Title: Zasavje canyon regional online air pollution modelling system in highly complex terrain - description and validation

Authors: Primož Mlakar; Marija Zlata Božnar; Boštjan Grašič; Gianni Tinarelli

Addresses: MEIS d.o.o., Mali Vrh pri Šmarju 78, SI-1293 Šmarje-Sap, Slovenia ' MEIS d.o.o., Mali Vrh pri Šmarju 78, SI-1293 Šmarje-Sap, Slovenia ' MEIS d.o.o., Mali Vrh pri Šmarju 78, SI-1293 Šmarje-Sap, Slovenia ' ARIANET Srl, Via Gilino n. 9, 20128 Milano, Italy

Abstract: Zasavje is an industrial region in Slovenia located along the Sava River's steep canyon where PM10 air pollution is a major problem. In the paper a national project with the title 'Prognostic and diagnostic integrated regional air pollution modelling system' is described where it is shown that such a project can significantly contribute to the proper understanding of air pollution in smaller regions with a very complex topography. To achieve online efficiency some new methods to obtain high resolution short-range meteorological fields derived from meso-scale models have been developed and the implementation of the advanced Lagrangian model's acceleration techniques and novel approaches for the whole system integration is presented. The project's test-bed was established as a novel approach to the overall treatment of the scientific-applicative project goal.

Keywords: meteorological forecasting; data validation; height; length; topographic complexity; hlTc; vertical wind profiles; measurements; radiosonde; RASS; SODAR; WRF model; short-term forecasts; Slovenia; atmospheric dispersion modelling; PM 10 air pollution; air quality; terrain complexity.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEP.2012.051177

International Journal of Environment and Pollution, 2012 Vol.50 No.1/2/3/4, pp.22 - 30

Published online: 19 Nov 2014 *

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