ACP Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics ACP 1680-7324 Copernicus GmbH Göttingen, Germany 10.5194/acp-10-341-2010 Parameterization of vertical diffusion and the atmospheric boundary layer height determination in the EMEP model Jeričević A. 1 Kraljević L. 1 Grisogono B. 2 Fagerli H. 3 Večenaj Ž. 2 Meteorological and Hydrological Service of Croatia, Zagreb, Croatia Andrija Mohorovičić Geophysical Institute, Department of Geophysics, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia Norwegian Meteorological Institute, Oslo, Norway 18 01 2010 10 2 341 364 This is an open-access article ditributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. This article is available from http://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/10/341/2010/acp-10-341-2010.html The full text article is available as a PDF file from http://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/10/341/2010/acp-10-341-2010.pdf

This paper introduces two changes of the turbulence parameterization for the EMEP (European Monitoring and Evaluation Programme) Eulerian air pollution model: the replacement of the Blackadar in stable and O'Brien in unstable turbulence formulations with an analytical vertical diffusion profile (<i>K(z)</i>) called Grisogono, and a different mixing height determination, based on a bulk Richardson number formulation (<i>Ri</i><sub>B</sub></i>). The operational or standard (STD) and proposed new parameterization for eddy diffusivity have been validated in all stability conditions against the observed daily surface nitrogen dioxide (NO<sub>2</sub>), sulphur dioxide (SO<sub>2</sub>) and sulphate (SO<sub>4</sub><sup>2&minus;</sup>) concentrations at different EMEP stations during the year 2001. A moderate improvement in the correlation coefficient and bias for NO<sub>2</sub> and SO<sub>2</sub> and a slight improvement for sulphate is found for the most of the analyzed stations with the Grisogono <i>K(z)</i> scheme, which is recommended for further application due to its scientific and technical advantages. The newly extended approach for the mechanical eddy diffusivity is applied to the Large Eddy Simulation data focusing at the bulk properties of the neutral and stable atmospheric boundary layer. A summary and extension of the previous work on the empirical coefficients in neutral and stable conditions is provided with the recommendations to the further model development. Special emphasis is given to the representation of the ABL in order to capture the vertical transport and dispersion of the atmospheric air pollution. Two different schemes for the ABL height determination are evaluated against the radiosounding data in January and July 2001, and against the data from the Cabauw tower, the Netherlands, for the same year. The validation of the ABL parameterizations has shown that the EMEP model is able to reproduce spatial and temporal mixing height variability. Improvements are identified especially in stable conditions with the new ABL height scheme based on the <i>Ri</i><sub>B</sub></i> number.

