In:
Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, Copernicus GmbH, Vol. 22, No. 20 ( 2022-10-26), p. 13797-13815
Abstract:
Abstract. Tropospheric ozone (O3) concentrations depend on a combination of hemispheric, regional, and local-scale processes. Estimates of how much O3 is produced locally vs. transported from further afield are
essential in air quality management and regulatory policies. Here, a
tagged-ozone mechanism within the Weather Research and Forecasting model coupled with chemistry (WRF-Chem) is used to quantify the
contributions to surface O3 in the UK from anthropogenic nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions from inside and outside the UK during May–August 2015. The
contribution of the different source regions to three regulatory O3
metrics is also examined. It is shown that model simulations predict the
concentration and spatial distribution of surface O3 with a domain-wide
mean bias of −3.7 ppbv. Anthropogenic NOx emissions from the UK and Europe
account for 13 % and 16 %, respectively, of the monthly mean surface
O3 in the UK, as the majority (71 %) of O3 originates from the
hemispheric background. Hemispheric O3 contributes the most to
concentrations in the north and the west of the UK with peaks in May,
whereas European and UK contributions are most significant in the east,
south-east, and London, i.e. the UK's most populated areas, intensifying
towards June and July. Moreover, O3 from European sources is generally
transported to the UK rather than produced in situ. It is demonstrated that
more stringent emission controls over continental Europe, particularly in
western Europe, would be necessary to improve the health-related metric MDA8
O3 above 50 and 60 ppbv. Emission controls over larger areas, such as
the Northern Hemisphere, are instead required to lessen the impacts on
ecosystems as quantified by the AOT40 metric.
Type of Medium:
Online Resource
ISSN:
1680-7324
DOI:
10.5194/acp-22-13797-2022
DOI:
10.5194/acp-22-13797-2022-supplement
Language:
English
Publisher:
Copernicus GmbH
Publication Date:
2022
detail.hit.zdb_id:
2092549-9
detail.hit.zdb_id:
2069847-1
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