High-resolution modeling of urban air quality in the Berlin-Brandenburg region with WRF-Chem: A model evaluation

Kurzfassung

The WRF-Chem model was set up with high horizontal resolution (1kmx1km) and evaluated against observations for the Berlin-Brandenburg area. First results show a reasonably good performance for the meteorology, and a reasonable skill in reproducing observed chemistry and aerosols. This study focuses on urban areas, for which the model performs similarly well compared to non-urban areas. Still, it was more challenging to simulate the heat wave in 2006 for the urban stations. Sensitivity studies include a new set of parameters for the urban scheme optimized for European cities as well as the implementation of new high-resolution anthropogenic emissions. The model setup is then applied for air quality studies in Berlin and Brandenburg.