 References Athanassiadis, G., Trivikrama, R., Jia-Yeong, K., and Clarc, R.: Boundary layer evolution and its influence on ground level ozone concentrations, Environ. Fluid Mech., 2(4), 339–357, doi:10.1023/A:102456018087, 2002. Basu, S., Holtslag, A. A. M., van de Wiel, B. J. H., Moene, A. F., and Steeneveld, G. J.: An inconvenienth "truth" about using the sensible heatflux as a surface boundary condition in models under stably stratified regimes, Acta Geophys., 56, 88–99, 2008. Beare, R. J., MacVean, M. K., Holtslag, A. A. M., Cuxart, J., Esau, I., Golaz, J.-C., Jimenez, M. A., Khairoutdinov, M., Kosovic, B., Lewellen, D., Lund, T. S., Lundquist, J. K., McCabe, A., Moene, A. F., Noh, Y., Raasch, S., and Sullivan, P.: An intercomparison of large-eddy simulations of the stable boundary layer, Bound.-Lay. Meteorol., 118(2), 247–272, 2006. Beljaars, A. C. M. and Bosveld, F. C.: Cabauw data for the validation of land surface parameterization schemes, J. Climate, 10(6), 1172–1193, doi:10.1175/1520-0442(1997)010$<$1172;CDFTVO$>$2.0.CO;2, 1997. Berge, E. and Jakobsen, H. A.: A regional scale multi-layer model for the calculation of long-term transport and deposition of air pollution in Europe, Tellus, 50, 205–223, doi:10.1034/j.1600-0889.1998.t01-2-00001.x, 1998. Biswas, J. and Rao, T.: Uncertainties in episodic ozone modeling stemming from uncertainties in the meteorological fields, J. Appl. Meteorol., 40, 117–136, doi:10.1175/1520-0450(2001)040$<$0117:UIEOMS$>$2.0.CO;2, 2000. Blackadar, A. K.: Modeling pollutant transfer during daytime convection. In: Fourth Symposium on Atmospheric Turbulence Diffusion and Air Quality, AMS, Reno, NV, 443–447~pp., 1979. Chang, J. C. and Hanna, S. R.: Air quality model performance evaluation, Meteorol. Atmos. Phys., 87, 167–196, 2004. Chen, T. H., Henderson-Sellers, A., Milly, P. C. D., Pitman, A., Beljaars, A. C. M., Abramopoulos, F., Boone, A., Chang, S., Chen, F., Dai, Y., Desborough, C., Dickinson, R., Duemenil, L., Ek, M., Garratt, J., Gedney, N., Gusev, Y., Kim, J., Koster, R., Kowalczyk, E., Laval, K., Lean, J., Lettenmaier, D., Liang, X., Mengelkamp, T.-H., Mahfouf, J.-F., Mitchell, K., Nasonova, O., Noilhan, J., Polcher, J., Robock, A., Rosenzweig, C., Schaake, J., Schlosser, C. A., Schulz, J. P., Shao, Y., Shmakin, A., Verseghy, D., Wetzel, P., Wood, E., Xue, Y., Yang, Z.-L., and Zeng, Q.-C.: Cabauw experimental results from the Project for Intercomparison of Land-surface Parameterization Schemes (PILPS), J. Climate, 10, 1194–1215, doi:10.1175/1520-0442(1997)010$<$1194;CERFTP$>$2.0.CO;2, 1997. Deardorff, J. W.: Parameterization of the planetary boundary layer for use in general circulation model, Mon. Weather Rev., 100, 93–106, doi:10.1175/1520-0469(19729029$<$0091:NIONAU$>$2.0.CO;2, 1972. Ek, M. B. and Holtslag, A. A. M.: Evaluation of a land-surface scheme at Cabauw, Theor. Appl. Climatol., 80, 213–227, doi:10.1007/S00704-004-0101-4, 2005. ENVIRON: User's Guide to the Comprehensive Air Quality Model with Extensions (CAMx) Version~2.00, ENVIRON International Corporation, 101 Rowland Way, Suite 220, Novato, California, 94945-5010, http://www.camx.com/, 1998. Esau, I. and Zilitinkevich, S.: Universal dependences between turbulent and mean flow parameters in stably and neutrally stratified planetary boundary layers, Nonlinear Proc. Geoph. 