Modeling secondary organic aerosol in CMAQ using multigenerational oxidation of semi-volatile organic compounds

Abstract

Chemical transport models have had a historically low bias in simulated organic aerosol concentrations in summer as compared to observed levels, likely due to an underestimate in the formation of secondary organic aerosol (SOA). CMAQ with the AE4 SOA module, the fourth generation aerosol module, was extended using SOA formation produced by the multigenerational photochemical oxidation of semi-volatile organic compound (SVOC) from anthropogenic and biogenic precursors. The updated CMAQ was applied to both a summer and winter episode (2001 July and 2002 January) over the U.S. for evaluation and has been operational in the high resolution air quality forecasting (Hi-Res) system for the Southeast since May 2009. Overall, the updated SOA module significantly improved CMAQ performance on a daily basis, mainly due to the newly added aerosol that contributed more than half of the SOA formed (1.5 μg m -3 in summer on average). SOA contributed 46% (1.24 μg m -3 in the Pacific) to 79% (3.21 μg m -3 in the South) of the total organic aerosol in summer depending upon region. Adding aged aerosol also improved diurnal variation of simulated organic carbon in the Southeast, decreasing a mean fractional error from 74% to 49% and increasing the correlation coefficient from 0.52 to 0.59. Furthermore, the revised CMAQ was shown to improve PM 2.5 simulations in the Hi-Res forecasting system that previously had typically underestimated PM 2.5 levels during summer simulations. Impacts of using monoterpenes emissions estimated in BEIS version 3.12 on aerosol yields were tested as well. Copyright 2011 by the American Geophysical Union.