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www.geosci-model-dev-discuss.net/3/2291/2010/
doi:10.5194/gmdd-3-2291-2010
© Author(s) 2010. This work is distributed
under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
Impact of a new condensed toluene mechanism on air quality model predictions in the US
1Atmospheric Modeling and Analysis Division, National Exposure Research Laboratory, Office of Research and Development, US Environmental Protection Agency, RTP, NC 27711, USA
2Department of Mathematics, The Hong Kong University of Science & Technology, \newline Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China
3Delaware Department of Natural Resources & Environmental Control, New Castle, DE, USA
*now at: Department of Environmental Sciences, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
Abstract. A new condensed toluene mechanism is incorporated into the Community Multiscale Air Quality Modeling system. Model simulations are performed using the CB05 chemical mechanism containing the existing (base) and the new toluene mechanism for the western and eastern US for a summer month. With current estimates of tropospheric emission burden, the new toluene mechanism increases monthly mean daily maximum 8-h ozone by 1.0–3.0 ppbv in Los Angeles, Portland, Seattle, Chicago, Cleveland, northeastern US, and Detroit compared to that with the base toluene chemistry. It reduces model mean bias for ozone at elevated observed ozone mixing ratios. While the new mechanism increases predicted ozone, it does not enhance ozone production efficiency. Sensitivity study suggests that it can further enhance ozone if elevated toluene emissions are present. While changes in total fine particulate mass are small, predictions of in-cloud SOA increase substantially.
Discussion Paper (PDF, 976 KB) Interactive Discussion (Closed, 4 Comments) Final Revised Paper (GMD)
Notice on Discussion StatusCitation: Sarwar, G., Appel, K. W., Carlton, A. G., Mathur, R., Schere, K., Zhang, R., and Majeed, M. A.: Impact of a new condensed toluene mechanism on air quality model predictions in the US, Geosci. Model Dev. Discuss., 3, 2291-2314, doi:10.5194/gmdd-3-2291-2010, 2010. Bibtex EndNote Reference Manager XML