13, 135–144, 2006. Fagerli, H. and Eliassen, A.: Modified parameterization of vertical diffusion. In: Transboundary Acidification, Eutrophication and Ground Level ozone in Europe, EMEP Summary Status Report~2002, Joint CCC & MSC-W Research Report No 1&2/01, Norwegian Meteorological Institute, Oslo, Norway, available from http://emep.int/publ/common_publications.html#2002, 74~pp., 2002. Fagerli, H., Simpson, D., and Aas, W.: Model performance for sulphur and nitrogen compounds for the period 1980 to 2000, edited by: Tarrasón, L., in: Transboundary Acidification, Eutrophication and Ground Level Ozone in Europe, EMEP Status Report~1/2003, Part~II Unified EMEP Model Performance, The Norwegian Meteorological Institute, Oslo, Norway, 66~pp., 2003. Fagerli, H., Simpson, D., and Tsyro, S.: Unified EMEP model: Updates, in: EMEP Report~1/2004, Transboundary acidification, eutrophication and ground level ozone in Europe, Status Report~1/2004, The Norwegian Meteorological Institute, Oslo, Norway, 11–18~pp., 2004. Fagerli, H., Legrand, M., Preunkert, S., Simpson, D., Vestreng, V., and Cerqueira, M.: Modeling historical long-term trends of sulfate, ammonium and elemental carbon over Europe: A comparison with ice core records in the Alps, J. Geophys. Res., 112, D23S13, doi:10.1029/2006JD008044, 2007. Fagerli, H. and Aas, W.: Trends of nitrogen in air and precipitation: Model results and observations at EMEP sites in Europe, 1980–2003, Environ. Pollut., 154, 448–461, doi:10.1016/j.envpol.2008.01.024, 2008. Fay, B., Schrodin, R., Jacobsen, I., and Engelbart, D.: Validation of mixing heights derived from the operational NWP models at the German Weather Service, in: The determination of the mixing height – current progress and problems, EURASAP Workshop Proceedings 1–3~October~1997, edited by: Gryning, S.-E., Report Risø-R-997 (EN), ISBN~87-550-2325-8, Risø National Laboratory, Roskilde, Denmark, 55–58~pp., 1997. Fisher, R. A.: Frequency distribution of the values of the correlation coefficient in samples from an indefinitely large population, Biometrika, available from http: //www.jstor.org/stable/2331838, 10(4), 507–521, 1915. Fox, D. G.: Judging air quality model performance: A summary of the AMS Workshop on Dispersion Model Performance, B. Am. Meteorol. Soc., 62, 599–609, 1981, doi:10.1175/1520-0477(1981)062$<$0599:JAQMP$>$2.0.CO;2. Garratt, J. R: The atmospheric boundary layer, Cambridge University Press, 316~pp., 1992. Grisogono, B.: A generalized Ekman layer profile within gradually-varying eddy diffusivities, Q. J. Roy. Meteorol. Soc., 121, 445–453, 1995. Grisogono, B. and Oerlemans, J.: Katabatic flow: analitic solution for gradually varying eddy diffusivities, J. Atmos. Sci., 58, 3349–3354, 2001a. Grisogono, B. and Oerlemans, J.: A theory for the estimation of surface fluxes in simple katabatic flows, Q. J. Roy. Meteorol. Soc., 127, 2725–2739, 2001b. Grisogono, B. and Oerlemans, J.: Justifying the WKB approximation in pure katabatic flows, Tellus~A, 54, 453–462, doi:10.1034/j.1600-0870.2002.201399.x, 2002. Grisogono, B., Kraljevi\'c, L., and Jeričevi\'c, A.: The low-level katabatic jet height versus Monin-Obukhov height, Q. J. Roy. Meteorol. Soc., 133, 2133–2136, 2007. Grisogono, B. and Beluši\'c, D.: Improving mixing length-scale for stable boundary layers, Q. J. Roy. Meteorol. Soc., 134, 2185–2192, 2008. Grisogono, B.: Generalizing "z-less" mixing length for stable boundary layers, Q. J. Roy. Meteorol. Soc., in press, 2010. Gryning, S.