Evaluation of the performance of different atmospheric chemical transport models and inter-comparison of nitrogen and sulphur deposition estimates for the UK
Journal article, 2015
An evaluation has been made of a number of contrasting atmospheric chemical transport models, of varying complexity, applied to estimate sulphur and nitrogen deposition in the UK. The models were evaluated by comparison with annually averaged measurements of gas, aerosol and precipitation concentrations from the national monitoring networks. The models were evaluated in relation to performance criteria. They were generally able to satisfy a criterion of 'fitness for purpose' that at least 50% of modelled concentrations should be within a factor of two of measured values. The second criterion, that the magnitude of the normalised mean bias should be less than 20%, was not always satisfied. Considering known uncertainties in measurement techniques, this criterion may be too strict. Overall, simpler models were able to give a good representation of measured gas concentrations whilst the use of dynamic meteorology, and complex photo-chemical reactions resulted complex models. The models were compared graphically by plotting maps and cross-country transects of wet and dry deposition as well as calculating budgets of total wet and dry deposition to the UK for sulphur, oxidised nitrogen and reduced nitrogen. The total deposition to the UK varied by 22-36% amongst the different models depending on the deposition component. At a local scale estimates of both dry and wet deposition for individual 5 km x 5 km model grid squares were found to vary between the different models by up to a factor of 4.
Nitrogen
Acid deposition
Sulphur
Eutrophication
Inter-comparison
Atmospheric chemical
Author
A. J. Dore
Centre for Ecology & Hydrology
D.C. Carslaw
King's College London
C. F. Braban
Centre for Ecology & Hydrology
M. Cain
Food and Rural Affairs
University of Cambridge
C. Chemel
University of Hertfordshire
C. Conolly
R. Derwent
Rdscientific
S.J. Griffiths
E.ON Technologies
J. Hall
Centre for Ecology & Hydrology
G. D. Hayman
Centre for Ecology & Hydrology
S. Lawrence
Food and Rural Affairs
S.E. Metcalfe
University of Nottingham
A.L. Redington
Met Office
David Simpson
Chalmers, Earth and Space Sciences, Global Environmental Measurements and Modelling
M. A. Sutton
Centre for Ecology & Hydrology
P.A. Sutton
Y. S. Tang
Centre for Ecology & Hydrology
M. Vieno
Centre for Ecology & Hydrology
W.M. Davey
University of Wroclaw
J.D. Whyatt
Lancaster University
Atmospheric Environment
1352-2310 (ISSN)
Vol. 119 131-143Subject Categories (SSIF 2011)
Meteorology and Atmospheric Sciences
DOI
10.1016/j.atmosenv2015.08.008