Mechanisms controlling surface ozone over East Asia: a multiscale study coupling regional and global chemical transport models

  • Lin M
  • Holloway T
  • Oki T
  • et al.
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Abstract

Mechanisms controlling surface ozone (O sub(3)) over East Asia are examined using the regional Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) model at two horizontal scales: 81 km and 27 km. Through sensitivity studies and comparison with recently available satellite data and surface measurements in China and Japan, we find that the O sub(3) budget over East Asia shows complex interactions among photochemical production, regional transport, meteorological conditions, burning of agricultural residues, and global inflows. For example, wintertime surface O sub(3) over northern domain is sensitive to boundary conditions derived from the MOZART (Model for Ozone and Related Tracers) global model, whereas summertime O sub(3) budget is controlled by the competitive processes between photochemical production and monsoonal intrusion of low-O sub(3) marine air masses from tropical Pacific. We find that simulated surface O sub(3) for 2001 does not exhibit the same sharp drop in July and August concentrations that is observed at two mountaintop sites (Tai and Hua) for 2004 and Beijing for 1995-2005. CMAQ sensitivity tests with two widely used photochemical schemes demonstrate that over the industrial areas in East Asia north of 30 degree N, SAPRC99 produces higher values of mean summertime O sub(3) than CBIV, amounting to a difference of 10 ppb. In addition, analysis of NCEP winds and geopotential heights suggests that southwesterly monsoonal intrusion in central east China is weakened in August 2001 as compared with the climatologically mean for 1980-2005. Further examination of the O sub(3) diurnal cycle at nine Japanese sites shows that boundary layer evolution has an important effect on the vertical mixing of ground-level O sub(3), and error in near surface meteorology might contribute to overprediction of nighttime O sub(3) in urban and rural areas. In conclusion, the uncertainties in simulating cloud activities and convection mixing, Asian monsoon circulation, photochemical production, and nighttime cooling explain why CMAQ with 81 km horizontal scale overpredicts the observed surface O sub(3) in July and August over central east China and central Japan by 5-15 ppb (CBIV) and 15-25 ppb (SAPRC99). The results suggest clear benefits in evaluating atmospheric chemistry over Asia with high resolution regional model.

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APA

Lin, M., Holloway, T., Oki, T., Streets, D. G., & Richter, A. (2008). Mechanisms controlling surface ozone over East Asia: a multiscale study coupling regional and global chemical transport models. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Discussions.

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