-E. and Batchvarova, E.: Marine boundary layer and turbulent fluxes over the Baltic sea: measurements and modelling, Bound.-Lay. Meteorol., 103, 29–47, 2002. Holtslag, A. A. M. and Moeng, C. H.: Eddy diffusivity and countergradient transport in the convective atmospheric boundary layer, J. Atmos. Sci., 48, 1690–1698, doi:10.1175/1520-0469(1991)048$<$1690:EDACTI$>$2.0.CO;2, 1991. Holtslag, A. A. M. and Boville, B. A.: Local versus nonlocal boundary-layer diffusion in a global climate model, J. Climate, 6, 1825–1842, doi:10.1175/1520-0442(1993)006$<$1825:LVNBLD$>$2.0.CO;2, 1993. Ivatek-Šahdan, S. and Tudor, M.: Use of high-resolution dynamical adaptation in operational suite and research impact studies, Meteorol. Z., 13(2), 99–108, 2004. Jakobsen, H. A., Berge, E., Iversen, T., and Skalin, R.: Status of the development of the multilayer Eulerian model, available at http://www.emep.int/mscw/mscw_publications.html#1995, EMEP/MSC-W Note~3/95, 1995. Jeričevi\'c, A. and Grisogono, B.: The critical bulk richardson number in urban areas: verification and application in a numerical weather prediction model, Tellus~A, 58, 19–27, doi:10.1111/j.1600-0870.2006.00153.x, 2006. Jeričevi\'c, A., Kraljevi\'c, L., Vidič, S., and Tarrasón, L.: Project description: High resolution environmental modelling and evaluation programme for Croatia (EMEP4HR), available at http://geofizika-journal.gfz.hr/vol24.htm, Geofizika, 24(2), 137–143, 2007. Jeričevi\'c, A. and Večenaj, Ž.: Improvement of vertical diffusion analytic schemes under stable atmospheric conditions, Bound.-Lay. Meteorol., 131, 293–307, doi:10.1007/s10546-009-9367-5, 2009. Jonson, J. E., Bartnicki, J., Olendrzynski, K., Jakobsen, H. A., and Berge, E.: EMEP Eulerian model for atmospheric transport and deposition of nitrogen species over Europe, Environ. Pollut., 102, 289–298, 1998. Jonson, J. E., Simpson, D., Fagerli, H., and Solberg, S.: Can we explain the trends in European ozone levels?, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 6, 51–66, 2006. Klai\'c, Z.: A lagrangian one-layer model of long-range transport of SO<sub>2</sub>, Atmos. Environ., 24A, 1861–1867, 1990. Klai\'c, Z: A lagrangian model of long-range transport of sulphur with the diurnal variations of some model parameters, J. Appl. Meteorol., 35, 574–586, 1995. Klai\'c, Z. B.: Assessment of wintertime atmospheric input of European sulfur to the Eastern Adriatic, Il~Nuovo Cimento~C, 26C, 1–6, 2003. Klai\'c, Z. and Beširevi\'c, S.: Modelled sulphur depositions over Croatia, Meteorol, J. Atmos. Phys., 65, 133-138, 1998. Kraljevi\'c, L., Beluši\'c, D., Benceti\'c Klai\'c, Z., Bennedictow, A., Fagerli, H., Grisogono, B., Jeričevi\'c, A., Mihajlovi\'c, D., Špoler Čani\'c, K., Tarrasón, L., Valiyaveetil, S., Vešligaj, D., and Vidič, S.: Application of EMEP Unified model on regional scale – EMEP4HR, Proceedings from a 12~HARMO conference Part~1: Oral Presentations, edited by: Vesna, D., Zagreb, available from http://www.harmo.org/Conferences/Proceedings/_Cavtat/topicIndex.asp?topicID=0, Croat. Meteorol. J., 43, 151, 2008. Lee, H. N. and Larsen, R. J.: Vertical diffusion in the lower atmosphere using aircraft measurements of $^222$Rn, J. Appl. Meteorol., 36, 1262–1270, doi:10.1175/1520-0450(1997)036$<$1262:VDITLA$>$2.0.CO;2, 1997. Louis, J. F.: A parametric model of vertical eddy fluxes in the atmosphere, Bound.