Implementing the RAMS-CALMET-CALGRID modelling system to assess seasonal ozone pollution: a five-month application over Tuscany region

The LaMMA laboratory implemented the RAMS-CALMET-CALGRID integrated modellingsystem to assess ozone pollution at a regional scale. The system is based on the RAMS meteorologicalforecasting model and the CALGRID photochemical grid dispersion model.In the present study a comprehensive application of RAMS-CALMET-CALGRID has been carried out on aseasonal basis over Tuscany region, Italy. The study area is 184x224 Km2 wide, made of a 45x55x12 3-Dcomputational grid, with a horizontal resolution of 4 Km.The modelling system has been applied in a long term mode on a five-month long (May to September 2002)time period, which can be certainly reckoned as the most original part of the work. As a matter of fact, anumber of strong modifications in the original CALGRID code proved to be necessary to let the model runcontinuously all over the five months of simulation.The SAPRC-90 "lumped" chemical mechanism developed by Carter has been used to lump all VOCsinvolved in the O3 formation and removal processes in the atmosphere