models in the United States and Europe participated in Air Quality Model Evaluation International Initiative II (AQME II), and their results were evaluated in both continents (Solazzo et al, 2012). In the Model Intercomparison Study for Asia Phase II (MICS-Asia II), several models were
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