Article: Evaluation of local and regional air quality forecasts for London Journal: International Journal of Environment and Pollution (IJEP) 2018 Vol.64 No.1/2/3 pp.178 - 191 Abstract: This paper presents key results from the evaluation of a local-scale air quality forecasting system, airTEXT, alongside the CAMS regional-scale air quality forecast. The CAMS forecast, which is used to account for the long-range transport of pollutants within airTEXT, is adjusted to account for the apparent bias in concentrations predicted within the south-east of England. Forecasts of the UK Daily Air Quality Index metrics for NO2, O3, PM10 and PM2.5 in London have been assessed using the Model Evaluation Toolkit and the DELTA Tool for a five month period during 2017. For NO2, where air pollutant concentrations are primarily a result of local emissions, the local forecast performs significantly better than the regional forecast as the steep roadside concentration gradients are resolved by ADMS-Urban, the dispersion model used within airTEXT. Although regional O3 and particulate forecasts dominate the local forecasts, airTEXT also performs better than CAMS for these pollutants by accounting for emissions, dispersion and chemistry at high spatial resolution. Inderscience Publishers - linking academia, business and industry through research

Title: Evaluation of local and regional air quality forecasts for London

Authors: Amy Stidworthy; Mark Jackson; Kate Johnson; David Carruthers; Jenny Stocker

Addresses: Cambridge Environmental Research Consultants Ltd., 3 Kings Parade, Cambridge, CB2 1SJ, UK ' Cambridge Environmental Research Consultants Ltd., 3 Kings Parade, Cambridge, CB2 1SJ, UK ' Cambridge Environmental Research Consultants Ltd., 3 Kings Parade, Cambridge, CB2 1SJ, UK ' Cambridge Environmental Research Consultants Ltd., 3 Kings Parade, Cambridge, CB2 1SJ, UK ' Cambridge Environmental Research Consultants Ltd., 3 Kings Parade, Cambridge, CB2 1SJ, UK

Abstract: This paper presents key results from the evaluation of a local-scale air quality forecasting system, airTEXT, alongside the CAMS regional-scale air quality forecast. The CAMS forecast, which is used to account for the long-range transport of pollutants within airTEXT, is adjusted to account for the apparent bias in concentrations predicted within the south-east of England. Forecasts of the UK Daily Air Quality Index metrics for NO₂, O₃, PM₁₀ and PM_2.5 in London have been assessed using the Model Evaluation Toolkit and the DELTA Tool for a five month period during 2017. For NO₂, where air pollutant concentrations are primarily a result of local emissions, the local forecast performs significantly better than the regional forecast as the steep roadside concentration gradients are resolved by ADMS-Urban, the dispersion model used within airTEXT. Although regional O₃ and particulate forecasts dominate the local forecasts, airTEXT also performs better than CAMS for these pollutants by accounting for emissions, dispersion and chemistry at high spatial resolution.

Keywords: air quality; evaluation; forecast; airTEXT; CAMS; ADMS-Urban; London.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEP.2018.099160

International Journal of Environment and Pollution, 2018 Vol.64 No.1/2/3, pp.178 - 191

Received: 24 Jan 2018
Accepted: 02 Dec 2018
Published online: 16 Apr 2019 *

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Title: Evaluation of local and regional air quality forecasts for London

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