-Lay. Meteorol., 17, 187–202, 1979. Mahrt, L.: Modelling the depth of the stable boundary layer, Bound.-Lay. Meteorol., 21, 3–19, 1981. Mahrt, L.: Stratified Atmospheric Boundary Layers, Bound.-Lay. Meteorol., 90, 375-396, doi:10.1023/A:1001765727956, 1999. Mahrt, L.: The influence of nonstationarity on the turbulent flux-gradient relationship for stable stratification, Bound.-Lay. Meteorol., 125, 245–264, doi:10.1007/s10546-007-9154-0, 2007. Mauritsen, T., Svensson, G., Zilitinkevich, S., Esau, I., Enger, L., and Grisogono, B.: A total turbulent energy closure model for neutrally and stably stratified atmospheric boundary layers, J. Atmos. Sci., 64, 4113–4126, doi:10.1175/2007JAS2294.1, 2007. McNider, R. T. and Pielke, R. A.: Diurnal boundary layer development over sloping terrain, J. Atmos. Sci., 38, 198–2212, doi:10.1175/1520-0469(1981)038$<$2198:DBLDOS$>$2.0.CO;2, 1981. Monin, A. S. and Obukhov, A. M.: Basic laws of turbulent mixing in the surface layer of the atmosphere, Tr. Geofiz. inst. Akad. Nauk SSSR, 151, 163–187, 1954. Nowacki, P., Samson, P. J., and Sillman, S.: Sensitivity of Urban Airshed Model (UAM-IV) Calculated Air Pollutant Concentrations to the Vertical Diffusion Parametrisation During Convective Meteorological Situations, J. Appl. Meteorol., 35, 1790–1803, doi:10.1175/1520-0450(1996)035$<$1790:SOUAMI$>$2.0.CO;2, 1996. O'Brien, J. J.: A Note on the vertical structure of the eddy exchange coefficient in the planetary boundary layer, J. Atmos. Sci., 27, 1213–1215, doi:10.1175/1520-0469(1970)027$<$1213:ANOTVS$>$2.0.CO;2, 1970. Olivié, D. J. L., van Velthoven, P. F. J., and Beljaars, A. C. M.: Evaluation of archived and off-line diagnosed vertical diffusion coefficients from ERA-40 with $^222$Rn simulations, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 4, 2313-2336, 2004. Pahlow, M., Parlange, M. B., and Porté-Agel, F.: On Monin-Obukhov similarity in the stable atmospheric boundary layer, Bound.-Lay. Meteorol., 99, 225–248, doi:10.1023/A:1018909000098, 2001. Poulos, G. S. and Burns, S. P.: An evaluation of bulk Ri-based surface layer flux formulas for stable and very stable conditions with intermittent turbulence, J. Atmos. Sci., 60, 2523–2537, doi:10.1175/1520-0469(2003)060$<$2523:AEOBRS$>$2.0.CO;2, 2003. Schäfer, K., Emeis, S., Hoffmann, J., and Jahn, C.: Influence of mixing height upon air pollution in urban and suburban areas, Meteorol. Z., 15, 647–658, 2006. Seibert, P., Beyrich, F., Gryning, S.-E., Joffre, S., Rasmussen, A., and Tercier, P.: Review and intercomparison of operational methods for the determination of the mixing height, Atmos. Environ., 34, 1001–1027, doi:10.1016/S1352-2310(99)00349-0, 2000. Seinfield, J. H. and Pandis, S. N.: Atmospheric chemistry and physic: from air pollution to climate change, John Wiley and Sons, Inc., New York, 1326~pp., 1998. Simpson, D., Fagerli, H., Jonson, J. E., Tsyro, S., Wind, P., and Tuovinen, J.