Chapter Fourteen Computational Air Quality Modelling

Progress in computer capabilities has substantially influenced research in air quality modelling, a very complex and multidisciplinary area. It covers remote sensing, land use impacts, initial and boundary conditions, data assimilation techniques, chemical schemes, comparison between measured and modelled data, computer efficiency, parallel computing, coupling with meteorology, long-range transport impact on local air pollution, new satellite data assimilation techniques, real-time and forecasting and sensitivity analysis. This contribution focuses on providing a general overview of the state of the art in air quality modelling from the point of view of the "user community," which includes policy makers, urban planners and environmental managers. It also tries to bring to the discussion key questions, such as where are the greatest uncertainties in emission inventories and meteorological fields, how well do air quality models simulate urban aerosols, and what are the next generation developments in models to answer new scientific and management questions.