Limits on the ability of global Eulerian models to resolve intercontinental transport of chemical plumes

Eastham, Sebastian D.; Jacob, Daniel J.

doi:https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-2543-2017

Articles | Volume 17, issue 4

https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-2543-2017

© Author(s) 2017. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.

https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-2543-2017

© Author(s) 2017. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.

Articles | Volume 17, issue 4

Research article

|

20 Feb 2017

Research article |

| 20 Feb 2017

Limits on the ability of global Eulerian models to resolve intercontinental transport of chemical plumes

Sebastian D. Eastham and Daniel J. Jacob

Model code and software

GEOS-Chem Model Global Modeling and Assimilation Office (GMAO) at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center http://acmg.seas.harvard.edu/geos/

Short summary

Intercontinental atmospheric transport can disrupt local chemistry and cause air quality issues thousands of kilometers from the source, complicating correct attribution of air quality exceedances. This transport occurs in long, thin plumes which current-generation models consistently fail to reproduce. Our study investigates the cause of this failure, finding that greater vertical resolution than is currently available is required to reliably resolve the plumes and their effects.