Investigating the Sensitivity of Modelled Ozone Levels in the Mediterranean to Dry Deposition Parameters
The exposure to elevated levels of ozone contributes to respiratory diseases and ecosystem degradation. Mediterranean countries are among those most affected by high ozone concentrations, which are generally overestimated by chemistry transport models underscoring the importance of improving the acc...
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2025-05-01
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| author | André Barreirinha Sabine Banzhaf Markus Thürkow Carla Gama Michael Russo Enrico Dammers Martijn Schaap Alexandra Monteiro |
| author_facet | André Barreirinha Sabine Banzhaf Markus Thürkow Carla Gama Michael Russo Enrico Dammers Martijn Schaap Alexandra Monteiro |
| author_sort | André Barreirinha |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The exposure to elevated levels of ozone contributes to respiratory diseases and ecosystem degradation. Mediterranean countries are among those most affected by high ozone concentrations, which are generally overestimated by chemistry transport models underscoring the importance of improving the accuracy of air quality modelling. This study introduces an enhanced Mediterranean dry deposition description within the LOTOS-EUROS model framework, focusing on refining key vegetation parameters for the Mediterranean climate zone, with the goal to better estimate deposition and connected concentration values. Adjustments were made to the vegetation type dependent Jarvis functions for temperature and vapour pressure deficit, as well as to the maximum stomatal conductance across four land use types: arable land, crops, deciduous broadleaf forest, and coniferous evergreen forest. The model’s baseline run showed a widespread overestimation of ozone. Adjustments to the dry deposition routines reduced this overestimation, but the model simulation incorporating all changes still showed elevated ozone levels. Both runs displayed moderate spatial correlation with observations from 117 rural background monitoring stations, and most stations exhibited a temporal correlation between 0.5 and 0.8. An improved RMSE and bias were noted at the majority of the stations (114 out of 117) for the model simulation incorporating all changes. The monthly analysis indicated consistent overestimation at two Portuguese sites beginning in March. The model effectively tracked temporal changes overall. However, the diurnal analysis revealed site-specific differences: an overestimation at the station closest to highly populated areas at night, while rural stations aligned better with observed values. These results highlight the benefits of region-specific model adaptations and lay the groundwork for further advancements, such as incorporating detailed vegetation classifications and seasonal variations. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-3c7885212c1a4213bf1cdda64741e014 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2073-4433 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
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| series | Atmosphere |
| spelling | doaj-art-3c7885212c1a4213bf1cdda64741e0142025-08-20T02:33:38ZengMDPI AGAtmosphere2073-44332025-05-0116562010.3390/atmos16050620Investigating the Sensitivity of Modelled Ozone Levels in the Mediterranean to Dry Deposition ParametersAndré Barreirinha0Sabine Banzhaf1Markus Thürkow2Carla Gama3Michael Russo4Enrico Dammers5Martijn Schaap6Alexandra Monteiro7CESAM and Department of Environment and Planning, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, PortugalInstitute of Meteorology, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, GermanyInstitute of Meteorology, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, GermanyCESAM and Department of Environment and Planning, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, PortugalCESAM and Department of Environment and Planning, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, PortugalAir Quality and Emissions Research, Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO), 3508 TA Utrecht, The NetherlandsInstitute of Meteorology, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, GermanyCESAM and Department of Environment and Planning, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, PortugalThe exposure to elevated levels of ozone contributes to respiratory diseases and ecosystem degradation. Mediterranean countries are among those most affected by high ozone concentrations, which are generally overestimated by chemistry transport models underscoring the importance of improving the accuracy of air quality modelling. This study introduces an enhanced Mediterranean dry deposition description within the LOTOS-EUROS model framework, focusing on refining key vegetation parameters for the Mediterranean climate zone, with the goal to better estimate deposition and connected concentration values. Adjustments were made to the vegetation type dependent Jarvis functions for temperature and vapour pressure deficit, as well as to the maximum stomatal conductance across four land use types: arable land, crops, deciduous broadleaf forest, and coniferous evergreen forest. The model’s baseline run showed a widespread overestimation of ozone. Adjustments to the dry deposition routines reduced this overestimation, but the model simulation incorporating all changes still showed elevated ozone levels. Both runs displayed moderate spatial correlation with observations from 117 rural background monitoring stations, and most stations exhibited a temporal correlation between 0.5 and 0.8. An improved RMSE and bias were noted at the majority of the stations (114 out of 117) for the model simulation incorporating all changes. The monthly analysis indicated consistent overestimation at two Portuguese sites beginning in March. The model effectively tracked temporal changes overall. However, the diurnal analysis revealed site-specific differences: an overestimation at the station closest to highly populated areas at night, while rural stations aligned better with observed values. These results highlight the benefits of region-specific model adaptations and lay the groundwork for further advancements, such as incorporating detailed vegetation classifications and seasonal variations.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/16/5/620ozonechemistry transport modeldry depositionPortugal |
| spellingShingle | André Barreirinha Sabine Banzhaf Markus Thürkow Carla Gama Michael Russo Enrico Dammers Martijn Schaap Alexandra Monteiro Investigating the Sensitivity of Modelled Ozone Levels in the Mediterranean to Dry Deposition Parameters Atmosphere ozone chemistry transport model dry deposition Portugal |
| title | Investigating the Sensitivity of Modelled Ozone Levels in the Mediterranean to Dry Deposition Parameters |
| title_full | Investigating the Sensitivity of Modelled Ozone Levels in the Mediterranean to Dry Deposition Parameters |
| title_fullStr | Investigating the Sensitivity of Modelled Ozone Levels in the Mediterranean to Dry Deposition Parameters |
| title_full_unstemmed | Investigating the Sensitivity of Modelled Ozone Levels in the Mediterranean to Dry Deposition Parameters |
| title_short | Investigating the Sensitivity of Modelled Ozone Levels in the Mediterranean to Dry Deposition Parameters |
| title_sort | investigating the sensitivity of modelled ozone levels in the mediterranean to dry deposition parameters |
| topic | ozone chemistry transport model dry deposition Portugal |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/16/5/620 |
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