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Title: Climatological simulations of ozone and atmospheric aerosols in the Greater Cairo region

Abstract

An integrated chemistry-climate model (RegCM4-CHEM) simulates present-day climate, ozone and tropospheric aerosols over Egypt with a focus on Greater Cairo (GC) region. The densley populated GC region is known for its severe air quality issues driven by high levels of anthropogenic pollution in conjuction with natural sources such as dust and agricultural burning events. We find that current global emission inventories underestimate key pollutants such as nitrogen oxides and anthropogenic aerosol species. In the GC region, average-ground-based NO2 observations of 40-60 ppb are substantially higher than modeled estimates (5-10 ppb), likely due to model grid resolution, improper boundary layer representation, and poor emissions inventories. Observed ozone concentrations range from 35 ppb (winter) to 80 ppb (summer). The model reproduces the seasonal cycle fairly well, but modeled summer ozone is understimated by approximately 15 ppb and exhibits little interannual variability. For aerosols, springtime dust events dominate the seasonal aerosol cycle. The chemistry-climate model captures the springtime peak aerosol optical depth (AOD) of 0.7-1 but is slightly greater than satellite-derived AOD. Observed AOD decreases in the summer and increases again in the fall due to agricultural burning events in the Nile Delta, yet the model underestimates this fall observed AOD peak, asmore » standard emissions inventories underestimate this burning and the resulting aerosol emissions. Our comparison of modeled gas and particulate phase atmospheric chemistry in the GC region indicates that improved emissions inventories of mobile sources and other anthropogenic activities are needed to improve air quality simulations in this region.« less

Authors:
; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE
OSTI Identifier:
1159009
Report Number(s):
PNNL-SA-96008
KP1701000
DOE Contract Number:  
AC05-76RL01830
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
Climate Research, 59(3):207-228
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Name: Climate Research, 59(3):207-228
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

Citation Formats

Steiner, A. L., Tawfik, A. B., Shalaby, A., Zakey, A. S., Abdel Wahab, M. M., Salah, Z., Solmon, F., Sillman, S., and Zaveri, Rahul A. Climatological simulations of ozone and atmospheric aerosols in the Greater Cairo region. United States: N. p., 2014. Web. doi:10.3354/cr01211.
Steiner, A. L., Tawfik, A. B., Shalaby, A., Zakey, A. S., Abdel Wahab, M. M., Salah, Z., Solmon, F., Sillman, S., & Zaveri, Rahul A. Climatological simulations of ozone and atmospheric aerosols in the Greater Cairo region. United States. https://doi.org/10.3354/cr01211
Steiner, A. L., Tawfik, A. B., Shalaby, A., Zakey, A. S., Abdel Wahab, M. M., Salah, Z., Solmon, F., Sillman, S., and Zaveri, Rahul A. 2014. "Climatological simulations of ozone and atmospheric aerosols in the Greater Cairo region". United States. https://doi.org/10.3354/cr01211.
@article{osti_1159009,
title = {Climatological simulations of ozone and atmospheric aerosols in the Greater Cairo region},
author = {Steiner, A. L. and Tawfik, A. B. and Shalaby, A. and Zakey, A. S. and Abdel Wahab, M. M. and Salah, Z. and Solmon, F. and Sillman, S. and Zaveri, Rahul A.},
abstractNote = {An integrated chemistry-climate model (RegCM4-CHEM) simulates present-day climate, ozone and tropospheric aerosols over Egypt with a focus on Greater Cairo (GC) region. The densley populated GC region is known for its severe air quality issues driven by high levels of anthropogenic pollution in conjuction with natural sources such as dust and agricultural burning events. We find that current global emission inventories underestimate key pollutants such as nitrogen oxides and anthropogenic aerosol species. In the GC region, average-ground-based NO2 observations of 40-60 ppb are substantially higher than modeled estimates (5-10 ppb), likely due to model grid resolution, improper boundary layer representation, and poor emissions inventories. Observed ozone concentrations range from 35 ppb (winter) to 80 ppb (summer). The model reproduces the seasonal cycle fairly well, but modeled summer ozone is understimated by approximately 15 ppb and exhibits little interannual variability. For aerosols, springtime dust events dominate the seasonal aerosol cycle. The chemistry-climate model captures the springtime peak aerosol optical depth (AOD) of 0.7-1 but is slightly greater than satellite-derived AOD. Observed AOD decreases in the summer and increases again in the fall due to agricultural burning events in the Nile Delta, yet the model underestimates this fall observed AOD peak, as standard emissions inventories underestimate this burning and the resulting aerosol emissions. Our comparison of modeled gas and particulate phase atmospheric chemistry in the GC region indicates that improved emissions inventories of mobile sources and other anthropogenic activities are needed to improve air quality simulations in this region.},
doi = {10.3354/cr01211},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1159009}, journal = {Climate Research, 59(3):207-228},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Wed Apr 16 00:00:00 EDT 2014},
month = {Wed Apr 16 00:00:00 EDT 2014}
}