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Evaluating the Effects of Radiative Forcing Feedback in Modelling Urban Ozone Air Quality in Portland, Oregon: Two-Way Coupled MM5–CMAQ Numerical Model Simulations

Boundary-Layer Meteorology volume 137, pages 291–305 (2010)Cite this article

Abstract

We summarize an on-line coupled meteorological–emissions–photochemical modelling system that allows feedback from air-quality/chemistry to meteorology via radiative forcing. We focus on the radiative-forcing impacts (direct effects) of ozone. We present an application of the coupled modelling system to the episode of 23–31 July 1998 in Portland, Oregon, U.S.A. Results suggest that the inclusion of radiative-forcing feedback produces small but accountable impacts. For this region and episode, stand-alone radiative transfer simulations, i.e., evaluating the effects of radiative forcing independently of changes in meteorology or emissions, suggest that a change of 1 ppb in ground-level ozone is approximately equivalent to a change of 0.017 W m−2 in radiative forcing. In on-line, coupled, three-dimensional simulations, where the meteorological dependencies are accounted for, domain-wide peak ozone concentrations were higher by 2–4 ppb (relative to a simulated peak of 119.4 ppb) when including the effects of radiative-forcing feedback. A scenario of 10% reduction in anthropogenic emissions produced slightly larger decreases in ozone, an additional 1 ppb in local-peak reductions, relative to scenarios without feedback.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Altostratus Inc., 940 Toulouse Way, Martinez, CA, 94553, USA

    Haider Taha

  2. Mechanical and Materials Engineering Department, Portland State University, Portland, OR, 97207, USA

    David Sailor

Authors
  1. Haider Taha
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  2. David Sailor
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Correspondence to Haider Taha.

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Taha, H., Sailor, D. Evaluating the Effects of Radiative Forcing Feedback in Modelling Urban Ozone Air Quality in Portland, Oregon: Two-Way Coupled MM5–CMAQ Numerical Model Simulations. Boundary-Layer Meteorol 137, 291–305 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10546-010-9533-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10546-010-9533-9

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