CERC — Environmental Software and Services

Air quality in urban areas

Quick links: PASODOBLE CARBONES GENESIS PROMOTE Defra I & II TRAPOS STOPP Accidental releases

PASODOBLE: PROMOTE Air Quality Services integrating Observations - Development Of Basic Localised Information for Europe[top]

PASDODOBLE is an EU-funded collaborative 7th Framework Programme project with 21 partners coordinated by DLR. It has a number of key objectives focusing on improving air quality in the EU through:

  • Evolution of existing and development of new sustainable air quality services for Europe on regional and local scales;
  • Development and testing of a framework for the coordination of input data and  customizable user-friendly access to services;
  • Promotion and harmonisation of best practice tools for air quality forecasting.

CERC’s main role is the coordination of one of the four PASODOBLE services namely: local forecast model evaluation support service for local authorities and city bodies. This involves the development of a web-based air quality forecasting evaluation service. The other services are health community support services for people at risk, hospitals, pharmacies and doctors; public air quality forecasting for regions, cities, the tourist industry and sporting event organisers, and support services for compliance with the EU limit values for regional environment agencies. CERC also has a significant role in the public air quality support service through the development and use of the air quality forecasting system airTEXT with a focus on the London Olympic Games in 2012.

CARBONES: 30-year re-analysis of CARBON fluxES and pools over Europe and the globe[top]

CARBONES is an EU FP7-funded project aiming to provide a 30-year long re-analysis of carbon fluxes and pools over Europe and the globe, in form of a user-friendly on-line interface. The project is a partnership between teams in France, the UK, Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands and China, and is coordinated by Noveltis.

CARBONES proposes a novel approach for quantifying and understanding CO2 surface fluxes. It will deliver the first ever consistent, high space- and time-resolution history of the carbon cycle, with associated uncertainties and attribution to controlling processes.

The products and diagnostics will be publicly disseminated thanks to a tailored user-friendly interface, allowing climate modellers, other science communities, and the general public to understand and easily visualize the living carbon cycle over the past 30 years. The project will lay the foundation of a future global operational verification system of CO2 fluxes.

CERC’s role in CARBONES is the development of the portal through which the carbon flux data will be made available to, displayed to and be analysed by users.

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GENESIS: GENeric European Sustainable Information Space for Environment[top]

The object of the GENESIS project is to provide Environment management and Health actors with an efficient solution based on advanced ICT to constitute collaborative information networks, integrating existing systems. The proposed solution is based on a thematic-neutral and open information system set up framework made of web services, portal components and toolkits. This framework can be easily customized for various thematic fields e.g. air quality, water quality, and deployed in many contexts (regional, European...).

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CERC are working with the University of the West of Scotland and Imperial College of Science, Technology & Medicine on an air quality thematic pilot based on London. The air quality thematic activity focuses on developing and evaluating health applications based on GMES geo-spatial air quality mapping services. The London pilot considers local scale air quality, different target groups and delivery modes e.g. web, GIS.

Supported by the EU 7th Framework.

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PROMOTE: PROtocol MOniToring for the GMES service Element Atmosphere[top]

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CERC's forecasting systems for London (www.airtext.info) and Vienna were developed under the ESA-funded PROMOTE programme. They are described further in the Air quality forecasting section. PROMOTE is a programme on air quality and ultraviolet forecasting at the European, national and local scales.

The forecasts of regional background concentration that are used by ADMS-Urban make use of satellite and ground based measurements and a range of models for different spatial scales. ADMS-Urban is then used to provide high resolution local forecasts.

The project is sponsored by the European Space Agency/Framework 6 Global Monitoring for the Environment and Security programme (GMES).

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Dispersion modelling of air pollution in urban areas of the UK (I and II)[top]

Between 2001 and 2006 CERC was commissioned by DEFRA to carry out these major studies, modelling air quality in urban areas of the United Kingdom using ADMS-Urban. The project involved detailed modelling of NO2, PM10, PM2.5 and ozone for current and future years in London, Glasgow, Cardiff and Belfast. Extensive emissions inventory work was undertaken and there was considerable model verification and sensitivity analysis. The projects also included source apportionment, options appraisal and local dispersion at airports.

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  • Comparison of ADMS-Urban, NETCEN and ERG air quality predictions for London(.pdf, <1MB)
  • Modelling air quality for London using ADMS-Urban(.pdf, 9MB)
  • Source apportionment for London using ADMS-Urban(.pdf, 17MB)
  • Validation and sensitivity studies of ADMS-Urban for London(.pdf, <1MB)

TRAPOS: Optimisation of modelling methods for TRAffic POllution in Streets

Research for TRAPOS was undertaken as part of an EU sponsored research training network. CERC's role included developments of theoretical models for traffic induced turbulence and the development of formalised scientific model evaluation procedures.

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STOPP: Simulation TOols for Pollutant Prediction[top]

Research for STOPP was undertaken as part of an EU sponsored research training network.

CERC's contribution included comparison and practical implementation of a range of chemical reaction sets including the CBMIV reaction set that can now be used as an advanced option in ADMS-Urban.

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Dispersion of accidental releases in urban areas[top]

A review supported by the Atmospheric Dispersion Modelling Liaison Committee (ADMLC) and available from the ADMLC website.(.pdf, 1MB)

The review looked at dispersion from localised sources in urban areas, together with the related air flow and meteorology. It considered these phenomena and their modelling over the three spatial ranges relevant to urban areas, namely mesoscale, neighbourhood and building/street scales. The work is a basis for an enhanced version of ADMS for terrorist releases.

This study has been referred to in the recent report by the Royal Society Making the UK safer: detecting and decontaminating chemical and biological agents. The report recommends the proposed new centre (Counter-Terrorism Science and Technology Centre) should assess the current and future capabilities of mathematical modelling to provide real time information to inform first responders and emerging planners.

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