-P.: The EMEP Unified Eulerian Model. Model Description. Technical Report EMEP MSC-W Report~1/2003, The Norwegian Meteorological Institute, Oslo, Norway, 2003. Simpson, D., Butterbach-Bahl, K., Fagerli, H., Kesik, M., and Skiba, U.: Deposition and emissions of reactive nitrogen over European forests: A modelling study, Atmos. Environ., 40(29), 5712–5726, 2006a. Simpson, D., Fagerli, H., Hellsten, S., Knulst, J. C., and Westling, O.: Comparison of modelled and monitored deposition fluxes of sulphur and nitrogen to ICP-forest sites in Europe, Biogeosciences, 3, 337–355, 2006. Simpson, D., Yttri, K. E., Klimont, Z., Kupiainen, K., Caseiro, A., Gelencsér, A., Pio, C., and Legrand, M.: Modeling carbonaceous aerosol over Europe. Analysis of the CARBOSOL and EMEP~EC/OC campaigns, J. Geophys. Res., 112, D23S14, doi:10.1029/2006JD008158, 2007. Sørensen, J. H., Rasmussen, A., and Svensmark, H.: Forecast of atmospheric boundary-layer height for ETEX real-time dispersion modelling, Phys. Chem. Earth, 21, 435–439, doi:10.1016/SOO79-1946(97)81138-x, 1996. Stull, R. B.: An Introduction to Boundary Layer Meteorology, Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, The Netherlands, 666~pp., 1988. Tsyro, S., Simpson, D., Tarrasón, L., Klimont, Z., Kupiainen, K., Pio, C., and Yttri, K. E.: Modeling of elemental carbon over Europe, J. Geophys. Res., 112, D23S19, doi:10.1029/2006JD008164.2, 2007. Troen, I. B. and Mahrt, L.: A simple model of the atmospheric boundary layer; sensitivity to surface evaporation, Bound.-Lay. Meteorol., 37, 129–148, doi:10.1007/BF00122760, 1986. van Ulden, A. P. and Wieringa, J.: Atmospheric boundary layer research at Cabauw, Bound.-Lay. Meteorol., 78, 39–69, doi:10.1007/BF00122486, 1996. Vieno, M., Dore, A. J., Wind, P., Di Marco, C., Nemitz, E., Phillips, G., Tarrasón, L., and Sutton, M. A.: Application of the EMEP Unified Model to the UK with a horizontal resolution of 5$\times$5 km<sup>2</sup>, in: Atmospheric ammonia: Detecting emission changes and environmental impacts, edited by: Sutton, M. A , Baker, S., and Reis, S., Springer, 367–372~pp., 2009. Vieno, M., Dore, A. J., Stevenson, D. S., Doherty, R., Heal, M. R., Reis, S., Hallsworth, S., Tarrason, L., Wind, P., Fowler, D., Simpson, D., and Sutton, M. A.: Modelling surface ozone during the 2003 heat wave in the UK, Atmos. Chem. Phys. Discuss., 9, 19509–19544, 2009. Vogelezang, D. H. P. and Holtslag, A. A. M.: Evaluation and model impacts of alternative boundary-layer height formulations, Bound.-Lay. Meteorol., 81, 245–269, 1996. Willmott, C. J.: Some comments on the evaluation of model performance, B. Am. Meteorol. Soc., 63, 1309–1313, doi:10.1175/1520-0477(1982)063$<$1309:SCOTEO$>$2.0.CO;2, 1982. Zilitinkevich, S. and Calanca, P.: An extended theory for the stably stratified atmospheric boundary layer, Q. J. Roy. Meteorol. Soc., 126, 1913–1923, doi:10.1256/smsqj.56617, 2000. Zilitinkevich, S. and Baklanov, A.: Calculation of the height of the stable boundary layer in practical applications, Bound.-Lay. Meteorol., 105, 389–409, doi:10.102376832738, 2002. Zilitinkevich, S., Elperin, T., Kleorin, N., Rogachevskii, I., Esau, I., Mauritsen, T., and Miles, M.: Turbulence energetics in stably stratified geophysical flows: strong and weak mixing regimes, Q. J. Roy. Meteorol. Soc., 134, 793–799, doi:101002/qj.264, 2008. Zhang, Y., Pun, B., Wu, S.-Y., Vijayaraghavan, K., and Seigneur, C.: Application and evaluation of two air quality models for particulate matter for a southeastern US episode, J. Air Waste Manage., 54, 1478–1493, 2004. Žagar, M. and Rakovec, J.: Small scale surface wind prediction using dynamical adaptation, Tellus~A, 51, 489–504, doi:10.1034/j.1600-0870.1999.t01-4-00003.x, 1999.